Finding an Internet Deal for Your New Home

Connecting to the web is a top priority for everyday Aussies moving into a new home.  

It makes sense, too, as our daily lives are intertwined with the internet in various ways. Jobs must be maintained, online orders must be made, essays must be submitted; the list goes on. Any disruption to your access could prove a significant hassle.  

We don’t want that for you. So, it’s time to discuss your options. Any time you move into a different property, whether it be a new build or otherwise, there are steps you can follow to source a suitable deal. The long and short of it is that once you’ve assessed what type of connection you need, broadband comparison tech (like our Econnex platform) is your new best friend.  

Let’s help make your move a little easier.  

Is Your New Home a New Build? 

If you’re moving to a brand-spanking new property, there are a few extra considerations.  

The required cabling may not yet be in place, as you’d otherwise find with an older building. That means you may need to arrange the laying of fibre optic cables before connecting to an NBN or Opticomm plan.  

If you’re the homeowner, you should consult with your builder and NBN Co. prior to your move-in date to arrange for the installation of the appropriate equipment. At the time of writing, NBN Co. offers a standard installation to pre-existing properties free of charge. However, newly developed properties incur a charge of $300, paid either by the ISP or the customer. Moreover, there may be additional fees depending on the peculiarities of your property or your chosen retailer. 

The sooner you can discuss your internet needs with your builder, the better. They can help you determine the best locations for voice or data points and provide a quote for any additional wiring, allowing for a less stressful process.  

How Many People Are Moving In? 

An internet connection for a new home must match its inhabitants' needs.  

If you’re moving with the same people you lived with previously, then a similar NBN or Opticomm plan to what you had before may still be appropriate. However, if you’re moving with a new group, moving in with a partner, or even going solo, you should reassess your broadband requirements before proceeding with a new home internet deal.  

Every person needs a unique mix of online services and applications to conduct work or stay socially connected. Adding or subtracting a household member will naturally affect net broadband usage, meaning you may need to reassess what type of plan you need. Where previously, an NBN25 plan adequately did the job, you may now need an NBN50 plan to accommodate additional people in your new house, especially if they are regular gamers or streamers.  

Generally, a house of four or more people will require an NBN50 connection or higher. Otherwise, there may be interruptions to your service, frame drops, high ping, stuttering streams, or slow downloads. Of course, a lower tier may be appropriate if everyone in the house leads a minimal online life. It all depends on their usage.  

You can assess the broadband needs of your household with a few simple, fact-finding questions: 

• Do any household members work from home? If so, do they regularly video-conference or upload/download large files? 
• Are there any serious online gamers moving into the new house?  
• Do any of you stream a lot of Netflix (or similar)? 
• Will there be many devices simultaneously connected on a regular basis? 
• Are there any smart home devices, such as a smart fridge, security camera, or thermostat, that require a stable ongoing connection? 

If the answer to any or all of these questions is yes, you may need a higher-capacity internet solution, such as NBN50 or NBN100, to cater to everyone’s needs (especially if you’re all going to be online at the same time).  

If not, perhaps you could get away with a plan with lower download/upload limits, such as an NBN25 plan. Thankfully, most modern plans don’t cap the amount of data you can use over a billing cycle, so you just need to focus on speed.  

Once that’s all determined, the following steps are relatively simple.  

Four Steps for a New Home Internet Deal with Econnex 

With the initial legwork out of the way, let’s discuss the process of identifying an appropriate internet plan for your new home. Once you have determined the NBN or Opticomm plan tier that should suit you and the other inhabitants, comparing the options available from multiple retailers is a breeze… 

• Step 1: Visit Econnex Comparison - We have a range of plans from multiple reputable retailers, allowing you to compare the options at your convenience at no extra cost to you. 
• Step 2: Enter your address - Of course, we want you to only compare plans relevant to your new home. Provide us with the property address and let our tech take care of the rest. You can breathe easy knowing that the plans you compare will all be genuine options for your household.  
• Step 3: Compare the plans - Have a look at the choices provided by our panel of broadband retailers. There may be welcome credits, promotions or perks to consider, so don’t immediately opt for the first plan you see. Take a few minutes to gauge the pros and cons of each option before finalising your decision. We don’t advertise for or promote any particular products on our comparison platform; we just want you to find a plan that works.   
• Step 4: Apply online (at no extra cost) - Once you’ve determined a suitable option, you can submit your application online to the chosen retailer via Econnex in only a few minutes. Confirm your details and the plan you’ve chosen, submit the application, and we’ll make sure it reaches its destination.  

That’s all you need to do to arrange an internet connection for your new home. Do a little groundwork, assess everybody’s (broadband) wants and needs, and jump onto Econnex to complete the job. In little more than five minutes, you could tick this important action off your moving list.  

So, take the initiative and compare broadband plans today for a more seamless move.  

Frequently Asked Questions – New Home Internet Deals 

1. What’s the difference between NBN and Opticomm? The NBN is a government-run program aimed at laying the fibre-optic cabling required for faster internet connections for everyday Australians. Households are typically connected via fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) or fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), depending on the specifics of the property. Opticomm does the same thing in that it lays the necessary cabling to facilitate a broadband connection; the only difference is that it’s a private company, and all connections tend to be FTTP, which is considered superior.  
2. Are there extra charges associated with a new home internet deal? As we’ve previously discussed, the answer is maybe. The NBN Co. will provide a standard installation free of charge for non-new builds, but not all properties are created equal. Extra charges may apply if the property is difficult to access or requires additional infrastructure. Newly built developments will incur a one-off charge of $300, paid by the customer or ISP. Similarly, there may be additional retailer charges if you want to update your equipment, such as a modem or router.  
3. What’s the difference between FTTP and FTTN? Fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) means that the fibre-optic cabling is only laid as far as a central node on your street that services several properties, at which point the pre-existing copper wiring takes over. Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) entails laying the fibre-optic cabling directly to the property, which is considered to produce superior performance. Some suburbs or regions are pre-disposed to catering for one type of connection or another, so which one you’ll get can depend on where you live.