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It can be very tricky to accurately calculate how much data you will need to use. The below list gives an estimate of the amount of data used per hour for some of the most common internet uses and can be used to give you a guide of how much data your home or small business uses:

• Streaming services for movies and shows - approx 1GB per hour (up to 7 GB per hour for 4K)
• Music streaming services - approx 120 MB per hour
• Working from home - up to 20 GB per file download
• Social Media - approx 180 MB per hour
• Voice and Video calls - approx 36 MB per hour

If you have opted for a capped data plan and you exceed your data limit, there are several things that might happen. You need to review your plan to see what applies to you.

• Excess data fee: you will be charged a pre-agreed amount for every MB or GB you exceed your limit by.
• Slow down: after you exceed your limit your internet speed will slow down to a minimum, pre-agreed speed, but you won’t be charged anything.
• Connection outage: if you exceed your data cap, your internet may be cut off until the next billing cycle starts.

The number of devices you can connect depends on two things: your internet speed and the capability of your modem.

Faster internet speeds can handle more demand from multiple devices at once, with no noticeable effect on performance, whereas slower speeds may struggle or freeze when multiple users try to access the internet at the same time. If you have multiple people living in your home, or you are comparing the cheapest NBN plans for your small business, this is an important consideration.

The older your modem, the more likely it is to cause issues when multiple devices connect at once. The technology used in modems has advanced greatly to keep up with the growing internet needs of the population, so updating your modem might be necessary if you plan to have multiple devices connected to your NBN connection at the same time.

• Conflicts in government
• Difficult terrain (ie: desert, dense bushland etc that make it harder)
• Natural disasters like the bushfires of 2020 that damaged a lot of infrastructure
• COVID-19

Broadband is a wide term used to describe many different types of internet connections. NBN stands for the National Broadband Network - it is a specific type of high-speed broadband that is being rolled out across Australia.

The types of broadband available are:

• ADSL broadband: An Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) internet connection uses your telephone line for the internet connection.
• AADSL/2+ broadband: An Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line 2+ (ADSL2+) internet connection is the upgraded, faster version of ADSL. ADSL/2+ can reach speeds of 12Mbps, compared to 8Mbps for ADSL.
• Naked DSL broadband: As with ADSL and ADSL/2+, Naked DSL uses your telephone line, but removes the ability to make or receive calls. This can save you money if you don’t use your home phone anymore.
• Fibre-optic cable broadband: Provides a faster internet connection than the ADSL copper lines by using glass and/or plastic cables instead.
• Mobile broadband: Uses transmitters and receivers used by the mobile phone network to provide wireless, fast internet via a mobile phone or portable modem such as 3G, 4G or 5G.
• Cable internet: Uses a combination of fibre and coaxial cables to connect you to the internet and Pay TV services. Cable internet isn’t available everywhere in Australia. Call us to find out if it is an option for your home.
• NBN (National Broadband Network): The NBN is replacing copper wires and cable broadband with optical fibre and other technologies to deliver more reliable, faster internet. You can read all about the different types of NBN here.

Choosing the right type of broadband for your home or small business will depend on the connection type available in your area, as well as your speed requirement, data usage habits and budget.