NBN: The #1 mistake to avoid when picking a plan

When it comes to connecting to the new NBN network, it's understandable that many of us just want to find a service that works well and costs about the same as the plan we're currently using. We don't want all the bells and whistles, and we don't want to pay for them either. 

The trouble is that many who have already taken up an NBN service, and who chose the cheapest, slowest connection type are now regretting that decision.

We recently conducted research into how everyday Australians are finding the NBN and discovered that people who are using an NBN Basic service are the most dissatisfied, and are most likely to say that they wish they could go back to their old internet plan.

Of a sample of 1075 people, just over half of the respondents to our survey who use NBN Basic said they were satisfied with what they have (51%), compared with 74% of satisfied customers using a faster NBN Standard plan.

Given that an NBN Basic plan is designed to deliver half the maximum speed of an old ADSL plan, it is easy to see why it is failing to meet the expectations of this group.

If you are new to the structure of NBN plans, these are divided into four speed tiers that are explained at the bottom of this article: Basic, Standard, Standard Plus and Premium.

We also learned that a huge portion of people using the NBN didn't consider a change of provider when it came time to switch technologies. A whopping 79% of people using NBN  told us that they followed the advice of their current provider and migrated to an NBN service.

And, fair enough; it can seem like changing providers could be a real hassle. The truth though, is that it is surprisingly simple to do it, and switching to the NBN is the perfect opportunity. Once you find a plan that suits your needs, all you need to do is place an order. Your new provider will do the rest, including sending you a new modem and transferring your home phone number across to the new service.

To get you started, here is a selection of NBN Standard plans to take a look at. From our survey, the average monthly NBN bill is $77, but as you can see, there are plenty of cheaper options. How do these compare with your current internet bill?

Or, if you'd prefer more personalised results, follow this link and put in your address to see the plans available to you.

The 4 NBN Speeds to Choose From:

• NBN Basic: download speeds up to 12Mbps, which many will find the same or slower than current ADSL services
• NBN Standard: speeds up to 25Mbps, good for everyday use in small households
• NBN Standard Plus: speeds up to 50Mbps, best for larger families with multiple people online at the same time
• NBN Premium: speeds up to 100Mbps, designed for heavy users, but also a good choice for small to medium-sized businesses.

Joe Hanlon is the publisher at whistleout.com.au