There are a lot of NBN companies out there who are offering different internet plans, with different deals and packages. With the internet creating a commanding presence in our lives, it has become extremely important for us to stay online all the time for various reasons such as research, business, work, or simply to connect with our friends and loved ones.
Since there are a lot of options in the market, we may find it confusing or difficult to choose exactly which plan suits us best. Probably the best method that we can do to help ease this problem is trimming down our choices based on our needs.
Are you a home-based worker?
Do you actively do voice calls or chats during working hours? Or are you a virtual assistant or staff with monitored activity? If you work from home, you will be using the following online tools:
- Messaging, such as Asana, Basecamp or Slack
- Video conferencing
- Cloud platforms
Most of these tools need a lot of upload data, which means lower-end NBN plans just won’t be sufficient. In order to send large amounts of data, you will need at least 20 Mbps upload speed to handle even the most specific and demanding needs.
Aside from this, you must also consider other members of your household who also share the internet connection with you. The more people are using it, the slower it will be. So before subscribing to an NBN plan, consider how it makes your work productive and the people you are sharing it with.
Are you streaming quite often?
Streaming has become quite popular in every household in Australia. In order to have a seamless viewing experience you will need an ISP who can provide a reliable broadband connection that keeps up with you even during peak hours.
The recommended minimum internet speed for HD streaming is 5Mbps, and for 4K streaming or ultra-HD, your internet should have a bandwidth that starts at 25 Mbps. If you are sharing your internet with other family members who also like to binge watch and stream non-stop, it is best to consider getting higher speed.
Are you a gamer?
If you are into gaming, you will need a connection that is not only reliable, but has a great amount of speed and data with high bandwidth and low latency. Speed is important to keep you from lagging or dropping out especially in the middle of the game. A speed of at least 5 Mbps per player is more than sufficient.
It is almost impossible to continue playing a game in high latency, as it leads to endless lag spikes and other issues, and so choose the one with low latency for lower pings and optimised gaming experience.
Since bandwidth is the measure of how much data can be transmitted over your network at a given time, if there are two or more of you playing games at the same time it is advisable to get a high-tier plan with enough bandwidth. It allows you to download web pages and videos flawlessly and improve your user experience.
Are you using the internet for browsing only?
If you are not really a heavy user and need the internet only for browsing, you would only need at least 1-2 Mbps of speed to enjoy it. But if there are more of you in your home using the internet for browsing, you might as well consider getting a plan with higher speed for optimal browsing experience.
Videos are also a thing nowadays. You might think you are only browsing through your social media account but when you scroll through a short video clip your data immediately requires more speed than usual.
So before subscribing to the best unlimited home internet available in your area, you might want to ask:
- How many people in your home will be using the connection?
- What activities will you be doing mostly on the internet?
These two questions will definitely help you get the right NBN bundle for your home.
