A Guide for Choosing an NBN Plan

What kind of NBN bandwidth do I need? 

Your bandwidth needs could help you hone in on an NBN Plan. Without getting too deep into tech-speak, bandwidth is how much information can be sent and received in a particular time frame over the Internet. Generally, you’ll see people talking about bandwidth as megabits per second (Mbps).  

For your NBN Plan, bandwidth will likely refer to your download and upload speed. If you’ve ever wondered what numbers like ‘100/20’ or ‘12/1’ mean on an NBN Plan, this is those Mbps. The first number is your download speed and the second is your upload speed. 

If you want to watch lots of high-quality TV and movies (and we’re not talking about the quality of the script or the acting) on multiple devices, you may want to pick a plan that has a higher bandwidth. This will help you quickly download your shows and stop any buffering during the climax. 

For those that WFH and need to transfer big files, a higher upload speed may mean you aren’t having to take endless coffee breaks to let those files finish uploading. Higher upload speeds could also be worth considering if you do a lot of video calls and you want people to see just how beautiful you are rather than a pixellated mess. 

Helpful Tip:

Before signing up for any NBN plan, it’s important to know what kind of connection type you have and how that might affect the speeds available to you. If you’re on fibre-to-the-premises or hybrid fibre coaxial NBN, you’ve typically got access to every single speed tier and can shop around more widely for the best price and speed combination for your needs, but the same isn’t the case for FTTN NBN connections or any wireless NBN connection, where your speeds are limited and so are your choices.

Alex Kidman

Tech Journalist

What different NBN speed tiers are there and which do I need? 

The NBN speed tiers may help you get a better handle on which NBN Plans have the bandwidth you’re after. Although, you may like to keep in mind that the speeds you can get may vary depending on the Internet Provider, your NBN connection type and even the time of day. You might not get your best Internet speeds in that peak 7–11pm period when we’re all watching Netflix or scrolling through socials. 

Something else you might want to consider too is that you may not always see plans advertised with the below speed tier name — but this is how NBN Co breaks them down. Reading through the fine print, including checking that download/upload Mbps rate, could help you put the pieces together though.

What about data allowance? 

For the most part, you’re fairly unlikely to run into an NBN Plan these days that has a data allowance. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Some lower-end plans, like those for Sky Muster or fixed wireless connections, may have data limits. However, it may vary between providers. 

If you’re worried about ending up on a limited data plan, it may be worth looking into the fine print of any NBN Plan you’re eyeing off before you agree to it. You could also ask the Internet Provider if they have an unlimited option available. 

What will an NBN Plan cost me? 

There’s no set price for NBN Plans, so it is always worthwhile to shop around for one that offers you the best value. You may like to keep in mind what speeds are realistic for your household — while it can be tempting to get a top-of-the-range tier plan, it may not be necessary if you’re only planning to stream the odd movie in the evenings.  

Are NBN Plans reliable? 

While dial-up may have left us dropping out all over the place, the NBN tends to be a lot more reliable, regardless of the plan you’re on. Looking at outages in September 2023 for all types of NBN connections except Sky Muster, 78% of them had either no outages or at most an outage every other day.¹Australian Competition and Consumer Commission – Measuring Broadband Australia Program, Twenty-third Report, December 2023, p21, 27 and 31 Even those that did experience outages more regularly rarely had them last for over 10 minutes.²As above 

When it comes to reliability, there’s a few factors at play. Firstly, your connection type could make a difference. Higher end fixed line connections, like HFC or FTTP, tend to have fewer regular outages. At the same time, some connection types could limit your internet speed. 

Next to consider is your Internet Provider. How they manage traffic across their network, including ensuring they have the capacity for that traffic, could mean drops in speed and performance. At the same time, the National Broadband Network itself could have faults or maintenance issues that see your plan not quite pulling its weight. 

The tech you’re using to access the Internet could also leave you feeling like you’re dealing with less reliable speeds. Old modems and routers may not be able to keep up with higher speeds, and old devices might not be able to cope with them either. Plus, even though many of the speed tiers above allow for multiple devices to be actively using the Internet at once, it could leave your Internet chugging. It may help to remember that the speed your NBN Plan offers is shared between devices. 

Where can I compare NBN Plans? 

If you want to get connected to the NBN or simply see if another NBN Plan could give you better value, we’re here to help. iSelect has partnered with CIMET to bring you a range of plans from different Internet Providers, making it easy to compare and choose your winner. Try out our online comparison tool for yourself today.