With the NBN rollout now thoroughly underway, the benefits are beginning to emerge for businesses, our education system and quite simply for us as well.
It may be a while before small businesses notice the full effect of the NBN network’s capabilities, but this doesn’t mean that the initial advantages should be overlooked. This is especially true for those areas, such as Tasmania, where the roll out has been tested, and is now reaching businesses that were considered to be in a relative ‘black hole’ for internet services.
If you are looking to make the change to the NBN network, then have a look at the NBN Coverage Map so that you can have an idea as to when you will be able to access the services.
Here are some of the initial observations and some mid to long term predictions for the nation’s small business users.
Pricing Policies
Now that the roll out has reached approximately 50,000 homes, businesses and local government sites, the pricing options for its business grade broadband users have been updated and become much more attainable.
The NBN Co recently unveiled their wholesale pricing options that include a huge range of options to suit the majority of businesses’ needs. The projected prices start from approximately $100 per month for the basic packages, which can then be added in order to suit your business needs. This can be anything from variety in download speeds to looking at the specific devices your company uses.
Technical Support For Small Businesses
As with any business, your internet needs are very personal to you. You may own a social media company that knows all the ins and outs of the internet or you could just be starting your business in the online world. Either way, so far the NBN network has been beneficial to all. This is in part due to the amount of add-ons you can include and the high level of technical support helping with everything from finding a provider through to FAQ’s.
Access to the support has also helped a lot more businesses flourish, especially when some companies are working at hours different from the assumed Monday to Friday working patter – the technical support from NBN Co operate 7 days a week until 9pm.
High Speed Brings New Customers
Keeping up to date with how businesses are benefitting from the NBN installation is made easier by the fact that the company is continually adding case studies to their site. All but one of their current business case studies mentions how the simple faster speed has added to their business. One business owner, of Workforce BluePrint, has reported that within the first 3 months the company saw an uplift in new customers of 25%, which is purely down to a fast, reliable internet speed, something they did not previously have!
Another point to reference here is the networking opportunities that having a reliable high speed internet connection brings. Once the initial period after installation is over and the roll out is complete, the chance to meet with clients and other business owners using virtual software will be much easier, leading to a more connected country.
The Benefits for Our Clients/Customers
The major benefit that is already being noticed is the ease of connectivity.With many individuals also having the network in place, the speed at which we can communicate and gain information has never been faster, something also noticed in our education establishments.
With more small businesses now turning to Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, getting brand names and products out to a wide audience has never been faster. The reliability of the NBN network means that we can conduct our business in a slightly different manner. This has been seen through more ecommerce sites emerging and companies engaging with clients over Skype or similar virtual software. It is a new way of communicating, blending our traditional methods like phone calls, with our new high speed world.
