Hours per month. Unless you are sure of the number of hours of access you need, it is a good idea to work this out by signing up for the ISPs basic plan. Then, after a couple of months, you can change to a plan which offers a cheaper hourly rate for set minimum monthly hours. What ISPs Offer Local call access. Local or regional ISPs usually have substantially cheaper rates, however this is often reflected in much poorer performance.
Word of mouth is the best indicator.
Telstra's Big Pond offers a service called the Rural Connect Plan. What you want above all from an ISP is a fast connection. The speed of connection varies a great deal from one ISP to another. It depends on the speed of their modems, the power of their network servers and the speed and bandwidth of their connections to the rest of the internet. With local ISPs it is a matter of asking around, and perhaps trialling a few.