Telstra vs Starlink - Which is the best NBN internet provider?
Telstra is the established player, known for its reliable NBN and strong customer service, particularly in regional Australia, though many find Telstra's pricing a bit steep. On the other hand, Starlink offers a newer, satellite-based internet solution, often praised by rural users for its speed where NBN struggles, but Starlink's upfront hardware cost is something to consider. Ultimately, your location and budget will heavily influence whether Telstra or Starlink is the better fit.
Telstra 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 Telstra 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 | Telstra | Starlink |
|---|---|---|
| About |
 |
 |
| Telstra is Australia's largest telco and broadband provider, with the widest fixed and mobile network reach in the country. It charges a premium over smaller providers but offers extensive coverage and extras like Fetch TV. The old BigPond brand has long since been retired. | 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 Telstra | Go to Starlink | |
| Overall Rating |
4
Telstra has a overall rating of 4 out of 5 based on 12 reviews. Telstra is a very good broadband internet provider according to our users. |
[Not enough reviews] |
| Recommended | 92% of people who have written reviews on this site would recommend Telstra to their friends as a broadband internet provider. | [Not enough reviews] |
| Reliability |
4.3 Telstra's reliability is rated as very good by our users. Telstra has an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5 for reliability. |
[Not enough reviews] |
| Customer Service |
4.1 Telstra's customer service is rated as very good by our users. Telstra has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5 for customer service. |
[Not enough reviews] |
| Value for Money |
3.4 Telstra is rated as ok for value for money by our users. Telstra has an overall rating of 3.4 out of 5 for value for money. |
[Not enough reviews] |
| Technical Support |
4 Telstra's technical support is rated as very good by our users. Telstra has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 for technical support. |
[Not enough reviews] |
| Australian based technical support | No, Telstra uses a mix of Australian based and overseas call centres for technical support. | [Not enough reviews] |
| Call Centre Location | Telstra uses call centres based in Australia, Philippines and India. | [Not enough reviews] |
| Services Offered | Telstra offers a range of broadband and internet related services including internet plans. | [Not enough reviews] |
| Cost of 25Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data |
Telstra - Basic: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $85 per month. |
|
| Cost of 50Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data |
Telstra - Essential: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $95 per month. |
|
| Cost of wireless broadband plan |
Telstra - Basic 5G (5G): 25Mbps, unlimited data for $70 per month. |
|
| Contact Details |
Telstra's phone number is: 13 22 00 and website is: telstra.com.au |
Starlink's phone number is: and website is: starlink.com |
| Read Reviews | Read reviews of Telstra. | Read reviews of Starlink. |
| Go to Telstra | Go to Starlink |
Telstra and Starlink NBN25 plans (25Mbps download speed)
|
Basic
NBN - Fixed Line
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$85/mth | Go to site |
Telstra and Starlink NBN50 plans (50Mbps download speed)
|
|
Essential
NBN - Fixed Line
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth | Go to site |
Telstra and Starlink Ultrafast plans (>100Mbps download speed)
|
|
Premium
NBN - Fixed Line
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$99/mth
$89 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Ultimate
NBN - Fixed Line
750 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$119/mth
$89 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Ultrafast
NBN - Fixed Line
815 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$129/mth
$99 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
Summary of Telstra 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 Telstra does.
- Recommended: Starlink is more highly recommended than Telstra.
- Reliability: Starlink rates higher for reliability than Telstra does.
- Customer Service: Telstra and Starlink have pretty similar ratings for customer service.
- Value for Money: Starlink rates higher for value for money than Telstra does.
- Technical Support: Starlink rates higher for technical support than Telstra does.
How to decide between Telstra and Starlink? - next steps
- Read reviews of Telstra and Starlink to see what people think of these companies
- Visit the website of each company and do some of your own research - Telstra 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 Telstra vs Starlink
Is Telstra better than Starlink?
Telstra has 12 verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews and an overall rating of 4 out of 5. Starlink 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 has better customer service, Telstra or Starlink?
Starlink scores 4.3 out of 5 on customer service vs Telstra's 4.1, based on verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews.
What plans do Telstra and Starlink offer?
Telstra offers 5 NBN plans and 3 wireless plans. Starlink offers 4 satellite plans. See the full plan tables above for prices, speeds and data limits.
How do I switch from Telstra to Starlink (or Starlink to Telstra)?
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 Telstra
I would rate Telstra broadband as very average. 99% of the time it is reliable and fast, however there is that 1% of the time when the it will not…
In all I am satisfied with this service
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…
Did not start well but now working as expected
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