Southern Phone vs Optus - Which is the best NBN internet provider?
Optus is a major player offering comprehensive NBN plans often praised for reliable family connections and easy setup, though some customers report frustrating customer service experiences. Southern Phone, on the other hand, is a smaller provider known for its budget-friendly options, particularly in regional areas. This comparison will help you see if Optus's broader package or Southern Phone's value-focused approach suits your needs better.
Southern Phone and Optus 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 Optus 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 | Optus |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Optus is Australia's second-largest telco, owned by Singapore's Singtel. It sells nbn and 5G home internet, often bundled with mobile and entertainment, all backed by its own nationwide mobile network. | |
| Go to Southern Phone | Go to Optus | |
| Overall Rating | [Not enough reviews] |
3.9
Optus has an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5 based on 9 reviews. Optus is a good broadband internet provider according to our users. |
| Recommended | [Not enough reviews] | 67% of people who have written reviews on this site would recommend Optus to their friends as a broadband internet provider. |
| Reliability | [Not enough reviews] |
4.1 Optus's reliability is rated as very good by our users. Optus has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5 for reliability. |
| Customer Service | [Not enough reviews] |
3.8 Optus's customer service is rated as good by our users. Optus has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 for customer service. |
| Value for Money | [Not enough reviews] |
3.8 Optus is rated as good for value for money by our users. Optus has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 for value for money. |
| Technical Support | [Not enough reviews] |
3.7 Optus's technical support is rated as good by our users. Optus has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5 for technical support. |
| Australian based technical support | [Not enough reviews] | No, Optus uses a mix of Australian based and overseas call centres for technical support. |
| Call Centre Location | [Not enough reviews] | Optus uses call centres based in Australia, India and Philippines. |
| Services Offered | [Not enough reviews] | Optus offers a range of broadband and internet related services including 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. |
Optus - Basic: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $79 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. |
Optus - Everyday: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $95 per month. |
| Cost of wireless broadband plan |
Southern Phone - Home Wireless (4G): 20Mbps, unlimited data for $60 per month. |
Optus - Everyday Basic 4G (4G): 14Mbps, unlimited data for $59 per month. |
| Contact Details |
Southern Phone's phone number is: 13 14 64 and website is: southernphone.com.au |
Optus's phone number is: 1300 300 693 and website is: optus.com.au |
| Read Reviews | Read reviews of Southern Phone. | Read reviews of Optus. |
| Go to Southern Phone | Go to Optus |
Southern Phone and Optus 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 |
|
Basic
NBN - Fixed Line
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$79/mth | Go to site |
Southern Phone and Optus NBN50 plans (50Mbps download speed)
|
|
Satellite Medium
NBN - Sky Muster
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$70/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 |
|
|
Everyday
NBN - Fixed Line
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth | Go to site |
Southern Phone and Optus 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 |
|
|
Fast 500
NBN - Fixed Line
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$99/mth
$79 for first 12 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Fast 100
NBN - Fixed Line
100 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$99/mth
$79 for first 12 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Ultrafast
NBN - Fixed Line
820 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$129/mth
$109 for first 12 months |
Go to site |
Summary of Southern Phone and Optus 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 Optus have pretty similiar ratings overall.
- Recommended: Southern Phone and Optus are recommended about the same.
- Reliability: Southern Phone and Optus have pretty similar ratings for reliability.
- Customer Service: Southern Phone and Optus have pretty similar ratings for customer service.
- Value for Money: Optus rates higher for value for money than Southern Phone does.
- Technical Support: Optus rates higher for technical support than Southern Phone does.
How to decide between Southern Phone and Optus? - next steps
- Read reviews of Southern Phone and Optus to see what people think of these companies
- Visit the website of each company and do some of your own research - Southern Phone and Optus
- 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 Optus
Is Southern Phone better than Optus?
Optus has 9 verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews and an overall rating of 3.9 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 Optus?
Southern Phone's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Standard at $59/month intro for 12 months, then $79/month. Optus's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Everyday at $95/month ongoing. Southern Phone is cheaper on the ongoing price after any intro period ends.
Which has better customer service, Southern Phone or Optus?
Southern Phone and Optus score similarly on customer service, 3.7 vs 3.8 out of 5. Neither stands out from the other on this metric. If onshore support matters, Southern Phone's call centre is based in Australia and Optus's is based in Australia, India and the Philippines.
What plans do Southern Phone and Optus offer?
Southern Phone offers 12 NBN plans and 1 wireless plan. Optus offers 5 NBN plans and 4 wireless plans. See the full plan tables above for prices, speeds and data limits.
Where are Southern Phone and Optus's call centres?
Southern Phone's customer support is based in Australia. Optus's customer support is based in Australia, India and the Philippines. 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 Optus (or Optus 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 Optus
Reliable enough, but had plenty of issues with technical support throughout the years. Also never told if theres a better price on a current plan, happy…
Optus is a well oiled machine, they have reliable communication, setting up was easy, though there has been a price increase while having it, it is reliable.
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