Some people may think that NBN in a rental property may be quite inconvenient because what happens when you need to move out already? Fortunately, there are various tips and tricks, first, to find out whether your building has NBN, and second, to ensure that you are getting the right internet connection suitable for your needs and preferences as a tenant, or even as a new homeowner before you move in.

Check with the Landlord or Developer

One of the primary things that you can do is to check with your landlord or developer about the status of NBN in your building. Most of the time, they are more than happy to share this information with you as it is something that would be relevant to your tenancy agreement. If they do not know, they may be able to direct you to someone who does, such as the building manager or the body corporate.

Search Online

Another thing that you can do is to check online whether there is any information about your building and NBN. A simple search query of “[name of your building] + NBN” should give you a pretty good idea. You can also try searching for your street name or suburb to get a wider view.

Check the NBN Coverage Map

If you want to be sure, you can check the NBN Coverage Map on the official website. All you need to do is enter your address and it will show you whether your building is serviceable by NBN or not. This is probably the most foolproof method as it comes straight from the source.

Renters: Things to consider in getting an NBN plan

Apart from knowing whether NBN is available in your building before moving in, there are some things that you need to consider, particularly when it comes to getting an NBN plan.

• Location

One of the first things that you need to think about is your location. Where you intend to move or rent will most likely affect the internet connection that you will be able to apply for. Say, for example, you will move into the city center, the chances are that you will be able to get a fast connection like NBN 100. But if you move further away from the city, the speed may be reduced to NBN 50 or even 25. In addition to this, if you will be moving to a rural area where a fixed-line internet connection technology is not yet available, your choices may only be limited to NBN 12 or even lower.

• Type of connection

The type of NBN connection available in your area will also affect your decision. For instance, if you are moving to an area where the FTTN (fiber to the node) technology is used, you will need a VDSL modem that may not be compatible with your current router. On the other hand, if you are moving to an area where the FTTP (fiber to the premises) technology is used, then you will need a different type of router that can support PPPoE authentication.

• Type of property

Another thing that you need to take into consideration is the type of property that you will be living in. If you are moving into an apartment or a unit, the chances are that you will be sharing the connection with your neighbors. This means that your connection may not be as fast and reliable as you want it to be. On the other hand, if you are moving into a house, then you will most likely have your connection which would give you more flexibility and speeds.

• Contract term

As a renter, one of the things that you need to consider is the contract term. Most of the time, NBN plans offered by ISPs would require you to sign up for a minimum of 12 months or more. This means that if you are planning to move out within that period, you may be required to pay an early termination fee. Fortunately, there are already various NBN plans offered by different providers featuring a no-contract term. Just keep in mind that more often than not, the price of these plans is slightly higher than those with a fixed contract.

• Cost

Of course, another thing that you need to take into account is the cost. The price of an NBN plan can start from as low as $29.90 per month and can go up to as high as $239.00 per month, depending on your needs. So, before you make any decisions, you should sit down and figure out what type of plan would be the most suitable for you and your family’s needs.

The Bottomline

There you have it! The tips listed above are some of the simple ways that you can find out whether your building has NBN or not. Once you know that, then you can start looking into the different internet plans available to you and see which one would be the best fit for your needs. Happy hunting.