With school holidays, mid-semester break and general Easter leave, I’m sure many of us are mainlining Netflix right now. I sure am. A Netflix binge is however one of the more demanding activities you can inflict on your connection, especially when you’re only getting up for more snacks.
If you’re not confident in your internet, you may want a beefier plan to avoid slowly descending into buffering induced madness.
In the most recent Measuring Broadband Report, the ACCC looked at how different NBN speed tiers performed during busy hours, when attempting to stream high definition and 4K video. The good news is that every speed tier for NBN 25 up should be able to maintain a single 4K ultra high definition stream, but it gets trickier if anyone else wants to stream something else at the same time.
This data comes from a month-long testing period during December 2021 across 1,266 NBN connections. It includes underperforming and impaired services.
NBN 25 plans
The ACCC found that 100 per cent of NBN 25 plan users could comfortably support one 4K stream, but only 79.6 per cent of plans could support two streams. 0 per cent of NBN 25 users were able to manage three simultaneous 4K streams. For a one person household, an NBN 25 plan should be more than fine for all your streaming needs.
Here’s a selection of popular NBN 25 plans:
NBN 50 plans
When it comes to NBN 50, the ACCC found that 99.7 per cent of users were able to stream one 4K stream. While that’s lower than what it found for NBN 25, this is likely due to underperforming or impaired services.
97.3 per cent of NBN 50 users were able to achieve two 4K streams, which dropped to 87.1 per cent for three, and 65.4 per cent for four. No NBN 50 users were able to get five simultaneous 4K streams.
In short, NBN 50 is a reliable choice for up to three 4K streams at once.
Here’s a selection of popular NBN 50 plans:
NBN 100 plans
NBN 100 plans naturally have even more streaming potential. 100 per cent of users were able to get two 4K concurrent streams, 99.5 per cent hit three, and 99.67 per cent hit four. Even 71.9 per cent of NBN 100 users were able to get seven concurrent streams. Even on a premium plan, Netflix only allows for four concurrent streams per account, so an NBN 100 plan is easily more than enough, even for a large family or sharehouse of TV fiends.
Here’s a selection of popular NBN 100 plans:
NBN 250 plans
Lastly, the ACCC also looked at NBN 250 plans, and unsurprisingly, they’re complete overkill for streaming. 100 per cent of NBN 250 plans were able to manage six concurrent 4K streams, and even 95.1 per cent were able to manage eight.
NBN 250 plans are only available to FTTP and HFC addresses.
Here’s a selection of popular NBN 250 plans:
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.