Hands up if you’re working from home? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. The COVID-19 crisis has forced a third of Australia’s workforce into remote work. While the notion of taking meetings in your pyjamas and ditching the daily commute is appealing, working from home brings its challenges, especially if your internet isn’t up to speed.

If you’ve found yourself struggling with Zoom calls that freeze and slow loading internet it could be time to make the switch to the NBN. With so many of Australia’s 4.3 million remote workers relying on videoconferencing tools and cloud solutions to get their jobs done, a fast connection is vital. This makes NBN the tool of choice for many. 

If you’ve yet to make the switch to NBN, here’s what you need to know

Understanding NBN tiering

Not all NBN is created equal. NBN is a tiered service, so different types of connections get different speeds. You can begin with NBN12 (Basic), and move up to NBN25 (Standard), then NBN50 (Standard Plus) for faster speeds and finally NBN100 (Premium). The number equates to the maximum speed you can achieve on your connection. However, it’s crucial to note connections are ‘best effort’ and speeds are not guaranteed. So you will find that even though your speed is 25Mbps, at certain times you only get 14Mbps.

What about NBN speed?

To get the best idea of the speed you’ll achieve on an NBN service, take a look at the Typical Evening Speed, not the theoretical maximum. Typical Evening Speed is an estimate of the actual speed you’ll experience during peak usage periods. So pay attention to this figure.

Remember NBN speeds also have an upload and download component. A higher upload speed is nice to have, but not essential unless your job requires regularly sending large files. For most people working from home, a higher download speed will make the most significant difference to their experience.

The nitty-gritty

If you’re running a home office, NBN 12 (Basic) is unlikely to cut it. While this is the most cost-effective option, this NBN speed tier provides about the same performance as an ADSL connection so you’ll see little improvement from your current connection.

NBN25 (Standard) is a cost-effective choice, suitable for many remote workers. It’s a good choice if you don’t need to video conference or send large files. However, if you make regular calls, or share your connection with a family, opt for the higher download speeds from NBN50 (Standard Plus). 

If you’re a Zoom warrior and spend a lot of time sending large files and making VOIP calls, NBN100 (Premium) is likely to be your best bet. Especially if you’re sharing your connection with your household and they have a penchant for binge-watching Netflix. However, NBN100 is not available in every region.

Don’t forget

NBN is only part of the connectivity that businesses need. Setup a cloud phone service so you can make any calls to your work number at home, or on your mobile. While NBN is a reliable service, occasionally things can go wrong, so consider adding a mobile backup service to your NBN. This means if your home internet drops out, due to storms or that pesky neighbour cutting a fibre optic cable, you can keep working without interruption.

This article is brought to you by Connexus, making telco and technology simple for small business. Find out more about Connexus NBN here.