Alternatives to the NBN: Is There A Better Option?
For some, the NBN [link to What is the NBN? blog] meets their Internet needs perfectly, delivering a reliable and fast connection at every hour of the day. For others, the strength of the NBN in their area is simply not cutting it.
Fortunately, other supplies of Internet are becoming more viable alternatives to the NBN by the day. The NBN is not necessarily the Internet option for everyone. So, in this guide to NBN alternatives, we’ll let you in on the best options available to you.
Alternatives to the NBN
There are four main ways to connect to the Internet without the NBN. These are:
- 4G Mobile Broadband
- 4G Home Wireless
- 5G Mobile Broadband
- 5G Home Wireless
Home Wireless vs Mobile Broadband
Home wireless and mobile broadband are both powered wirelessly via mobile networks. Unlike the NBN, neither one requires a technician to set it up.
Mobile broadband plans on average tend to be faster than home wireless [link to ‘What is a good Internet speed’ blog]. However, home wireless plans tend to come with more data at a more affordable price. This is because mobile broadband plans are designed for the light browsing we tend to do on our smartphones, while home wireless plans are intended as a way of powering your home Internet.
As a result, home wireless plans are likely to be the more viable and affordable option of the two for replacing the NBN, despite potentially having slower speeds.
4G vs 5G
4th Generation broadband, also known as 4G, is the established and more popular option for both mobile broadband and home wireless. However, this is not necessarily because 4G is better than 5G. Instead, 5G is only in the early stages of release and is not yet widely accessible outside major metro areas of Australia.
Many expect 5G broadband to revolutionise the Internet landscape once it becomes more available. This is because the average 5G Internet speeds [link to ‘5G vs NBN’ blog] are the same as the maximum speeds of the NBN. Not to mention the 5G plans already available from Telstra and Optus are no more expensive than NBN plans with the same inclusions.
Which Option Is Best For You?
Home wireless plans tend to support home Internet better than mobile broadband plans due to their greater data capacity. Moreover, it’s safe to say that 5G plans offer a much faster Internet connection than 4G plans. That means the admittedly limited number of 5G home wireless plans currently available are likely to be the best alternative to the NBN.
However, your budget and what you use the Internet for play a significant part in deciding the best option for you [link to ‘Is there a best Internet plan’ blog]. Do you have multiple members of your household using the Internet simultaneously for large downloads, such as streaming Netflix, at peak hours of the day? If not, you might not need large data caps and fast speeds. Instead, a cheaper 4G home wireless plan could be a far more suitable option.
Comparing a wide variety of Internet plans between a host of different Internet service providers is time consuming and complicated. Instead, the experts at Compare & Connect can find the very best plan for you by considering all your needs in just minutes. At no extra cost to you, leave it to Compare & Connect to do a thorough comparison of all your options. That way you can feel confident that the plan you choose is the very best there is.
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