Whether we’re talking about online video streaming platforms like Netflix or live-service games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, everyday consumption of online media is skyrocketing and the need for speed is more desperate than ever.
And when it comes to selecting the right NBN plan for you, it is vital to know and understand the differences between the types of NBN available on the market, especially if you are looking to get a fast internet connection on the cheap.
The first thing to understand about NBN is that there are two main speed tiers; that allow you to do anything substantial with your internet (like snack on some Netflix content or binge watch adorable dog videos). They are NBN50 and NBN100.
When selecting a plan, it is important to do some research into the network capacity of your provider. Just because a plan is NBN 100 doesn’t necessarily mean that it has the same average evening speed that another NBN100 plan might offer.
NBN evening speeds explained
Evening speed refers to the connection speed that an NBN connection has during periods of high network traffic (usually between 7pm and 11pm). For example; Telstra has an evening speed of 90.41Mbps while Amaysim has an evening speed of 78.1Mbps.
The ACCC now require NBN providers to disclose their NBN speeds customers can expect during peak hours. This is definitely something you should look into before signing up with a provider.
Why would one company offer better speeds than another? Most of the time, the answer is that they own more network capacity. Each ISP has to buy network capacity from NBN Co. Pretty much the way it works is that the more they own the more capacity they have to provide high speed connectivity to their customers.
Now that you know what evening speeds are, here are some NBN plans to sink your teeth into:
Cheap NBN50 plans with at least 500 GB
Cheap NBN100 plans with at least 500 GB
Want to go faster?
If NBN100 isn’t fast enough for you, there are now some NBN providers offering NBN250 and NBN1000 plans. Like the nomenclature suggests, these plans offer download speeds of up to 1000Mbps.
According to Aussie Broadband, NBN1000 plans are available to all FTTP connections and around 7% of HFC connections while NBN250 plans are available to all FTTP connections, and approximately 70% of HFC connections.
Check out the widget below for a quick round-up of the best value NBN250 plans:
