Before I go ahead and give you all the information you seek on NBN , hear me out on how I saved myself $40  month on  my internet and phone bills due to NBN and you can do it too by signing up for the NBN.

So, everyone right now has to have a phone line with Telstra and a internet plan with Telstra or some other provider like Vodafone or Optus.

I have switched to the NBN with TPG that costs me $69.99 a month for the 42.7 Mbps speed, which is more than enough for my household and Rob can watch youtube , Kylie can watch Netflix and Barra can listen  to his acca dacca music streaming at the same time without any problems.

So how did I end up saving money and getting higher internet speeds?

I had a Amnet  Adsl internet plan that I paid $59.99 a month for earlier.

I had a Telstra phone line that cost me roughly $46 a month, even though I hardly used it.

That’s a total of $106  a month

With the new TPG  $70 monthly plan I can  receive phone calls  on my phone line as I ported my new number to their nbn connection for one off fee and I can receive calls  on my old number that they transferred  with my new nbn connection. I don’t have to worry about outbound calls as my Vodafone mobile plan has plenty of local/mobile calls available with international call credit available too.

So, with $106/month earlier costs  – $70 current NBN plan cost = $36 a month saving (that’s a yearly saving of $432 a year and I get super-fast internet speeds too compared to before).

If you want to make outbound calls from your home phone, you can just add an oztalk call plan $10 with TPG NBN and you can still save $26 a month.

Read on below to know about NBN…

All you need to know about NBN Australia – The Consumer’s Guide

In the internet business speed is pretty much everything and when you’re looking to change your internet provider this becomes an important factor. The NBN is here in Australia and you will need to switch sooner or later to these faster speeds. The NBN is compulsory, but at least 6 million Australians don’t realise it

Below I will cover some of the most asked questions about the NBN

• Who are the major NBN providers?
• What do you need for connecting NBN?
• What is the price ranges for a NBN connection?
• How does this all work and what do I need to do?

So let’s have a look at some good NBN internet providers for you in WA. Many of these ISP’s also provide their service throughout Australia.

1. Telstra

2. TPG (iinet)

3. Optus

4. Aussie Broadband

We will do an analysis of the NBN plans that these providers provide , but before that – let’s check out what else to look out for before signing on with a new provider.

Free NBN modem

With the new nbn connection to your home, you will need a good modem router that will be able to handle those speeds too. Many internet companies now bundle that modem for free with your plan so essentially you are saving anywhere between $100 to $150 Just on this.

If no free modem is offered their plans should be cheaper, unless their speeds make up for it.

Customer service

Is their customer support Local or overseas? Most big companies have overseas support in India or Philippines and that is quite common nowadays. Most people have learnt to deal with this and some of these overseas call centres do provide a good service compared to some dodgy customer service I have received locally.

Different speed plans & flexibility in plan upgrade

Most NBN internet providers offer three different speeds for plans.

There is the starter speed plan which is normally around 25mbps download speed and costs anywhere between $59 to $70 with different providers. It’s also called NBN25. Some limit the data on this plan to 100 GB.

The mid-tier speed plan sometimes called the Essential Internet Plan, which costs $69 to 80 per month and often comes with unlimited data. It’s also called NBN50 (50Mbps download speed).

Getting a bit technical with speed I can’t get with my connection – video by MasterNASA1 below

The premium version is called the Unlimited Internet Plan and costs $90 per month. As the name suggests, it comes with unlimited data and NBN50 speeds (50Mbps download speed)

The iinet plans come with fetch entertainment bundle optional. Telstra also has an entertainment bundle and a speed boost service, but you need to pay extra for that. Optus offers fetch entertainment bundle just like iinet. Aussie Broadband offers one of the cheapest NBN plans starting at $55 a month, however this is  a limited data plan of 100 GB and they also charge extra for a modem. They also offer the fetch entertainment bundle as optional.

Apart from the above providers there are many other local providers like

• · Exetel
• · Iprimus
• · Dodo
• · Internode
• · Myrepublic

Below are some average speeds you can see for the plans

1. Basic Evening Speed (NBN 12): 12/1 Mbps download/upload

2. Standard Evening Speed (NBN 25): 25/5 Mbps download/upload

3. Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50): 50/20 Mbps download/upload

4. Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100): 100/40 Mbps: download/upload

Just to give you and idea of the new NBN speeds, the old adsl2+ speeds were roughly 6 to 8mbps speeds download. ADSL2+ has a maximum potential speed of 24Mbps and the new NBN speeds can go upto 80+ mbps or higher speeds.

