How to Pick the Right NBN Plan for you

Like it or loathe it, the National Broadband Network (NBN) is coming to your home, if it hasn’t arrived already. More than half of Aussie homes are now wired into the NBN, with the most of the remainder to be connected by the end of next year. 

What a lot of people don’t realise is that once the NBN is connected to your house, you have just 18 months to switch to an NBN service before your existing phone and internet are switched off.

Like death and taxes, a switch to the NBN is inevitable if you want to stay online.

That said, it is also an excellent opportunity to reevaluate your monthly phone and internet bills. The design of the NBN creates a level playing field for all internet providers, so even if you’ve been a rusted-on Telstra customer for a decade, you can switch to a new, cheaper NBN plan and receive a excellent service from one of the numerous smaller, cheaper internet companies.

You really have to ask yourself, how much is the internet worth to me? It is easy to find yourself on a plan costing over $100 per month, which is a lot more than you should pay to check Facebook, read your emails and catch up on the news of the day.

SAVINGS TIP: With new NBN plans, you might find you can cut your current bill in half.

Before you start shopping around for a new NBN plan, here are a few important things to keep in mind:

• You will probably need a new NBN compatible modem. The NBN is a brand new technology, and your current modem will need to be replaced with a newer model. Ask your provider about sending you one when you sign up.
• Look for a ‘No Contract’ plan and keep your options open to move to a different provider if you need to.
• Be brave and try one of the smaller providers. The best value plans tend to come from the companies you may not have heard of before. You might find that this is a blessing in disguise; smaller companies have more to prove and are more likely to use local teams for customer support, rather than off-shore call centres.

To get you started, here is a collection of some of the best value NBN plans around at the moment:

Joe Hanlon is the publisher at Whistleout.com.au