The NBN has the potential to supercharge the average New Zealand internet connection, but how fast is fast enough? Are you making the most of the megabits you’re paying for, or are you missing out on the best the web has to offer?
In this guide, we’ll look at how NBN speeds are measured; outline the difference between NBN 12 (Basic Evening Speed), NBN 25 (Standard Evening Speed), NBN 50 (Standard Evening Speed Plus) and NBN 100 (Premium Evening Speed); and help you work out just which NBN speed tier is best for your home and family’s internet needs.
To help, we’ve ranked the four main NBN speed tiers in the order we think you should consider them based on performance and value.
Fibre Optic Broadband
Fibre optic broadband is growing in coverage and popularity, making our connection to the internet faster than ever. Read our fibre optic broadband guide to find out what this is, how it works and discover whether it’s right for you.
If you’re after as fast an internet connection as possible it’s likely that you’ve probably heard of fibre optic broadband. But what is it exactly? Is it even worth having?
Lucky for you we’ve got this guide to help guide you through this latest internet minefield. So if you’re struggling to figure out if fibre optic broadband is right for you, you might be better off taking a look here.
What is Fibre Optic Broadband?
The latest advancement in broadband technology, fibre optic broadband is promising super-fast speeds for all of your daily internet needs. Its name comes from the use of plastic or glass cables, which allow for faster data transfer compared to the standard copper wires which are used in regular broadband connections.
Other than this detail, it’s practically the same as standard broadband connections you’ll find across the country, only offering higher speeds. It won’t require a fancy computer to use and doesn’t ask you to use any specific software, making it incredibly easy to use.
How fast is fibre optic broadband?
The obvious advantage of fibre optic broadband is the increase in speed, letting you watch videos, browse pages and play games faster than ever. But just how quick is the service?
Nextelle currently leads the mainstream market for fibre optic broadband speeds, offering up to 300MB/s, scores ahead of the average broadband speed here in the New Zealand. The Media also touts a high download speed as well, topping 150MB/s, more than enough to keep even the most web-hungry household happy.
Some lesser-known companies however are offering speeds closer to 1GB/s using fibre optic technology, over 3x faster. Of course, speeds like this won’t be coming very cheaply, but if you’re after the fastest speeds possible you won’t be caught moaning with this kind of service.
Do I need it?
Depending on how many people you have using your internet connection and what they happen to use it for you may or may not need to spend your cash on fibre optic broadband. Of course, this can also come down to budget as well, so if you’re looking to save cash you could look at different services instead.
If you confess to being an internet addict of sorts, downloading large quantities of data, streaming films, playing online games and using multiple devices, a fibre optic connection would make sense. Also, if you work from home and rely on your internet connection for a living, a fibre optic connection is a no-brainer.
But, if you only occasionally use the net for emails and the odd bit of online shopping, then a fibre optic connection could prove a rather expensive novelty. So, it really comes down to whether you use your home internet connection enough to warrant paying a higher price for a higher speed.
Where can I get it?
Fibre optic broadband isn’t covering the New Zealand as a whole just yet. Whilst many major cities and towns do boast connectivity with the technology, less populated areas are still being left out in the cold.
This can obviously be a major issue if you work or live in one of these areas, but thankfully the catchment area for the service is growing. So if you don’t have the service available just yet, you should be getting it sometime in the future, obviously depending on how fast internet service providers decide to act.
From the inexpensive DSL to popular cable, there’s an Internet option for any user’s preference. One of the newer and lesser known options is fiber Internet. Instead of running through a phone line or cable cord, fiber-optic Internet data is carried by light through glass fiber cables as thin as a human hair. Information can travel at lightning fast speeds over long distances, resulting in a high-speed connection.
For those interested in fiber Internet, this article will provide a more in-depth look at fiber services and explore offerings from some of the bigger providers in the industry.
The Benefits of Fiber Internet
Fibre optic broadband isn’t covering the New Zealand as a whole just yet. Whilst many major cities and towns do boast connectivity with the technology, less populated areas are still being left out in the cold.
This can obviously be a major issue if you work or live in one of these areas, but thankfully the catchment area for the service is growing. So if you don’t have the service available just yet, you should be getting it sometime in the future, obviously depending on how fast internet service providers decide to act.
From the inexpensive DSL to popular cable, there’s an Internet option for any user’s preference. One of the newer and lesser known options is fiber Internet. Instead of running through a phone line or cable cord, fiber-optic Internet data is carried by light through glass fiber cables as thin as a human hair. Information can travel at lightning fast speeds over long distances, resulting in a high-speed connection.
For those interested in fiber Internet, this article will provide a more in-depth look at fiber services and explore offerings from some of the bigger providers in the industry.
NBN 50 (Standard Plus): The great all rounder
Download speeds
- Up to 50Mbps
- Around 30Mbps during peak hours
- Up to 20Mbps
Upload speeds
NBN 50 (or Standard Plus Evening Speed) plans are your best bang for buck option when it comes to the NBN. They’re a significant speed upgrade over most ADSL connections, and as of late, have become a lot more affordable. Thanks to big changes in wholesale prices, many ISPs have completely axed slower NBN 12 plans in favour of NBN 25 options.
What this means is you’ll often be faced with the choice of NBN 12, NBN 50, and NBN 100. NBN 12 gives you roughly the same speeds as ADSL, while NBN 100 still comes with a hefty premium. This makes NBN 50 the sweet spot.
An NBN 50 plan will ensure everyone in your household is able to partake in their favourite online activities whether it’s streaming movies and music, online gaming, sharing memes and photos, or video calling with overseas friends and family.
When multiple family members are connected to your Wi-Fi at the same time, they are using the available capacity of your NBN service, known as its bandwidth. NBN 50 plans generally have enough bandwidth to support a family of four.
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