5g sim card slot

5G mobile speeds are coming and some new modems have capability to slot in a mobile sim card to distribute Wi-Fi through your house. The Telstra modem has this inbuilt capability. This can be a good back up option to your home line internet in case some disruption happens.

3g/4g usb slot

Many new modems also have a slot for 3gor 4g USB Wi-Fi usb dongle to be attached to your modem to distribute your internet from your Wi-Fi dongle. This could be a good backup internet option to have.

Voip phone

Most nbn connections come advertised with optional phone or voip plans. So do you need a special phone for voip plans? Is this voip phone provided?

Most providers will give you a voip plan starting from $10 or more for call plans – normally including calls to local, interstate and mobile within Australia (check with your provider). These plans can be used with the provided modem router, so you can just plug in your normal phone to the modem and make calls. You will not need a telstra phone line if you do this. No special voip phone is needed.

Bundle home phone and phone line – Keep your Home phone number

You already have a fixed line number, with signing up with nbn – you can keep your existing phone line to receive calls.

You will need to let your new nbn provider know that you want to keep your existing phone number and they will port it in for you. If you take a phone call plan with nbn or new provider, it might be cheaper than a Telstra connection.

If you have a Fixed Wireless nbn connection, you can choose to keep your existing copper phone line. This means you can use your phone during a power failure, depending on your handset.

Some service providers only offer phone services using VoIP via your internet connection. You should be aware that internet services (including VoIP services) are not supported by the battery. This means that there will be no internet services and no voice services using VoIP when there is a power outage.

You can cancel your existing Telstra phone connection. This will be good news for a lot of people (no more Telstra phone service charges).

Connection Fee?

The internet or nbn contract length you sign up will determine if you get charged a connection fee. Many providers waive connection and modem charges if you sign up for 18 months or 24 months plan. Some charge a connection fee irrespective.

Different types of NBN connections and speeds

1. Fibre to the Node (FTTN)

2. Fibre to the Building (FTTB)

3. Fibre to the Curb (FTTC)

4. Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)

5. Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC)

nbn Fibre to the Premises explained (FTTP)

An nbn Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connection is used in circumstances where a fibre optic line will be run from the nearest available fibre node, directly to your premises.

FTTP connections require an nbn access network device to be installed inside your home. This device requires power to operate and can only be installed by an approved nbn installer or phone and internet provider.

NBN to nodenbn FTTP connect kit

Download (PDF – 6 MB)

FTTN services can deliver a range of wholesale speeds.

An nbn Fibre to the Node (FTTN) connection is utilised in circumstances where the existing copper phone and internet network from a nearby fibre node is used to make the final part of the connection to the nbn access network.

The fibre node is likely to take the form of a street cabinet. Each street cabinet will allow the nbn access network signal to travel over a fibre optic line from the exchange, to the cabinet, and connect with the existing copper network to reach your premises.

https://www2.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco2/documents/Connect-Kits/res/nbn-brochure-online-fttn.pdf

Your actual speeds will be affected by many factors including; how far away your premises is located from the FTTN cabinet, how your provider configures their network and manages traffic (particularly during peak periods when more people are online), equipment quality, software, signal quality, the plan you choose, the performance of your modem, Wi-Fi, cabling, and other devices in your premises.

FTTB

An nbn Fibre to the Building (FTTB) connection is generally used when we are connecting an apartment block or similar types of buildings to the nbn access network. In this scenario we run a fibre optic line to the fibre node in the building’s communications room, and then we use the existing technology in the building to connect to each apartment.

HFC

An nbn Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connection is used in circumstances where the existing ‘pay TV’ or cable network can be used to make the final part of the nbn access network connection. In this circumstance an HFC line will be run from the nearest available fibre node, to your premises.

HFC connections require an nbn access network device to be installed at the point where the line enters your home. This device requires power to operate, and can be installed by an approved nbn installer or service provider.

