Lightning Broadband vs iinet - Which is the best NBN internet provider?
iinet is a long-standing national player, a well-known name that many Australians have used for years, often praised in reviews for its reliable service. On the other hand, Lightning Broadband is a newer, more specialised provider, frequently highlighted by customers for its high speeds and personalised support, particularly for those in its own network areas. This comparison looks at how these two very different organisations stack up, from their NBN plans to their overall customer experience.
Lightning Broadband and iinet are both reputable broadband internet providers in Australia.
Deciding which NBN or wireless internet company to sign up to is not an easy task. To make this process easier we have provided a side by side comparison of Lightning Broadband and iinet internet providers in the table below.
Disclaimer: All the data in the table is based on the opinions of people who have submitted reviews to this site over the last 24 months. We screen the reviews very thoroughly to ensure only accurate reviews get through. Please do your own research.
| Criteria | Lightning Broadband | iinet |
|---|---|---|
| About |
|
 |
| Lightning Broadband runs its own fixed wireless and private fibre network across Melbourne, with plans up to 1000 Mbps for addresses inside the Lightning footprint. It sits alongside the nbn rather than reselling it, so customers in covered buildings get to bypass the FTTN/FTTB copper that would otherwise cap their speeds. Lightning is small and Melbourne specific but useful for residents of apartment blocks where its network is already wired in. | iiNet was founded in Perth in 1993 and became one of Australia's best-known broadband brands. It has been owned by TPG Telecom since 2015, so it is no longer independently listed, but still runs as its own brand with a long-standing reputation for customer service. | |
| Go to Lightning Broadband | Go to iinet | |
| Overall Rating | [Not enough reviews] |
3.8
iinet has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 based on 5 reviews. iinet is a good broadband internet provider according to our users. |
| Recommended | [Not enough reviews] | 80% of people who have written reviews on this site would recommend iinet to their friends as a broadband internet provider. |
| Reliability | [Not enough reviews] |
4 iinet's reliability is rated as very good by our users. iinet has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 for reliability. |
| Customer Service | [Not enough reviews] |
3.6 iinet's customer service is rated as good by our users. iinet has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5 for customer service. |
| Value for Money | [Not enough reviews] |
4 iinet is rated as very good for value for money by our users. iinet has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 for value for money. |
| Technical Support | [Not enough reviews] |
3.6 iinet's technical support is rated as good by our users. iinet has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5 for technical support. |
| Australian based technical support | [Not enough reviews] | No, iinet uses a mix of Australian based and overseas call centres for technical support. |
| Call Centre Location | [Not enough reviews] | iinet uses call centres based in Australia, Philippines and South Africa. |
| Services Offered | [Not enough reviews] | iinet offers a range of broadband and internet related services including NBN and 5G internet plans. |
| Cost of 25Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data |
Lightning Broadband - Entry level: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $72 per month. Lightning Broadband - Entry Level: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $72 per month. Lightning Broadband - Entry Level: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $72 per month. Lightning Broadband - Entry Level: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $72 per month. |
iinet - NBN25: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $79.99 per month. |
| Cost of 50Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data |
Lightning Broadband - Everyday internet: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $85 per month. Lightning Broadband - Everyday Internet: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $85 per month. Lightning Broadband - Everyday Internet: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $85 per month. Lightning Broadband - Everyday Internet: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $85 per month. |
iinet - NBN50: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $89.99 per month. |
| Cost of wireless broadband plan |
iinet - Home Wireless (4G): 14Mbps, unlimited data for $59.99 per month. |
|
| Contact Details |
Lightning Broadband's phone number is: 1300 477 525 and website is: lightningbroadband.com.au |
iinet's phone number is: 13 19 17 and website is: iinet.net.au |
| Read Reviews | Read reviews of Lightning Broadband. | Read reviews of iinet. |
| Go to Lightning Broadband | Go to iinet |
Lightning Broadband and iinet NBN25 plans (25Mbps download speed)
|
|
Entry Level
NBN - Private Fibre
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$72/mth
$45 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entry Level
NBN - Private Fibre
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$72/mth
$45 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entry Level
NBN - Private Fibre
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$72/mth
$45 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entry level
NBN - Private Fibre
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$72/mth
$45 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Fibre Plans Entry Level
NBN - Private Fibre
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$79/mth | Go to site |
|
NBN25
NBN - Fixed Line
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$79.99/mth
$59.99 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
Lightning Broadband and iinet NBN50 plans (50Mbps download speed)
|
|
Everyday Internet
NBN - Private Fibre
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$85/mth
$65 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Everyday Internet
NBN - Private Fibre
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$85/mth
$65 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Everyday Internet
NBN - Private Fibre
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$85/mth
$65 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Everyday internet
NBN - Private Fibre
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$85/mth
$65 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Everyday Internet
NBN - Private Fibre
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$89/mth | Go to site |
|
|
NBN50
NBN - Fixed Line
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$89.99/mth
$69.99 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
Lightning Broadband and iinet Ultrafast plans (>100Mbps download speed)
