Internet plans come with two big numbers: speed (how fast it goes) and data (how much you can use). Both matter, but in different ways. Here is what each one means and how to pick the right plan for your house.
Speed: how fast it goes
Speed is measured in Mbps (megabits per second). The bigger the number, the faster the internet. NBN plans are usually advertised as 25/5, 50/20, 100/40, 250/100, or 1000/400 — the first number is the download speed (most important), the second is upload.
Here is a rough guide to what each speed is good for:
- 25 Mbps (NBN 25): Email, basic browsing, one person watching TV. Fine for one or two people who do not use the internet much.
- 50 Mbps (NBN 50): The most popular plan in Australia. Comfortable for most households — streaming TV, video calls, a couple of people online at once.
- 100 Mbps (NBN 100): For households where several people are online at the same time, or where someone works from home and needs the upload speed.
- 250+ Mbps: Gamers, people who upload lots of large files, or houses with many devices. Most people do not need this.
Data: how much you can use
Data is measured in GB (gigabytes). Streaming, browsing, video calls, and downloads all use data. Most NBN plans in Australia are unlimited these days, so this matters less than it used to — but here is a sense of scale:
- 1 hour of standard TV streaming: about 1 GB
- 1 hour of HD TV streaming (Netflix etc.): about 3 GB
- 1 hour of a video call (FaceTime, Zoom): about 1 GB
- An hour of normal web browsing and email: about 60 MB (tiny)
If your plan is unlimited, you do not need to think about data. If it is not, watching TV is where most data goes.
A simple way to choose
If you live alone or with one other person and mostly browse, email, watch a bit of TV, and have the odd video call: NBN 50 is plenty. It is what most Australians have.
If two or more people are often online at the same time, or someone is working from home, or you have a smart TV streaming in one room while a video call happens in another: NBN 100 is more comfortable.
If you only use the internet for email and the occasional video call to family: NBN 25 is enough and will save you money.
What about Wi-Fi?
Your NBN connection comes into the house through a modem (the box from your provider). Wi-Fi is what lets your devices connect to that modem wirelessly. They are different things.
If your internet feels slow in one room of the house, that is usually a Wi-Fi problem, not an NBN problem. Common causes are old modems, the modem being in a far corner of the house, or thick walls in the way.
Quick tips
- Run a speed test. Go to fast.com — it takes 5 seconds and tells you what speed you are actually getting. If you are paying for NBN 100 and getting 30, ring your provider.
- Restart the modem. Turn it off, count to 10, turn it back on. Fixes most random slow-downs.
- Move the modem. If Wi-Fi is bad, putting the modem in the middle of the house (not in a cupboard) helps a lot.
- Do not pay for speeds you cannot use. If your phone or laptop is a few years old, it might not be able to use NBN 250 anyway. NBN 50 or 100 is the sweet spot for most homes.
If you are not sure what you are on or what would suit you better, our team is happy to talk through it. No sales pressure — just helping you find the plan that fits.