They say a clean house is a sign of no internet connection. So, is a headache a sign of a slow internet connection? Internet or NBN speed is the amount of data that can be transferred on the web within a given time. It determines the activities you can perform in your household online. The number of devices you can connect to the internet simultaneously also depends on your NBN speed. If your NBN speed is too slow, you may have trouble, playing online games, streaming videos, or uploading files. Most NBN deals advertise the download and upload for every plan. So, it is best to understand how to choose the right NBN speed for your home.
What is an Ideal NBN Speed for Your Home?
There are six types of speed tiers among NBN plans offered in Australia. These are:
- NBN 12 with a maximum download speed of 12 Mbps.
- NBN 25 with a maximum download speed of 25 Mbps.
- NBN 50 with a maximum download speed of 50 Mbps.
- NBN 100 with a maximum download speed of 100 Mbps.
- NBN 250 with a maximum download speed of 250 Mbps.
- NBN 1000 with a maximum download speed of 1000 Mbps.
The availability of these speed tiers depends on the NBN technology within your location.
It is important to bear in mind that the right NBN deals for each household are shared resources. Every online activity uses up the capacity of your internet. Every internet user contributes to the bandwidth of your NBN speed. An ideal NBN speed for most Australian homes is 50 Mbps. They have a faster speed that gives the best value to most households. Most NBN deals offer affordable pricing plans under the NBN 50. They only have a little price difference compared to internet plans under the NBN 12 and NBN 25 tiers. Besides, most NBN 50 plans offer add-ons that are commonly relevant to online activities among Australian households.
For a large household with more than 6 internet users, the ideal NBN deals you should look out for are those under NBN 250. However, only homes with access to the Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) technology can enjoy this type of NBN plan.
How to Choose the Right NBN Speed for Your Home?
There are three things that you will need to consider when choosing the right NBN speed for your home. These are:
- The number of household members who use the internet.
- The number of devices connected to the internet.
- How the internet users in the household spend their time online.
As a rule of thumb, if more members of your household connect to the internet, you will need to get NBN deals with higher speed. This goes the same if you need to connect several devices using the internet. From CCTVs, phones, laptops, Smart TVs, and other internet devices, you will need more speed for more connections.
It is important to note the activities each internet user in the household engages with. There are online activities that need a good download speed, such as:
- Browsing social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
- Downloading large files
- Online gaming
- Streaming movies and watching shows online
- Streaming music
Some activities are more reliant on a good upload speed. These include:
- Backing up data on a cloud storage like Dropbox
- Video conferencing and voice calls
- Online gaming
- Sending emails with large file attachments
Be aware of the download and upload speed of different NBN plans. Compare each service based on the plan inclusions, pricing, and reviews. You can try visiting the websites of each provider to check what’s available. If you have an existing internet plan, assess if you will need to upgrade by checking if the current speed suits your household needs. To choose the right NBN speed for your home, the key is to take time to check your needs and research the plan that matches it.
But if you want to make your life easier, you could search for the best broadband plans and NBN deals at CompareBroadband.com.au.