Families fed up with broadband dropouts
INTERNET dropouts and slow speeds are a massive source of frustration for Australians surfing the web.
Almost three- quarters of the National Broadband Network is built, with more than four million homes and businesses connected.
However, there have been many reports of household hiccups over speed and connections.
Father- of- two Paul Rilstone has fixed broadband and is fed up. “The quality is one of our biggest bugbears, when the kids come home from school and they put Netflix on it’s terrible quality,” he said.
“It’s frustrating, we are a family that is out quite a lot so we have to use mobile data and we are not fully using the broadband services we have at home.”
Each month they pay $ 100 for 250GB home broadband and they have several mobile plans including a $ 75 3GB plan and a $ 10 1GB plan.
The family is often stung by excess data charges and has considered switching to wireless broadband, which is delivered over the 4G network instead of a fixed line such as NBN or ADSL.
Telco provider OVO’s chief executive officer, Matt Jones, said increasing internet frustrations often resulted in Australians switching off home internet and relying on their phone’s internet instead.
“You often find it’s faster to disconnect from your home wi- fi and just use your 4G connection,” he said.
“Speeds on mobile range from 50 to 100 mbps and the speeds on ADSL are often around 20 to 30 mbps.”
Mr Jones said wireless broadband deals had become cheaper – OVO’s biggest plan is 250GB per month for $ 99.
“The average household uses about 210GB per month,” he said.
And with 5G just around the corner – the first services are expected to go live next year – Australians should expect to receive faster wireless internet services and more reliable video streaming.
Telco comparison website WhistleOut’s spokesman, Joseph Hanlon, said people should weigh up their options before switching or signing up to home data plans.