Lightning Broadband vs Starlink - Which is the best NBN internet provider?
Starlink and Lightning Broadband offer distinct approaches to getting you online, appealing to very different users. Starlink is a global satellite internet provider, often the only real option for those in remote areas, with reviews consistently highlighting its reliability where other services fail. On the other hand, Lightning Broadband is a smaller, Australian owned and operated fibre and fixed wireless provider, typically serving metro and regional centres with a strong focus on local support and competitive pricing.
Lightning Broadband and Starlink 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 Starlink 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 | Starlink |
|---|---|---|
| About |
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| 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. | Starlink is a satellite internet service owned and operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Launched in Australia in 2021 and now available across much of the world, its low-orbit satellites deliver far faster speeds and lower latency than traditional satellite, making it a popular fixed-line alternative in rural and remote areas. | |
| Go to Lightning Broadband | Go to Starlink | |
| Overall Rating | [Not enough reviews] |
4.1
Starlink has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5 based on 5 reviews. Starlink is a very good broadband internet provider according to our users. |
| Recommended | [Not enough reviews] | 100% of people who have written reviews on this site would recommend Starlink to their friends as a broadband internet provider. |
| Reliability | [Not enough reviews] |
4.4 Starlink's reliability is rated as very good by our users. Starlink has an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 for reliability. |
| Customer Service | [Not enough reviews] |
4 Starlink's customer service is rated as very good by our users. Starlink has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 for customer service. |
| Value for Money | [Not enough reviews] |
3.8 Starlink is rated as good for value for money by our users. Starlink has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 for value for money. |
| Technical Support | [Not enough reviews] |
4.2 Starlink's technical support is rated as very good by our users. Starlink has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5 for technical support. |
| Australian based technical support | [Not enough reviews] | No, Starlink uses a mix of Australian based and overseas call centres for technical support. |
| Call Centre Location | [Not enough reviews] | Starlink uses call centres based in . |
| Services Offered | [Not enough reviews] | Starlink offers a range of broadband and internet related services including 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. |
|
| 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. |
|
| Cost of wireless broadband plan | ||
| Contact Details |
Lightning Broadband's phone number is: 1300 477 525 and website is: lightningbroadband.com.au |
Starlink's phone number is: and website is: starlink.com |
| Read Reviews | Read reviews of Lightning Broadband. | Read reviews of Starlink. |
| Go to Lightning Broadband | Go to Starlink |
Lightning Broadband and Starlink NBN25 plans (25Mbps download speed)
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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 |
Lightning Broadband and Starlink 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 |
Lightning Broadband and Starlink Ultrafast plans (>100Mbps download speed)
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Residential - 100 Mbps
NBN - Starlink
100 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$75/mth | 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 |
|
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Entertainment Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
750 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$104/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
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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 |
|
|
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 |
|
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Residential - 200 Mbps
NBN - Starlink
200 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$110/mth | 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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Residential - Max
NBN - Starlink
400 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$150/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 Starlink 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: Starlink rates higher overall than Lightning Broadband does.
- Recommended: Starlink is more highly recommended than Lightning Broadband.
- Reliability: Starlink rates higher for reliability than Lightning Broadband does.
- Customer Service: Starlink rates higher for customer service than Lightning Broadband does.
- Value for Money: Starlink rates higher for value for money than Lightning Broadband does.
- Technical Support: Starlink rates higher for technical support than Lightning Broadband does.
How to decide between Lightning Broadband and Starlink? - next steps
- Read reviews of Lightning Broadband and Starlink to see what people think of these companies
- Visit the website of each company and do some of your own research - Lightning Broadband and Starlink
- 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 Starlink
Is Lightning Broadband better than Starlink?
Starlink has 5 verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews and an overall rating of 4.1 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.
What plans do Lightning Broadband and Starlink offer?
Lightning Broadband offers 30 NBN plans. Starlink offers 4 satellite plans and 3 NBN plans. See the full plan tables above for prices, speeds and data limits.
How do I switch from Lightning Broadband to Starlink (or Starlink 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 Starlink
As a remote township we rely on Starlink now as Telstra has abandoned rural QLD coverage. We regularly only have Starlink wifi calls due to Telstra not…
I've been very impressed with Starlink. Living in a rural area where internet options have always been limited, it has made a huge difference. The…
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