CANBERRA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- When the National Broadband Network (NBN) is switched on and the existing internet infrastructure is shut off, Australians will need to pay 20 percent more to stay connected to the internet, experts said on Monday.
The NBN is a government-owned corporation which was tasked with providing Australians with next-generation high-speed internet, but the controversial project has come under fire for delays, ballooning costs and sub-standard and slow connections.
Technology research firm Telsyte's managing director Foad Fadaghi said consumers expect to pay a little more for a high-quality product, but those already on the NBN's internet have said they expected more.
"Our research has shown that the average price of plans this year has come down, but the expectation of what people expect to pay in future is actually up on previous years," Fadaghi said.
In response to the revelations, Australia's consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has warned internet providers that it will keep an eye on NBN prices to ensure Australians are getting "bang for their buck".
"The migration of services to next-generation broadband networks will support greater diversity in the broadband speeds that are available to consumers, depending on their choice of service providers and plan, as well as providing opportunities for them to better inform consumers about the speeds that they typically deliver on their broadband plans," an ACCC statement said.
Meanwhile a NBN spokesperson declined to discuss specific pricing packages, but said there were a range of affordable broadband plans and speed tiers available on the network.
"As a wholesaler, NBN offers a pricing structure that allows retail service providers to develop plans that best suit their customers' needs," the spokesperson said.
The NBN has said it is on track to have 5.4 million households connected to the NBN by June 30 this year.
