When choosing an NBN plan, going for the advertised ‘best value’ plan may not always be the best option. Everyone has different internet needs, and sometimes going small will significantly benefit your situation. Alternatively, you may need a plan with faster internet capabilities if your household are heavy users of video streaming like Netflix.
That’s why is it always necessary to do your research before committing to a plan, and this article will tell you how.
What is NBN?
The National Broadband Network (NBN) is not the Newcastle based TV station, nor is it related in any way. This NBN is a Federal Government-led project to provide all Australian households and businesses with fast and reliable internet connection.
The NBN network uses a range of technologies, namely the Multi Technology Mix (MTM). NBN uses a variety of technologies in the MTM to provide Australia as a whole with faster internet speeds. Your internet speed will depend on which technology is used for your NBN plan.
There are two categories of technologies, Fixed Line connections for urban and suburban areas and the slower but still useable Fixed Wireless and Sky Muster for regional and remote areas.
Fixed Line connections include:
- Fibre to the premise (FTTP).
- Fibre to the building (FTTB).
- Fibre to the curb (FTTC).
- Fibre to the node (FTTN).
- Hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC).
Again, depending on which technology is used will affect your maximum potential internet speed.
How to choose the right NBN plan?
Similarly to choosing a broadband internet plan, numerous factors need to be considered when choosing an NBN plan. These six metrics should be considered: price, connection, speed and quota.
Monthly Price
Price is an important factor as the monthly price needs to fall within your budget. Internet is important but not at the expense of grocery shopping.
Connection
Connection refers to the above-mentioned technologies which your plan will use. In most cases you won’t get to choose the type of NBN connection as this will be determined by NBN Co based on what infrastructure is available in your area.
Most regional and rural households and businesses will have to settle with the Fixed Wireless and Sky Muster connections. This is due to the unavailability and impracticality of a physical cable connection in the location.
Most suburban homes and apartment buildings are already fitted with Fixed Line connections, and there is not much variation in speed between the different types of fibres. The only outlier is the FTTP connection being, by far, the fastest. You’ll know if your household has FTTP by having an NBN utility box on the exterior of your home. If you would like an FTTP connection installed, speak to NBN directly. You can only not have an FTTP connection if you live in an apartment block, where you will most likely have an FTTB connection.
But it is not always necessary to have an FTTP connection. In most cases, an FTTC, FTTN, or HFC connection is usually sound.
Speed
NBN speed refers to the actual download and upload rate of your internet connection. Your connection speed is heavily affected by congestion of internet use, the quality of the cable to your house and also the distance of your house from the closest NBN node.
Our internet plan finder can help you find a plan within your budget.
Quota
NBN quota refers to the volume of data (usually in gigabytes) that can be downloaded over a monthly period. The majority of NBN plans offer unlimited data these days but if you find yourself consistently using less than 100 or 200GB of data a month you can probably save $10 a month or more by downgrading your plan to a lower limit.
If you choose a NBN plan with a quota that isn’t suitable for your needs you can always upgrade or downgrade your account at a later date.
What NBN plan suits your needs?
This table shows the NBN internet speed tiers and the users that they are best suited for.
Note: Netflix only requires a maximum connection speed of 5Mbps for streaming in HD, so in theory, all NBN plans are Netflix HD compatible.
| Speed Tier | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) | Suitable For |
| NBN12 – Basic I | 12 | 1 | Low use, single-person households, web browsing, email and light video steaming for a single device. |
| NBN25 – Basic II | 25 | 10 | Fine for singles or couples, HD video streaming and video conferencing, 4K video streaming may buffer. |
| NBN50 – Standard | 50 | 20 | Good for families and working from home, allow multiple video streams and video conferencing. Most common speed |
| NBN100 – Fast | 100 | 40 | Great for large families or sharehouses, allows multiple simultaneous 4K video streaming, great for gamers. |
| NBN250 – Superfast | 250 | 25 | Super fast speeds for heavy internet users. Great for live streaming and gaming. |
| NBN1000 – Ultrafast | 1000 | 50 | The faster speed tier, faster than most people would use, only available for FTTP and HFC connections. |
All internet providers will offer versions of this NBN speed tier under different names. So do not be fooled; they are the same speed tiers disguised under other names.
All this information builds up to the ultimate question; how fast do I need my internet to be?
A simple way to put it is the more people in your household; the faster internet is needed. But many other variables go into the decision for internet speed and plans.
To find the best plan for your needs, use our NBN and wireless broadband comparer. Answer a few straightforward questions, and you’ll receive a shortlist of plans within a second.
