Australians are facing a big decision. Should we stay with the current National Broadband Network (NBN) setup – or is 5G the new way forward? Both systems have their own list of advantages, so it is important to take a look at what each one offers:

National Broadband Network (NBN):

• Decent Speed – The NBN provides connections that are several times faster than the world’s average internet setup. It provides fiber optic solutions to its clients with guaranteed speeds of at least 25 mbps when connected to the FTTN (fibre-to-the-node).
• Variety – The NBN offers many different options, making versatility one of its strong suits. Whether you need it for work or for home, you can scale the types of services applied for according to your needs.
• Stability – With the ongoing pandemic lurking in the background, reliability is something we all need right now. NBN connections are generated directly from the NBN satellite, which means that it is among the most dependable options out there.
• Seamless Streaming Capability – Conditions due to the pandemic have given rise to a surging remote work reality, as industries all across the world turn to streaming technologies that allow people to connect online. The NBN is well-known for their top notch ability to provide a seamless quality of streaming, making it a sensible choice for people interested in serious collaboration over the Internet.

5G:

• Unrivaled Speed – 5G boasts of one of the fastest commercially available speeds today. Clocking in at a whopping 100 mbps minimum download speed per individual user, 5G blows all competition out of the water. Depending on the server and provider, 5G has been known to achieve download speeds of up to 20gbps – simply unheard of in previous technologies.
• Improved Latency –  The time it takes information to travel from browser, to server, then back again is called “latency”. On 4G networks, latency registered at around 60 milliseconds of “ping” time, considered good by today’s standards. However, 5G aims to obliterate that number, endeavoring to bring latency down to as low as 1 millisecond – bringing us as close as possible to data transmission in real-time.
• Contemporaneous Connectivity – 5G has also announced their effort to improve the ability to manage synchronized devices in specific networks with little to no internet traffic.

The problem with 5G is all the controversy that came with it. Wild conspiracies have emerged about it’s origins, with theories just seemingly coming out of thin air. People fear change, so it is natural that there is some resistance to it. However, 5G stands to revolutionize the Internet, along with modern life as we know it – and it all seems like it’s just a matter of time.

The options sound exciting, right? Sure, but in all honesty, it simply comes down to what you and your business needs. Most people don’t need the massive speed upgrades just yet. Some businesses would thrive with the amazing speeds.

NBN may be inferior to 5G when it comes to connection performance, but it’s stability and reliability have been tried and tested over the years. 5G is a new technology, which means that not all locations are being serviced as of this time. If having a strong, steady connection is important, then perhaps it would be wiser to stick to “ole reliable” NBN, for now at least. But if you just can’t wait to get on that cutting edge speed, then maybe – just maybe – investing in 5G is worth the money and risk in the long run.

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