There are few more exciting things in modern Australian life than the NBN finally getting installed at your home. Even better, there are now plenty of great deals to choose from, but with so many on offer, you’ll begin to ask yourself which is the right home internet plan for you.
Here are 4 things to consider when choosing a plan.
1. Contract options
Our top tip is to bundle, baby. There are providers out there, including Dodo, that offer other services like power and gas, media streaming and more. When you bundle all of them into one provider, you reap the benefits in even better deals.
The other big decision is whether to sign up for 12 to 24 months or go month-to-month. The lock-in contract will probably give you a cheaper overall plan, but the month-to-month lets you make sure the provider is right for you before committing to the long haul. Just make sure you factor in set up charges.
Some companies will really push you to go with the lock-in contract by making the month-to-month option cost an arm and a leg.
But then there are plans like Dodo’s month-to-month NBN option. The monthly charge is exactly the same as our 12-month contract option; we just charge a small setup fee, which includes a brand new modem.
2. Download limits
All this means is how much data you can use each month: how much you’re streaming, how many pictures and home movies you download, how many sites you browse.
Don’t confuse this with the speed of your NBN connection. It’s a common misconception that plans with unlimited downloads will always have the fastest speeds.
At Dodo we call this a ‘monthly data allowance’, but it might be called a ‘download limit’ or even simply referred to as ‘X worth of downloads’.
Take note of the number and make sure you’re getting enough for your monthly needs. Also check what happens if you go over your limit.
When it comes to deciding how much is enough, the best way to do that is to simply track it. You can do this with most providers. As a general rule, though, it’s unusual for one person who uses the internet for about 4-6 hours per day, including a hour of streaming, to go over 100mb per month.
There are also some nifty tools like this data usage calculator from Finder. But these sorts of calculators should be treated as rough estimates.
3. Advertised speed
Go as fast as your budget allows. When it comes to nbn® speed, you can’t go too fast. Internet speed is measured in Megabits per Second (Mbps). Megabits are little pieces of data, and the number is just telling you how many pieces can get through the lines per second.
Most providers offer at least two speed tiers. At Dodo, we offer four. There are nbn15 and nbn25, which are perfect for simple tasks like browsing the internet, using social media and streaming music.
Our mid-tier nbn50 just won a Mozo Expert’s Choice award for Standard Plus NBN Contract, it’s a great option if you also stream HD video and will have more than 3 people using the internet at the same time.
For expert level nbn® speed, go for the top tier. At Dodo, it’s nbn100 and it’s perfect for homes with up to 9 simultaneous users, streaming super high quality videos, and downloading and uploading lots of big files.
Top tip: shop based on minimum and average speeds. Most providers will advertise their top speed (that’s the 100 in nbn100 for us), but they will also be sure to let you know the average speed and minimum speed.
Speeds fluctuate based on how many people in your area are accessing the same network at once. You might have noticed that during 7pm–11pm speeds can reduce significantly, that’s because an enormous number of people are streaming their fave TV show at once.
If you need help deciding on the best speed for your household, get in touch!
4. Technical support
Unless you live with a tech whiz, you’re going to need support from time to time.
We’re pretty proud of our Mozo People’s Choice award for Outstanding Customer Satisfaction in two categories.
Make sure you know how you’re going to receive support and whether it will be right for you. At Dodo, you can contact our highly trained agents via Live Chat or phone.
Those are the five most important things to look out for when choosing an nbn® plan. Looking for more tips, check out our other blogs.
