What Is the NBN?

Internet access has become more of a need than ever, especially after having gotten through the COVID-19 pandemic and having to rely on services more than ever before. In Australia, there’s been a greater push than ever to make sure that everyone is gaining access to internet coverage. This is being accomplished through a large-scale infrastructure project known as the National Broadband Network, or NBN. The NBN is getting Australians affordable internet access by finding the plans through the providers that are right for them.

NBN Offerings

When evaluating NBN plans, you’ll first need to assess your internet needs. The ultimate goal of the NBN network is to provide fast, reliable internet access to every Australian home. You’ll need to consider the bandwidth that your internet coverage is able to handle. If you rely on the internet for remote work or streaming, you’ll need more expansive connections than a household may just need the internet to access social media or e-mail. Various internet providers give different upload speeds through their modems to subscribe Australians to the right plan for them.

This bandwidth also impacts the price of an NBN plan. The cheapest of plans may seem like a good idea for your bottom line, however, you could go beyond your monthly data allowance. That means you’ll be unable to use your NBN service when you may need it the most. When looking into a new NBN plan, make sure you have assessed all of your internet needs. Understanding speed and budget are the best ways to point yourself in the direction of the right NBN plan.

Internet Speeds

The NBN is offered by retailers with various speed tiers for download and upload speeds per second. Most NBN providers offer up 50/20 Mbs, or megabits per second, as well as 100/20 or 1000/50. The lowest speed tier on the NBN is called Home Basic I. This is suitable for sending e-mails but may become bogged down during busier time periods running at roughly 12mbps. Home Basic II is a slightly upgraded version that may allow for more browsing and standard video definition streaming.

One of the more common choices for an NBN plan for a multi-person household is Home Standard. This usually caters to three to four people, and accommodates things like online gaming, HD streaming, and working from home. Things only speed up from there with Home Fast, Home Superfast, and Home Ultrafast NBN coverage. Fast usually makes way for 4k streaming for up to five users. Superfast offers speeds around 150mbps, this makes a modem breeze through large file transfers and 8K streaming. Ultrafast is an NBN plan that is designed to future-proof your home to handle new technologies that may require more data and speed.

Understanding “Peak Time”

It’s important that while shopping for the best NBN plan for your household that you understand other Australians may want to be using the internet at the same time as you. There are peak hours where more people will be accessing their broadband coverage, whether it’s on their laptop, desktop, or mobile phone. New customers to the NBN should think of it as they would traffic. You’ll see more people on the road at the start and end of the workday than at other times.

Peak times on the NBN network in Australia are usually between 7 and 11 PM. It would be in your better interest to have an NBN plan with more speed capabilities if you need to get online during those hours. With typical evening speed, you may find yourself stalled on certain landlines for broadband around that hour. At the end of the day, be sure to compare costs and speeds to be able to figure out which NBN provider and coverage are right for you.