FTTC

An nbn FTTC connection is used in circumstances where fibre is extended close to your premises, connecting to a small Distribution Point Unit (DPU), generally located inside a pit on the street. From here, the existing copper network is connected to the fibre to form the final nbn connection. To power your FTTC service with electricity and provide your connection to the nbn broadband access network, an FTTC nbn connection box will be required inside your home or business.

Videos from nbn

Naomi simpson on fast internet and NBN

Transfer process from old internet provider to new provider

Some tips from myself to you if you still haven’t transferred your internet to your new NBN provider. This will stop it from getting delayed.

1. Do not cancel any existing Internet or phone services until you have received your new connection and it is active and working.

2. Signs up with your new provider and tell them that you want them to take over your phone line and internet connection and in most cases your old services will automatically get cancelled when you do this (as your new service provider will take over these service and start a new connection)

3. Make sure you call Telstra and check if there is any pending services or pending orders on your Telstra line and check what it is. Tell them to clear/or process this if it is blocking the transfer process. This can be any existing provider part form Telstra.

Are there any termination/cancellation and connection fees when moving to the NBN?

You may face additional fees from your internet service provider when moving to the NBN. These fees could be between $50 and $250+. Whether you are charged fees will depend on your individual circumstances and the fee policy of your service provider. If you are out of contract, these fees are unlikely.

Some Important NBN links for your NBN connection

When will I get NBN connection

Link here – Roll out map – https://www.nbnco.com.au/residential/learn/rollout-map

NBN address checker – https://www.nbnco.com.au/connect-home-or-business/check-your-address

Optus NBN – https://www.optus.com.au/shop/broadband/nbn-rollout

DODO NBN – https://www.dodo.com/nbn/nbn-rollout-map

Additional services

Will my powerline inverter work with NBN ?

Yes this should work fine. Powerline inverters that use your exisitng powerlines in your home to distribute internet via your PowerPoints will still work fine with NBN. If you haven’t heard of this, it is a good way to get a wired internet connection to your devices like TV or Foxtel box.

Home alarm

Your home alarm might not work with your nbn connection.

Some personal medical (pendants) and home security alarms are monitored ‘back-to-base’ by an alarm company using the traditional copper phone lines.

Many old Home alarms used to use the phone line connections to alert yourself or direct to police connections, these will not work with the new nbn connection and your alarm services might need to be upgraded. Consumers who use medical and security alarms should check to make sure they will continue to work when they switch to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Security cameras

Will my security cameras work with nbn. Security cameras should work fine with NBN and your modem router. In fact they might work better with the faster speeds of your new internet connection and Wifi.

Other NBN Wireless services

These types of internet connections are used mostly in faraway remote areas, where premises are spread out geographically over many square kilometres

nbn Fixed Wireless

This connection is typically used in circumstances where the distance between premises can be many kilometres. Data travels from a transmission tower located as far as 14 kilometres, to an nbn outdoor antenna that has been fitted to the premises by an approved nbn installer.

Sky Muster satellite service

The Sky Muster satellite service delivers the nbn broadband access network to homes and businesses in regional and remote Australia, via two state-of-the-art satellites. So, people across mainland Australia and Tasmania, and remote islands such as Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Lord Howe Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands can now enjoy nbn powered plans through Sky Muster satellite providers.

As well as the roof satellite dish installed on the home or business, Sky Muster satellite connections also require an nbn supplied modem to be installed at the point where the cable from the satellite dish enters the premises. This device requires power to operate, and can only be installed by an approved nbn installer or provider

Is the future 5G

Telecommunication companies are racing to deliver fifth-generation mobile technology by 2020, which will have faster speeds and lower latency than current 4G offered by telecom companies.

Future 5G mobile networks could potentially deliver up to 10Gbps, which is more than most current fixed-line broadband services, with the additional benefit of portability. This could be competition to the current NBN network. So, pricing will be key for survival.

Additional References for NBN

Consumer information if you’re looking to connect to NBN

ACCC

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/national-broadband-network/moving-to-the-nbn-for-consumers

Department of communications

https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/internet/national-broadband-network/getting-ready-connect-nbn

Canstar Blue

https://www.canstarblue.com.au/internet/compare-australias-top-nbn-plans/

I have tried to  include  everything NBN in this post and would like to know if I have missed publishing anything, so do let me knowif there are any questions in relation to NBN and I can include it and update this post. Have a good internet day!