Australia’s Kogan may have started in TVs, but it has grown in leaps and bounds, and after joining service offerings with mobile connectivity, it’s adding NBN access to the list, too.
As the National Broadband Network eventually (eventually) makes its way around Australia, it’s opening up some interesting options when it comes to availability.
Take Amaysim and Vodafone, for instance, both telcos that have dabbled in internet connections and now have an NBN offering for those who want to try. That joins the likes of Optus and Telstra, as well as the plenty of other ISPs that were always going to shift from ADSL connections to the National Broadband Network when it arrived, as network choices take off.
And while they’re all helping you to access the same network, the difference is what the plans offer for your money, with many offering value while others a trusted name.
For some, Kogan may be both of those things, and this week, it is adding itself as an NBN provider, joining up with plans that offer unlimited data for a little under two bucks per day.
The Kogan approach appears to be one based on speed instead of data, with unlimited data for either of Kogan’s three month-to-month plans, but the break up being about the speed your NBN connection can deliver.
For instance, there will be a “bronze” NBN plan hitting a maximum of 12Mbps down, a “silver” plan achieving the maximum of 50Mbps down, and a “gold” plan capable of hitting a maximum of 100Mbps down, offering the most amount of connectivity for Kogan.
“More affordable internet access is a huge win for all Australians,” said David Schafer, Executive Director for Kogan.
“With the recent improvements in the NBN, and today’s launch of Kogan Internet, there has never been a better time for Aussies to change their internet provider,” he said. “It is important that Aussies understand that, even if they thought they found a good deal in their current ADSL or cable connection, there is no guarantee their existing provider will continue to offer the best value service in the age of the NBN, so it’s worth shopping around.”
The NBN in this instance will be provided by Vodafone’s access to the NBN, essentially acting as a fork from Vodafone’s own plans, but offering them with a Kogan spin. That said, while Vodafone’s special NBN feature is a modem that lets you jump onto the mobile internet if the service ever goes down, the same isn’t true of Kogan customers using Vodafone’s access to the NBN.
In fact, representatives for Kogan told Pickr that a requirement for using the Kogan NBN is that you have to use Kogan’s Internet Modem, a modem router that offers a little bit of WiFi and a few Gigabit Ethernet ports, but little information as to what else.
While we have little information about the modem, it might be handy to know going in if you plan to go down the Kogan Internet route, consider a replacement router to get more WiFi around the home, because if you’re going to be serving a connection to more than a handful of devices, you may well need it.
And you won’t be able to get Kogan’s NBN access without the Kogan modem either (above), as the modem is part of the Kogan terms and conditions for use of Kogan Internet (we checked). Even though Kogan’s plans are monthly, the first month will always cost the plan price plus $69 because that initial $69 is the upfront cost of the modem you have to use.
However, the upside might be unlimited data on a month-to-month service, meaning if you’re unhappy with your current NBN provider, you can jump around and see what’s available.
You’ll find Kogan’s plans from $58.90 per month, and they’re rolling out now.
