Methodology
GoodSort compares Australian NBN plans using automated observations of provider-published information. This page explains what GoodSort collects, what evidence it keeps, what is allowed onto the public site, and how plans are ranked.
GoodSort does not call an automated read “verified”. A published record must be supported by a provider source, retained evidence and validation checks. If the system cannot support a value, it withholds it rather than constructing or guessing one.
Scheduled collection
GoodSort checks configured provider sources on a schedule rather than scraping a provider when you visit the site. The comparison therefore reflects the latest accepted observation in GoodSort's dataset, not a real-time quote.
A source that cannot be reached is treated as unreachable, not as proof that a plan or provider has disappeared. GoodSort only treats absence as meaningful when the source evidence supports that conclusion.
Evidence retained
For collected source pages, GoodSort retains a dated source copy together with its source URL, timestamp and integrity information. That archive exists so a published claim can be traced back to the evidence the system saw at the time.
The standard public wording is “Checked [date] · source copy retained.” It describes an evidence-backed automated observation; it is not a claim that a person manually checked the plan.
Validation and fail-closed behaviour
Extraction is only the first step. Before a record is publishable, GoodSort applies checks designed to catch wrong-card reads, implausible substitutions and internally inconsistent plan data. Examples include checking that a typical speed does not exceed the plan's nominal maximum and that values belong to the intended speed tier.
If a reading fails validation, GoodSort does not publish derived fields from that reading. Missing values are not filled by inference, arithmetic reconstruction or a nearby plan's values.
Freshness
Freshness is graduated rather than governed by the old seven-day cut-off. The exact display can evolve, but the underlying treatment is:
A recent accepted observation is available. It can be shown normally with its checked date and retained-source evidence.
A fresh accepted observation is not available. A previously accepted record may remain visible for a limited grace period, clearly marked as stale rather than presented as current.
If evidence is too old, validation fails, or GoodSort can no longer support the record, the affected data is withheld. The default outer staleness bound is approximately 30 days, subject to the evidence available for that source.
How ranking works
GoodSort ranks only data that is eligible to be published. Affiliate relationships are not ranking inputs.
| Sort mode | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Best overall | A blended score using first-year cost, ongoing price and provider-reported typical evening speed. |
| First-year cost | Total cost across the first 12 months, including applicable introductory pricing and setup fees captured in the record. |
| Ongoing price | The monthly price after any captured introductory period ends. |
| Evening speed | The provider-reported typical evening download speed. GoodSort does not independently speed-test providers. |
Coverage
GoodSort is not a whole-of-market comparison. Provider coverage changes as sources become supportable or unavailable, so this page deliberately does not hard-code a provider count. The provider controls on the comparison page show the current configured coverage.
If a provider or plan cannot currently be confirmed, that is a coverage or evidence limitation — not a recommendation against that provider.
What GoodSort does not do
- It does not invent missing data. Unsupported values are withheld.
- It does not equate unreachable with absent. A blocked or failed source is a collection problem until evidence says otherwise.
- It does not independently measure typical evening speeds. Those figures are provider-published claims.
- It does not let affiliate relationships determine inclusion or ranking. See the affiliate disclosure.