How do you choose the right NBN speed for you?
Choosing an NBN subscription is easy. Simple. Pick the fastest plan you can get to your home, and that’s that.
But faster doesn’t always mean better — especially when paying through the nose for top-tier internet speeds.
The NBN is like a highway: the more people use it simultaneously, the busier it gets and the slower you travel. Likewise, if everyone in your family tries to stream a movie simultaneously during significant internet congestion times, a slower NBN 25 speed may stutter.
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On the other hand, if you’re a low-use internet household, you don’t have to pay top dollar for speeds you don’t need. The trick is to determine what rate you need and go from there.
NBN 12
Who should use this:
Honestly? Probably nobody.
NBN 12 plans are slowly becoming a bit outdated – especially since you can often find NBN 25 plans that are cheaper these days.
Suppose you live alone and want the internet to check your email and browse social media. In that case, you may be fine with an NBN 12 subscription, but if you’re planning to put your internet to the test or if you have several people in your house trying to use the internet at the same time, an NBN 12 subscription will struggle.
NBN 25
Who should use this:
Households of 1-2, few internet users
NBN 25 subscriptions are a good starting point for households of 1-2. It would help if you were comfortable working from home, watching a movie, and catching up on social media.
If you’re constantly uploading and downloading large files like games and videos, an NBN 25 subscription will probably be too slow.
NBN 50
Who should use this:
Most households of 3-4 couples like gaming
An NBN 50 subscription is the Goldilocks of NBN subscriptions for most households. It’s fast enough to get a family of 3-4 with average internet usage or smaller homes with high internet usage.
Even better is when you find a great deal and discount. Many NBN providers try to lure in new customers with great deals (usually lasting the first six months), and they are generally non-contractual, so you can leave after the discount runs out and find a new one. It’s easier to switch NBN providers than you think.
NBN 100
Who should use this:
Fanatic internet users, larger households
If you think an NBN 50 subscription isn’t fast enough for you, the next level of speed is the NBN 100 subscription. Think shared homes, larger families – if you have more than four people trying to connect to the internet simultaneously, an NBN 100 subscription might be the ticket. Again, to ease the burden of the hip pocket, keep an eye out for offers and discounts.
Don’t forget to look at the typical evening speeds of plans. Just because you pay for an NBN 100 subscription doesn’t mean you’ll always get 100 Mbps. Typical evening speeds indicate the expected speed during peak times – usually around 7-11 pm.
Fortunately, most providers have upped their game and offer decent speeds, but always check what you get before signing up.
NBN 250 + NBN 1000 subscriptions
Who should use this:
Large households or small businesses
For the average household, speeds over 100 Mbps (like an NBN 100 subscription) won’t make much of a noticeable difference.
Unless you’re running a small business from home that has a lot of people online at the same time, or you have a large household, and everyone is trying to download files at the same time, chances are you’ll be able to get the speeds of an NBN 250 or 1000 subscription.
That’s a good thing because not everyone can access these higher speeds. You must have a Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) or Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) connection to access these speeds – and even then, not every HFC household can connect to this level of speed.
Kate Reynolds is a Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s mobile and web comparison site.
