The whole NBN concept took over the Australian nation in recent years. So what does it actually mean? Well, the National Broadband Network is rolling out fibre-optic, satellite infrastructure and fixed wireless in order to replace the existing broadband infrastructure, so all the Australians will be able to get a faster, more reliable internet connection.
The thing is that the process could become a little bit confusing for the majority of people, so that’s why it’s best to be prepared and be aware of certain things before making the switch to the NBN. So if you haven’t yet, here are some things that you should think about before changing the way you use the Internet:
The Hybrid Fibre Coaxial
First thing that you have to know is that when NBN is made available in your area, you have up to 18 months to switch from your current plan and choose one of the NBN providers that best suits your needs.
Luckily, changing to the NBN, does not involve a change in the underlying technology if you choose to go with a HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial). Of course, many users and also many specialist consider that the HFC is not as good as Fibre to the Node, but it is able to deliver speeds of 100 Mbps for downloads and 40 Mbps for uploads. Being aware of one such fact can really help you when you’re making the switch to the NBN, giving the fact that a lot of this information isn’t made obvious by the providers.
The Speed
Here is the part where your budget comes into the picture. It would be best for you to do a little bit of research before choosing the right NBN speed for your connection. Yes, there are different types of NBN plans that you could choose from, which offer different speeds for different monthly fees. There are a few things that you need to consider though, some of them being: your annual budget, the number of people that live in your house or the type activities that you conduct online.
Numbers say that most Australian families are doing just fine with the default of 25 Mbps connection. In case you’re wondering why people don’t go for a more expensive plan, think about the fact that the majority of people are using the Internet only for browsing the web, streaming videos and social media.
Choosing the Right Router
After you choose an Internet provider, they will offer you a wireless router. Unfortunately, the router that you’ll receive from the ISP might not be the best for the Internet speed. So you might wanna think about an upgrade.
For example, the kind of router that Telstra is offering is a basic Sagemcom F@ST 5535, which does not support the the fast wireless protocols that run on modern smartphones and laptops. That’s a downer, isn’t it?
There are a few different factors that will impact the Internet speed you benefit from and the overall internet experience that you’’ll have with NBN, such as: the right NBN plan, the network configuration of your provider, the quality of the equipment used in your area or the exact number of people connected to the Internet at the same time in your home. Bad news is that you have to consider all of these factors before making the change, but it’s definitely worth it in the end, as you’ll end up with an Internet connection that best fits your needs.