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Find out our expert picks for the best NBN plans this month.
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Wondering what your best bet for Internet is, or frustrated with your NBN connection? Wireless broadband can be a good alternative, depending on what you need. Here's a snapshot.
In this guide, we'll dive into both to help you figure out what will work for you.
The NBN is fixed-line Internet, meaning it delivers data through the physical wires and cables connected to your house.
Wireless broadband is split into 2 types, but both use existing 3G, 4G and 5G mobile networks to transfer data, like the one your mobile phone uses.
The 2 versions are:
However, this article is focused on comparing the performance and quality of fixed-line NBN plans against wireless broadband that uses mobile networks for an Internet connection.
Both NBN and wireless have their own ups and downs, meaning the one that's better will depend on your circumstances.
Here's an overview of their features, which we'll break down more in the following sections:
Most of the time, an NBN 50 or faster plan will be speedier than 4G wireless but slower than 5G. However, your NBN speed will be more consistent because:
Wireless connections also tend to have a much higher latency than the NBN, which can affect gaming and video calls.
The majority of home wireless and mobile broadband plans make use of 4G mobile networks, which are widespread throughout the country.
4G networks average about 38.5Mbps in Australia, with a maximum of 100Mbps.
The NBN is generally faster, with maximum speeds ranging from 12Mbps up to 100Mbps, depending on your Internet plan.
While faster NBN plans with speeds up to 1,000Mbps do exist, these aren't currently available to everyone and will depend on what connection type is available at your home.
Some wireless Internet providers now offer 5G on their plans. 5G speeds will depend on the provider, but average around 200-300Mbps.
5G coverage is currently more limited than 4G, so you'll need to check the provider's coverage area to see if you're eligible for a 5G wireless plan.
This makes 5G faster than all but the quickest NBN plans (with speeds of 1,000Mbps). However, your speeds might vary considerably depending on your location and other factors such as the weather.
It can be difficult to compare NBN alongside wireless plans because there are so many plans and providers offering both.
We've chosen to focus on Optus as it offers the widest range across the categories, with 4G and 5G home wireless, mobile broadband and NBN plans available.
To give you an idea on how prices differ between the plans, here's how Optus's own plans stack up against each other.
Prices and features of Optus plans are accurate as of 26 July 2021.As you can see, 5G home wireless is comparable in price to Optus's NBN 100 plan, but again you may experience inconsistent speeds and connectivity.
Mobile broadband is significantly cheaper, but only offers a maximum of 150GB (including promotional bonus data), which may not be enough.
Keep in mind that some home wireless plans come with data caps (of around 500GB), or require you to sign up to contracts.
According to NBN Co, the average Australian uses around 258GB of data per month.
Your actual data usage will vary depending on what you're doing online but this is a good number to keep in mind, especially if you're dealing with monthly data caps.
To compare:
If you're looking to get a data-capped wireless plan, keep in mind that excess usage charges may exist.
Currently, unlimited home wireless broadband plans only exist if you sign up for a 5G plan.
The answer to this question mostly depends on your situation and how you plan to use the Internet.
We've come up with various recommendations depending on what your primary need is.
You can compare NBN, home wireless and mobile broadband plans below.
Sam Baran is a writer for Finder, covering topics across the tech, telco and utilities sectors. They enjoy decrypting technical jargon and helping people compare complex products easily. When they aren't writing, you'll find Sam's head buried in a book or working on their latest short story. Sam has a Bachelor of Advanced Science from the University of Sydney.
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