If you're connecting to the NBN via satellite, there's an important decision you'll need to make. You'll need to pick between a Sky Muster and a Sky Muster Plus plan. Both get you online, but there are key differences that can impact how you use your internet connection.
Before we start, here are the most popular satellite NBN plans in our database:
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#1
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Skymesh
Skymesh Ultra 50 Plan
$84.95/mth
Min. cost $84.95
Link not supplied
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#2
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IPSTAR
Sky Muster Plus Entry
$58/mth
Min. cost $58
Link not supplied
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Sky Muster Plus data allowances
The major difference between Sky Muster and Sky Muster Plus plans is how data allowances are structured. In both cases, your data allowance is split into peak and off-peak allotments, so you end up with two separate amounts for use during different times of the day. Peak data is more expensive than off-peak data, so going for a larger plan will drive up your monthly bill.
Off-peak data is classified as the hours between 1am and 7am, while your peak allowance covers everything else. These times are the same for both Sky Muster and Sky Muster Plus plans.
Most Sky Muster Plus plans have less data than regular Sky Muster plans, but make up for by making many common online activities unmetered. Using social media, downloading games or software updates, sending emails, and more won't toward either your peak and off-peak data.
In fact, there are only two activities that count toward your data allowance on a standard Sky Muster Plus plan: streaming video through services such as Netflix, YouTube, Stan, or Binge; and anything you access via a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
On the new Sky Muster Plus Premium plans, there is no capped data allowance for any online activity. You genuinely get unlimited data.
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Sky Muster Plus speeds
Standard Sky Muster plans are available on both NBN 12 and NBN 25 speed tiers. You'll get download speeds as fast as 12Mbps and upload speeds of 1Mbps on an NBN 12 plan, and download speeds up to 25Mbps and upload speeds up to 5Mbps on an NBN 25 plan.
Sky Muster Plus plans are configured on NBN 25, but also have the capability to burst faster if there's enough capacity on the network.
Sky Muster Plus Premium plans are able to achieve even faster burst speeds of up to 100Mbps which is the equivalent of an NBN 100 plan.
Download speeds can be slower during busy hours, however.
While Sky Muster Plus and Sky Muster Plus Premium plans have the potential to be faster, they're also subject to shaping. NBN Co has the ability to slow down these plans to just 256Kbps between 4pm and 11pm at its discretion. The speed decrease doesn't impact all online activity, just certain tasks. These include peer-to-peer traffic, downloads and cloud storage, operating system updates for your phone or PC, game download and updates, and internet activity NBN Co can't identify.
We presume this would only happen when the network is under strain.
It's also worth noting that a fair use policy does apply to unmetered usage on Sky Muster Plus and Sky Muster Plus Premium plans. NBN Co defines unfair use as someone who is downloading software, apps, or updates for more than 20 unique devices.
Read more about what speeds you need for tasks like streaming, gaming, and more, here.
Sky Muster Plus cost
Sky Muster plans can be had for cheaper than Sky Muster Plus plans, and start at around $35 per month. However, these plans tend to have very small download allowances where you'll only get 10GB or 15GB of peak hour data. They're also configured on the slower NBN 12 speed tier.
On the other hand, Sky Muster Plus plans start at around $50 per month. For example, SkyMesh's cheapest Sky Muster Plus plan (at time of writing) will set you back $69.95 per month. It includes 25GB of peak data and uncapped off-peak data. At the same price point, SkyMesh also has an NBN 12 Sky Muster plan with 85GB of anytime data and 125GB of off-peak data.
SkyMuster Plus Premium plans start from $94 per month and included unlimited data at all times of the day.
These are the cheapest Sky Muster plans in our database:
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Activ8me
Sky Muster 155GB Standard
$39.95/mth
Min. cost $39.95
Link not supplied
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These are the cheapest Sky Muster Plus plans in our database:
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#1
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IPSTAR
Sky Muster Plus Entry
$58/mth
Min. cost $58
Link not supplied
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#2
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Skymesh
Skymesh Ultra 25 Plan
$64.95/mth
Min. cost $64.95
Link not supplied
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Finally, these are the cheapest Sky Muster Plus Premium plans in our database:
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#1
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IPSTAR
Sky Muster Plus Entry
$58/mth
Min. cost $58
Link not supplied
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#2
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Activ8me
Sky Muster Plus Premium 25
$59/mth
Min. cost $59
Link not supplied
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#3
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Skymesh
Skymesh Ultra 25 Plan
$64.95/mth
Min. cost $64.95
Link not supplied
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Do all NBN providers offer Sky Muster Plus plans?
Not all NBN providers offer satellite NBN plans, and in the same vein, only some offer Sky Muster Plus plans. Out of the major providers who offer satellite NBN, you'll find Sky Muster Plus plans available through Activ8me, IPSTAR, SkyMesh, and Southern Phone. These providers have also started offering Sky Muster Plus Premium plans.
Is Sky Muster or Sky Muster Plus right for me?
If you're trying to work out which type of satellite NBN plan is the better option for you, here are a few factors to consider.
You might want to pick a standard Sky Muster plan if you want to keep your internet bill as low as possible, or if you need a larger data allowance because you stream a lot of video each month.
A Sky Muster Plus plan could be a better choice in most other cases, given video calling, social media, audio streaming, and gaming are all unmetered. Sky Muster Plus plans are a great pick for gamers who purchase games digitally, thanks to unmetered downloads.
Many new titles are now over 50GB, so even just downloading one a month is enough to exhaust the entire peak data allowance of any Sky Muster plan. Not having to consider the impact of a download on your overall allowance is a big win.
If you don't want to consider data at all, we'd recommend going for a Sky Muster Plus Premium plan.
FAQ
Can I swap between Sky Muster and Sky Muster Plus plans?
As long as you haven't signed a contract, you can freely swap between standard Sky Muster and Sky Muster Plus plans. Most NBN plans are contract-free these days, and you can typically change plan with your provider once per month.
What's the difference between Sky Muster Plus and Sky Muster Plus Premium?
Sky Muster Plus Premium plans are faster and have more data than Sky Muster Plus plans. The Premium variant can burst up to 100Mbps, and has unlimited data. Standard Sky Muster Plus plans have unlimited data for most online tasks, other than streaming and VPN access, where you have a fixed data allowance.
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