Telstra's half-price NBN looks cheap. What happens after month four?

The headline needs a second look

A $49 internet bill is a very effective way to get my attention. An internet bill that turns into $99 four months later deserves a slightly longer conversation.

Telstra's Black Friday promotion gives eligible new services four discounted months, with the offer ending on 30 November. The interesting option here is Premium nbn Internet Only: $49 a month initially, then $99. On eligible FTTP and HFC connections, it is the NBN 500 option. Prices and eligibility checked on 12 November 2026, not a promise that the offer will remain unchanged. The monthly discount can end early if you change plans.

The number worth comparing is $988

Four months at $49 costs $196. Eight more months at $99 adds $792. Stay for a full year at those advertised rates and the service charges total $988, or about $82.33 a month on average.

That is a useful discount: $200 less than paying $99 for all 12 months. It is not a $49-a-month plan for the year, and it is not a $588 annual bill. The promotional headline is doing its job. Your calculator should do yours.

Those calculations assume no price change and exclude optional equipment and any applicable connection or payment fees. As a comparison exercise, an otherwise equivalent $80 plan with no introductory discount would cost $960 over a year. That is not a rival offer I have verified; it is a reminder to compare the whole period, rather than the biggest percentage on the page.

Internet Only actually means internet only

This is not the same bundle as Telstra's modem-and-phone plans, including its separate $56/$113 500Mbps offer. The plan's Critical Information Summary excludes a phone service, Smart Modem, mobile backup, SmartFix and Internet Optimiser. You can bring a suitable modem, or the summary lists a Smart Modem purchase at $360.

That changes the shopping question. If your current router works well and you never use a home phone, a stripped-back plan may suit you nicely. If you were choosing Telstra specifically for backup internet or an included modem, make sure you are comparing the correct product.

The same summary lists a one-month minimum term. Cancellation stops the service immediately, does not refund payments already made, and can require outstanding hardware or accessories to be paid out. New-development and additional-connection charges can also apply. Read your order summary before committing.

Check the connection, then the Wi-Fi

For this FTTP/HFC option, Telstra advertises typical evening speeds, measured from 7–11pm, of 500Mbps download and 40Mbps upload. Your actual result can be lower. The promotion covers other plans too, but that does not make every $49 listing a 500Mbps service: the technology at the address matters.

I would make three checks before switching. First, confirm the precise plan against your address. Second, check whether your router and the devices you use can take useful advantage of the speed. Third, look at what you actually do online.

Faster downloads are handy for a large game library or a busy household. They do not automatically fix a weak signal at the other end of the house. Spending more on the connection while leaving the router behind a television is a wonderfully expensive way to keep the same problem.

My take

This is worth comparing, especially if you already have suitable equipment. But judge it as a $988 first-year service-cost proposition, followed by the advertised $99 monthly rate, not a permanent half-price escape from broadband bills.

Set a reminder before the fourth discounted month ends, check the price again, and compare like-for-like inclusions. A good deal is still allowed to come with homework.