You may have established the fact that you need unlimited broadband service, perhaps because you intend to stream high definition videos frequently or upload a significant amount of data to your cloud server. In this case, not only do you need unlimited bandwidth, but you also need to have a fast internet connection. While there are several providers that can cater to your needs, landing the most suitable plan from any of these providers may prove to be overwhelming. In line with this, below are some of the things that you need to consider in comparing different plans.
Availability in your Area
No matter how great an unlimited broadband plan is, if it is not available in your area, then for sure you won’t be able to acquire its benefits. This is one of the reasons why you need to consider whether providers offering unlimited NBN plans are servicing your area. Thus, the first thing that you need to ask yourself is which of the providers operate in your location. For those who are available, then evaluate whether their connection is weak or strong. In this case, it will help to contact the provider’s hotline or visit their official site to know whether they are offering their services in your locality. You can also visit comparebroadband.com.au to get the information.
Reliability
Another factor that you need to consider in comparing different plans is the reliability of their service. As a subscriber, for sure you would want to have a consistent connection that is seldom disrupted and always available, regardless of the weather condition. Keep in mind that you will be spending monthly for your connection so it is alright to make sure that you get the value of your money by having a stable internet connection. However, unlike speed and cost, the reliability of a provider’s service may prove to be difficult to quantify, such that you may need to exert an extra effort to research this area.
Speed
Unlimited broadband services don’t impose any data cap but it doesn’t follow that you get the same experience in terms of the speed that they offer. Thus, in comparing different providers offering unlimited plans, make sure you take time to explore whether they do offer plans at different speed tiers. For instance, if you are only after a standard speed since you are not really a power internet user, then it will be worthwhile to check whether the provider in your area offers plans in your chosen speed tier. Otherwise, you may end up spending too much for a service that you are unable to fully utilize, or a service that falls short from what you need.
Download and Upload Speed
This is a sub-metric of broadband speed, but one that is highly important. While internet providers do offer various speed tiers, you should look further into the download and upload speed of these tiers. If you’re thinking about streaming, then upload speed is something you should consider more. Upload speed refers to how much information you can send or transfer through to the internet. When you stream, you are essentially sending information to the internet. If you want to stream in high quality, then you will need a higher upload speed.
Download speed, on the other hand, is more straightforward. This is the speed in which you transfer files from the internet and onto your device. Download speed isn’t that important for those that aren’t looking to stream or upload videos and any other kind of content. In most cases, the download speed is much higher than the upload speed with ever ISP.
Price in Relation to Speed
In comparing different unlimited plans, also make a comparison of the different prices that the providers charge for each of their plans. Just keep in mind to compare the prices in relation to the speed they offer because a plan in a higher speed tier will most likely cost more than a plan in a lower speed tier. In this case, it will help to make an apples-to-apples comparison, which means that you need to compare plans within the same speed tiers. But this can be quite subjective as there have been countless examples of a provider offering better price in relation to speed, but ultimately offer a poorer quality product. By this, it is usually referred to downtimes, latency issues, lags, etc.
Initial Fee
There are plans that require a certain upfront sum upon sign-up, while there are also plans that forego these fees. Thus, in comparing different plans, make sure that you don’t only compare the monthly fees that you have to pay, but you also take the time to look into the price that you have to pay once you sign-up.
Lock-in Period
If you are one who is not comfortable in being tied up with a contract, then make sure to compare different plans. For sure, you will be able to find ones that offer unlimited data without holding you back from leaving in case you are no longer happy with their service.
Basic and Bundled Services
There are basic plans that offer plain internet service, while there are also unlimited plans that offer other packages bundled with their internet connection offering.
In conclusion, check the availability of a certain provider offering their services in your area to know whether you will be able to benefit from their plans. Also, consider what current subscribers have to say about the reliability of service that a provider can offer to ensure that you will have an uninterrupted internet connection whenever you need it. Of course, the internet speed, as well as the price that a provider charges in relation to the speed they offer is also a major factor that you need to consider when you are comparing plans.
These, along with the initial fees that you have to pay, the lock-in period that you need to sign up for, as well as the extras that come with your plan will help you compare different providers, helping you decide which one best suits your needs.