|
|
NBN500
NBN - Fixed Line
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$94.99/mth
$69.99 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Most Popular Plan
NBN - Private Fibre
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth
$69 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Most Popular Plan
NBN - Private Fibre
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth
$69 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Most Popular Plan
NBN - Private Fibre
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth
$69 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
most popular plan
NBN - Private Fibre
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth
$69 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entertainment Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
750 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$104/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entertainment Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
750 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$104/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entertainment Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
750 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$104/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entertainment plus
NBN - Private Fibre
750 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$104/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
NBN Superfast
NBN - Fixed Line
740 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$104.99/mth
$74.99 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Most Popular Plan
NBN - Private Fibre
100 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$109/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
1000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$109/mth
$85 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
1000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$109/mth
$85 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
1000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$109/mth
$85 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
speed
NBN - Private Fibre
1000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$109/mth
$85 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
NBN Ultrafast
NBN - Fixed Line
850 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$114.99/mth
$84.99 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
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Business Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
200 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$129/mth | Go to site |
|
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Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$169/mth | Go to site |
|
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Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
1000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$199/mth | Go to site |
|
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Ultra Fast
NBN - Private Fibre
2000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$395/mth | Go to site |
|
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Ultra Fast
NBN - Private Fibre
2000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$435/mth | Go to site |
|
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Ludicrous Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
5000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$695/mth
Setup Fee: $499 |
Go to site |
|
|
Ludicrous Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
5000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$735/mth | Go to site |
Summary of Lightning Broadband and iinet comparison
Please note that summary below is based on reviews submitted to this website and represents the views of the people who wrote the reviews.
- Overall: iinet rates higher overall than Lightning Broadband does.
- Recommended: iinet is more highly recommended than Lightning Broadband.
- Reliability: iinet rates higher for reliability than Lightning Broadband does.
- Customer Service: iinet rates higher for customer service than Lightning Broadband does.
- Value for Money: iinet rates higher for value for money than Lightning Broadband does.
- Technical Support: iinet rates higher for technical support than Lightning Broadband does.
How to decide between Lightning Broadband and iinet? - next steps
- Read reviews of Lightning Broadband and iinet to see what people think of these companies
- Visit the website of each company and do some of your own research - Lightning Broadband and iinet
- Decide how fast your connection need to be and how much data you need then use our broadband plan finder to narrow down the list of plans and find the best plan that suits your budget
- Choose the plan that best suits your needs and budget. Remember, that you can easily change plans but changing broadband internet providers is more difficult so it is really important that you choose a solid internet provider.
Frequently asked questions about Lightning Broadband vs iinet
Is Lightning Broadband better than iinet?
iinet has 5 verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews and an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5. Lightning Broadband has fewer than 5 reviews so we don't yet show an aggregate rating. Read the individual reviews above to form your own view.
Which is cheaper for NBN50, Lightning Broadband or iinet?
Lightning Broadband's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Everyday Internet at $65/month intro for 6 months, then $85/month. iinet's cheapest NBN50 plan is the NBN50 at $69.99/month intro for 6 months, then $89.99/month. Lightning Broadband is cheaper on the ongoing price after any intro period ends.
What plans do Lightning Broadband and iinet offer?
Lightning Broadband offers 30 NBN plans. iinet offers 5 NBN plans and 1 wireless plan. See the full plan tables above for prices, speeds and data limits.
Where are Lightning Broadband and iinet's call centres?
Lightning Broadband's customer support is based in Melbourne. iinet's customer support is based in Australia, the Philippines and South Africa. Call centre location can affect support hours and accent comprehension if onshore support is important to you.
How do I switch from Lightning Broadband to iinet (or iinet to Lightning Broadband)?
Switching NBN providers in Australia is straightforward. The new provider handles the transfer once you sign up and provide your address. There's usually no contract overlap if your current plan is month-to-month, but check for early termination fees on contracted plans. Phone numbers can usually be ported, and the service typically continues uninterrupted on the same NBN line.
What customers say
About iinet
All is still good No complaints
Stable connection with little drop outs. Whenever i need help its always some one who doesnt know and you get bounced around on the phone for 1 hour
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