Does your family have internet access at home? According to Australian government statistics, 97% of households with children under the age of fifteen were connected in 2017. That’s a whole lot of streaming shows, playing video games, and browsing for homework help!

However, it is highly likely that most of these families subscribe to a shared internet plan. This means that all of the devices in the household utilise the same wireless internet connection versus having a dedicated one for each device.

Why is this so popular? Here are three benefits of shared internet, plus the biggest mistake to avoid.

Benefit #1: Lower cost and a shared bill
If you’re looking to save money, the most beneficial aspect of a shared internet plan is the lower cost. Think about it for a second. What if you had an internet bill for your laptop? Then another one for your tablet? And then yet another for your son’s game console? Those figures would add up quickly and your bank account probably wouldn’t be too pleased.

A shared internet plan brings the connection to the house and is disbursed between all of your devices when you want to use them. This translates to a much lower single bill instead of several high ones.

Benefit #2: No need to remember multiple passwords
Another great reason to consider a shared family plan is that there’s no need to remember multiple passwords. Since you are using the same connection across a multitude of devices, there’s never that annoying moment where you’re trying to put in the wireless password for your game console into your laptop. It’s all one streamlined, easy-to-use network.

Benefit #3: More than one person can connect at once ​
Remember the old days when there was only one telephone line in the house and everyone had to wait their turn? Thank goodness, that’s over! A shared internet connection means everyone in your household can get online with their preferred device at the same time. No waiting, begging or arguing over who gets to use their device when.

Cool, right? It gets even better. Shared internet also allows you to use two devices at once. Consider browsing your favourite social media sites while streaming music on your tablet – all at the same time!

The biggest mistake to avoid

Perhaps the biggest mistake to avoid when purchasing shared internet for your home is not choosing a plan that meets the data needs of your family or roommates. For example, if it is just you and your significant other living in the home then a smaller 12Mbps/1Mbps plan speed is probably sufficient.

But if you have a house full of kids, teens, and adults who enjoy browsing, streaming, and gaming, then you’ll want speeds of 50 Mbps or more. Work from home? There’s even a 100 Mbps plan for those who need their internet working lightning fast from sunrise to sunset.

Trust us, you don’t want to have an issue when the littlest member of your family is upset because their favourite cartoon won’t stream correctly or your Netflix date night is interrupted because of slow speeds!

Wrapping up

If you didn’t already know, MATE offers three fantastic shared internet plans for your family to enjoy. We also have a range of bundles that allow you to add a VOIP telephone plan, making it even easier to stay connected with the people you love with a single low monthly bill.

Ready to get your family connected with a shared internet plan? Click here to try MATE today!