UPDATE If you're switching to broadband for the first time or contemplating changing your Internet Service Provider, the range of plans on offer can be quite staggering. This guide will break down the key features you need to consider before signing on the dotted line.
Plan types
ISPs typically delineate their broadband plans across a couple of different choices. First of all, the technology involved - at the time of writing, plain ADSL offered the cheapest broadband, followed by cable, and then wireless and satellite, although exact pricing will depend on which plan you opt for. Plans with faster theoretical speeds - especially for downloading - will typically cost you more. ISPs state the speed of plans in terms of download (data coming to you) and upload (that's data you're sending out) speeds. So a 256/64kbps plan offers a download speed of 256kbps and an upload speed of 64kbps. 256kbps is the lowest speed that anyone currently offers and still calls "broadband", although frankly it's an embarrassment in world broadband terms. We'd be happier thinking of broadband starting at 1000kbps and better, and so should you.
Budget plans - Typically those costing AU$30 a month or less. These typically offer only 256kbps speeds, and very limited data - you'll be lucky to get more than 1GB or more.
Mid-range - Typically costing between AU$30-$60. This price range gives you a lot of flexibility, with plans between 256kbps and 24Mbit (ADSL2 only) and data anywhere between 1GB and 40GB.
"Unlimited" - Outside certain unmetered business plans, be wary of "unlimited" plans - they often don't limit how much you can download, but either cap your speed (usually to just above dial-up) after a certain limit is reached, or they poll all the ISPs users and cap the highest users.
User types
Clearly, the amount you can spend will shape what kind of broadband account you can get, but it's not as simple as just plugging in as much money as you can afford and hoping for the best result. It's just as important to work out what kind of user you are, and work backwards from there to determine which services really matter to you.
If you're a:
Web surfer - Go for a light (256/512kbps) plan. The most important thing for you isn't necessarily speed, or even data usage - it's the always-on nature of broadband.
VoIP user - Go for a mid-range plan, preferably high-speed. If your broadband's being used for lots of other things at the same time as you're making a VoIP call, you'll suffer from dropouts and poor voice quality on a low-speed line.
Family user - Get a mid-range plan - you'll have plenty of users to satisfy - with either a capped download rate or shaped plan, so you don't suddenly get any nasty additional download bills.
Gamer - Go for as high-speed a plan as you can afford. Low speed (and high latency) will kill you in gaming far faster than your opponents will.
Heavy Downloader - Go for a high-data plan - possibly even an "unlimited" plan. ADSL2+ is preferable, but you're better off with a slower plan with big data allowance than a plan where you'll rip through all your data in a matter of minutes.
Understanding broadband technologies
ADSL - Uses phone lines to deliver broadband access. ADSL tops out at 8MBps, while ADSL2 (available in limited areas) can reach 24MBps.
Cable - Uses the cable infrastructure laid down for Pay TV in the early 1990s. Currently very limited areas can get cable, and speeds top out at a theoretical 17MBps.
Satellite - Uses either a combination satellite and phone line or two-way satellite for broadband access. Typically Satellite isn't very fast or suitable for high bandwidth applications such as VOIP or gaming, but may be the only option for remote areas.
Wireless - Available using a number of technologies, including the proprietary systems used by Unwired and Telstra's Next-G network. Wireless Broadband is still comparatively slow, but newer technologies such as WiMax point to a future where all broadband is wireless broadband.
All forms of broadband will require additional equipment if you're moving up from dial-up Internet. In every case you'll need a new modem - different for each type of broadband technology. If you're signing up with an ISP for a long term contract, it's worth checking if they'll include a modem (or router) as part of the package. While these aren't terribly expensive for the most part, you may as well get the most value possible.
Bundling
Many ISPs offer bundles of services to go along with broadband provision. In the case of Optus and Telstra, these include Pay-TV, mobile phone and landline bundling; for almost everyone else they're usually just landline-based. It's worth doing some careful budgeting before committing to a bundle; while most ISPs will either lower their broadband prices (or up data/speed limits), the prices for landline provision aren't always that competitive and often the contracts can be very long indeed. At the same time, if you're opting for ADSL broadband, you're still going to be in a position where you need a phone line for connection purposes, so bundling can work in your favour.
Additional services
ISPs vary quite widely in terms of the additional services they'll give you as part of your broadband offering. At least one email address is a given, but family users may wish to make sure you get at least five to cover everybody. Likewise, many will offer a small amount of web hosting space, but may charge extra setup fees if you need help configuring a web page or require additional web services for your page. Some may bundle anti-virus/anti-spyware services as part of the package and all should do some form of spam filtering, although the efficiency with which they do this can vary quite widely.
Watch out!
There are also some things that ISPs don't talk about much, but are worth considering when choosing your ISP. Check the terms and conditions carefully for any additional charges - one ISP's T&C document we read recently charged AU$15 for sending out paper invoices, for example. Also check if your ISP supports "rapid transfer" (sometimes also called churning) from other broadband ISPs (for ADSL users only), as this will allow you to more quickly change to or from an ISP when your contract is up. Check if your ISP charges for uploaded data - Telstra's most notably guilty of this kind of double dipping - as it'll eat up your data provision more quickly.
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DAT
17/08/2004 10:23 AM
Thanks. This was mostly helpful.
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simon
25/03/2005 11:12 AM
i stumbled into zdnet.au after i'd already changed isp's ! but its nice to know that i made a good choice and i would have been surer had i read all this stuff before. can i have an iibroadband2 dslam in my exchange now please?
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lulu
15/06/2007 03:40 PM
This matter is never mentioned. A user of a satelite, the provider I am with has tech assistants who are Australian. So there is never a misunderstanding. Other companies use overseas personnel who think they speak English but do not.
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desdor65@bigpond.net.au
27/06/2007 09:46 PM
Thank you, very informative and most helpful
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Ju
17/07/2007 02:28 AM
Excellent article
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ecornhill
17/07/2007 03:20 PM
Than you it has been very informative, I will consult the site further
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gynron
04/10/2007 07:43 AM
hey thanks really helpful I have a better idea of what to look for
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san20
04/10/2007 05:43 PM
very helpful and nice article explore almost every thing for me...
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Meoe
22/11/2007 03:17 PM
A great budget plan is from Mysoul for $30 a month and Unlimited Downloads and Uploads, but it is only 256kbps, check it out
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imsida
30/11/2007 08:33 PM
Thank you for this informative report on broadband it has given me a better idea what to look for in a plan. Thanks for the watch out section, typical of Telstra to double dip they have to be one of the worst telephone and internet companies I have ever known. They should look up what the word ethics in business means. Thank you once again for your article.
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crowwillcrow
17/01/2008 06:03 PM
Watch out for other charges. I recently changed isp they told me the cost which sounded good then when they were reading my agreement their was another $119 they hadnt told me about.
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crowwillcrow
24/01/2008 05:05 PM
When changing to soul expect delays. After several unsuccessful attempts at connecting to net rang my isp was told soul took over my account 2 days ago, which was odd considering it was working fine day be4. Rang soul got put on hold for 30 mins then told they would ring me back. In the meantime I got my connection up & running without any help. Still waiting for cd & modem (which I have to pay for) & ph call from soul none of which is needed anymore. They mite b cheap but they are SLOW.....in everyway!
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kipriyanka
29/07/2008 07:11 AM
You are bridging the gap between cuatomers and ISP'S, great effort, thank you so much
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