Southern Phone vs activ8me - Which is the best NBN internet provider?
Activ8me is a specialist regional and remote NBN provider, often the go-to for satellite and fixed wireless connections, and reviews frequently praise their customer service for complex setups. On the other hand, Southern Phone, owned by AGL, offers a broader range of NBN plans and is generally seen as a solid, no-frills option for those after basic, reliable internet. This means Activ8me often suits those in harder-to-reach areas needing tailored support, while Southern Phone appeals to customers seeking straightforward value.
Southern Phone and activ8me 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 Southern Phone and activ8me 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 | Southern Phone | activ8me |
|---|---|---|
| About |
 |
 |
| Southern Phone Company is owned by AGL and is one of the largest providers of fixed line, mobile and Internet communications services in regional Australia. | activ8me is one of Australia's largest nbn Sky Muster satellite providers, specialising in rural, regional and remote homes. Trading since 2005 and owned by Australian Private Networks, it was the first local ISP to commercialise satellite broadband, and now also offers fixed wireless and fixed line nbn plans. | |
| Go to Southern Phone | Go to activ8me | |
| Overall Rating | [Not enough reviews] |
3.8
activ8me has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 based on 5 reviews. activ8me 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 activ8me to their friends as a broadband internet provider. |
| Reliability | [Not enough reviews] |
3.8 activ8me's reliability is rated as good by our users. activ8me has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 for reliability. |
| Customer Service | [Not enough reviews] |
4 activ8me's customer service is rated as very good by our users. activ8me has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 for customer service. |
| Value for Money | [Not enough reviews] |
3.6 activ8me is rated as good for value for money by our users. activ8me has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5 for value for money. |
| Technical Support | [Not enough reviews] |
3.8 activ8me's technical support is rated as good by our users. activ8me has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 for technical support. |
| Australian based technical support | [Not enough reviews] | Yes, activ8me does have Australian based technical support. |
| Call Centre Location | [Not enough reviews] | activ8me uses call centres based in Australia. |
| Services Offered | [Not enough reviews] | activ8me offers a range of broadband and internet related services including NBN internet plans. |
| Cost of 25Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data |
Southern Phone - Satellite Small: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $55 per month. Southern Phone - Basic: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $59 per month. |
activ8me - Premium 50: 29Mbps, unlimited data for $74 per month. activ8me - Fixed Wireless (starting price): 25Mbps, unlimited data for $74.95 per month. |
| Cost of 50Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data |
Southern Phone - Satellite Medium: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $70 per month. Southern Phone - Standard: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $79 per month. |
activ8me - Fibre (starting price): 50Mbps, unlimited data for $74.95 per month. activ8me - Premium 100: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $99 per month. |
| Cost of wireless broadband plan |
Southern Phone - Home Wireless (4G): 20Mbps, unlimited data for $60 per month. |
|
| Contact Details |
Southern Phone's phone number is: 13 14 64 and website is: southernphone.com.au |
activ8me's phone number is: 13 22 88 and website is: activ8me.net.au |
| Read Reviews | Read reviews of Southern Phone. | Read reviews of activ8me. |
| Go to Southern Phone | Go to activ8me |
Southern Phone and activ8me NBN25 plans (25Mbps download speed)
|
Satellite Small
NBN - Sky Muster
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$55/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Basic
NBN - Fixed Line
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$59/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Basic
NBN - Fixed Line
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$59/mth
$45 for first 12 months |
Go to site |
|
Premium 50
NBN - Sky Muster
29 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$74/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Fixed Wireless (starting price)
NBN - Fixed Wireless
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$74.95/mth | Go to site |
Southern Phone and activ8me NBN50 plans (50Mbps download speed)
|
|
Satellite Medium
NBN - Sky Muster
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$70/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Fibre (starting price)
NBN - Fixed Line
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$74.95/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Standard
NBN - Fixed Line
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$79/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Standard
NBN - Fixed Line
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$79/mth
$59 for first 12 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Premium 100
NBN - Sky Muster
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$99/mth | Go to site |
Southern Phone and activ8me Ultrafast plans (>100Mbps download speed)
|
|
Fast X
NBN - Fixed Line
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$89/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Fast X
NBN - Fixed Line
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$89/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Ultrafast
NBN - Fixed Line
860 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Satellite Large
NBN - Sky Muster
100 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth | Go to site |
|
|
Ultrafast
NBN - Fixed Line
860 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth
$85 for first 12 months |
Go to site |
Summary of Southern Phone and activ8me 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: Southern Phone and activ8me have pretty similiar ratings overall.
- Recommended: activ8me is more highly recommended than Southern Phone.
- Reliability: Southern Phone and activ8me have pretty similar ratings for reliability.
- Customer Service: activ8me rates higher for customer service than Southern Phone does.
- Value for Money: activ8me rates higher for value for money than Southern Phone does.
- Technical Support: activ8me rates higher for technical support than Southern Phone does.
How to decide between Southern Phone and activ8me? - next steps
- Read reviews of Southern Phone and activ8me to see what people think of these companies
- Visit the website of each company and do some of your own research - Southern Phone and activ8me
- 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 Southern Phone vs activ8me
Is Southern Phone better than activ8me?
activ8me has 5 verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews and an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5. Southern Phone 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, Southern Phone or activ8me?
Southern Phone's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Standard at $59/month intro for 12 months, then $79/month. activ8me's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Fibre (starting price) at $74.95/month ongoing. activ8me is cheaper on the ongoing price after any intro period ends.
Which has better customer service, Southern Phone or activ8me?
activ8me scores 4.0 out of 5 on customer service vs Southern Phone's 3.7, based on verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews. If onshore support matters, Southern Phone's call centre is based in Australia and activ8me's is based in Australia.
What plans do Southern Phone and activ8me offer?
Southern Phone offers 12 NBN plans and 1 wireless plan. activ8me offers 5 NBN plans. See the full plan tables above for prices, speeds and data limits.
Where are Southern Phone and activ8me's call centres?
Southern Phone's customer support is based in Australia. activ8me's customer support is based in Australia. Call centre location can affect support hours and accent comprehension if onshore support is important to you.
How do I switch from Southern Phone to activ8me (or activ8me to Southern Phone)?
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 Southern Phone
Cost of NBN has increased. Not happy.
You get what you pay for. Customer service is ok once you get onto somebody. However, the whole online account platform is difficult to navigate. Had a…
About activ8me
Overall, very happy with spintel and don't plan to go anywhere. Really good value for money, and the support is there if needed.
Internet access was patchy, always dropping out at anytime day or night? Was unable to complete respondus lockdown browser for class exams due to unstable…
Was this comparison useful? Please let us know how we can improve and make this page more useful? Thanks.
Featured Plans
Write a review of your broadband company to go in our draw to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
More details here.
Add a review