What NBN plan should I choose for my home?

Australia has historically had low broadband speeds, but the National Broadband Network can help Australian households enjoy much more consistent and faster internet speeds for seamless internet connectivity. 

If you are wondering which NBN plan might be best for your household, then keep reading. 

What kinds of internet services do you use?

People use the internet for a range of purposes from general browsing, video calls, online gaming and streaming of TV shows and movies at a range of qualities. Netflix recommends 3 Mbps for streaming SD (standard definition) quality shows, 5 Mbps for HD (high definition) quality shows and 25 Mbps for 4K (ultra-high definition) quality shows. Other common internet connections in households include video calls, which need between 0.5-1.5Mbps for high-quality calls between two people (and more for multi-connection calls) and up to 5Mpbs for online gaming platforms. In addition, you might have some other smaller users of bandwidth such as smartphones, smartwatches or alarms systems that connect to the internet. 

How many services do you use at the same time?

Some people might only use one internet connected device at a time and stop one device when they connect on another device. In other households, multiple people might be using more than one screen at a time such as calling someone on a tablet while they are browsing the internet or playing an online game.

It's a good idea to contemplate the peak internet usage time in your home, such as in the evening after dinner, and see the maximum number of screens and services that might be used in different rooms.  [Often your current ISP (internet service provider) will have records of your internet usage at different times of the day, which can also be a good guide about when your internet usage is at its peak.] This information can help you add up the bandwidth that your household needs. 

Do you plan to upgrade or add to your devices?

In some cases, your internet might be fine for current usage, but, if you have an improved internet speed, then you'd want to splash out on a new online gaming console or upgrade your streaming subscriptions to watch your shows on a new high-quality television with higher-quality sound and picture quality. 

If you are not happy with your current internet speed, then why not contact your ISP to see if they have an NBN plan that would suit your needs?