More than 6 million Australian customers face an average increase of 8% on their monthly NBN costs.
The price increases have been revealed following on from the approval by the ACCC last week of Labor’s plan to increase NBN prices.
Under the new plan, the prices the NBN charges to retailers will increase. Retailers will then pass on those increases to Australian families. Retailer Aussie Broadband is the first retailer to reveal its increased prices following on from the new plan.
According to the ACCC, more than 6 million Australian customers currently have a 12, 25 or 50 Mbps NBN plan. This represents about 75% of all NBN customers.
Aussie Broadband has revealed price increases for those plans of an average of more than 8%. For families on the lowest cost plan, who are likely to feel the impact the most, the increase is more than 10%.
Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman said that these huge increases were coming at the worst possible time, during a cost of living crisis.
“The Albanese Government has said that the NBN price increases represent a ‘positive outcome for households’ (Rowland statement, 17 October 2023). But families will now be forced to pay much more for their Internet. How can that be a ‘positive outcome’ in the middle of a cost of living crisis?
“Mr Albanese promised to reduce electricity prices by $275 – instead, they have gone through the roof. Now his Government is describing big increases on Internet prices as a ‘positive outcome’ for families. The Government has decoupled from reality, and is completely out of touch with the huge cost of living pressures being faced by Australian families,” Mr Coleman said.
Mr Coleman said the Coalition would be pursuing questions on this issue in Senate Estimates in Canberra today.