MATE is a 100% Australian owned telecommunications company with locally based customer service.
It offers plans on nearly every NBN speed tier, only missing out on the slowest (NBN 12) and fastest NBN 1000 speed, which is honestly overkill for home usage anyway.
The main drawback of signing up with MATE is that its plans are pricey for the speeds it promises during the busy hours of the day (7–11pm).
You can get better speeds for a cheaper price from other providers.
Having said that, MATE NBN could be right for you if:
But before deciding, you should also consider:
"Mate used to be priced more competitively when they were newer to the market, but I still can't fault their customer service. I had to connect our unit to NBN via Mate as it was a new build and the address wasn't subdivided on the postal service network yet. Mate kept checking for me and let me know when it finally got established. We were connected within 2 days (including waiting for a guy to come out and switch our building on). We've since had issues with our router and they talked me through resetting all the right fields even though we hadn't purchased the device through them. Most recently we moved into a deceased estate house where everything had been disposed of - including the NBN modem and cabling. Mate organised to get us a replacement from NBN Co. and called us to help set it up on the day it was delivered. I know I could get cheaper broadband out there, but at this point I feel like I'm getting value out of the premium I pay."
MATE's NBN plans are mostly on par with the average cost of broadband plans on Finder. However, it loses a few marks for offering slower speeds during the busy hours of the day (7–11pm).
You'll likely get better bang for buck elsewhere. This is also true if you can't BYO modem as the one from MATE costs $165, which is costlier than the Finder average of $118.
The good news is it offers a 1-month service guarantee and no lock-in contract so there's little risk in giving it a test run.
MATE is not included in the ACCC Broadband Performance report so the reliability of its speeds cannot officially be verified.
However, based on its advertised typical evening speeds (average for busy hours of the day, 7–11pm), you shouldn't expect to receive the fastest possible on any of the NBN speed tiers.
MATE's customer service exists largely online:
MATE gives you a couple of perks alongside its internet plans:
If you are not satisfied with MATE during the first month, you can get a full refund.
You can enjoy a $10 discount off your MATE NBN plan if you bundle it with any of its mobile plans.
Another option for local customer support:
Aussie Broadband also boasts an award-winning Australian customer support team and its speeds fare better than MATE's.
For a budget-friendly plan:
flip is a strong contender against MATE NBN as it has some of the cheapest NBN plans on Finder. Additionally, its advertised typical evening speeds are faster.
For extras:
iiNet offers an optional sign-up to Fetch entertainment for 24 months at no extra cost to customers.
Signing up to MATE NBN is fairly simple once you've worked out which plan is right for you.
Simply click the green "Go to site" button in our comparison table. All you'll need to do then is type in your address to check the plan availability in your area and sign up to the NBN plan of your choice.
What if I'm moving house?
You can select a date during the sign-up process for when you'd like your new MATE plan to be activated. Keep in mind that it could take up to 5 business days to get connected.
Make sure to give your current provider a heads-up in case there's a notice period to account for. You don't want to be stuck paying for 2 internet services.
If you're still feeling unsure about the process, check out our guide on how to switch broadband providers.
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iiNet is a household Internet name, offering decent speeds with the option of adding Fetch entertainment on your plan.
Are mate speeds subject to off peak speed changes?
They offer a fibre to the premises option. Am I right that this only applies if NBN has directly connected you and that there is no option to have this option installed if you are in a fibre to the node area?
Hi Thinkpic,
The plans currently offered by Mate Communicate do not split the monthly data allowance into peak or off-peak. If you exceed your data allowance for the month, your speed will be reduced (shaped) for both peak and off-peak times.
The Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) plan is only available for customers who are connected to the NBN FTTP network. Mate Communicate offers plans for customers who are connected to the Fibre to the Node or Fibre to the Basement networks.
The company responsible for building the National Broadband Network, nbn, offers a Technology Choice program which allows end users to upgrade to an FTTP connection at the end user’s own expense.
Thanks,
Ken