As technology becomes part of everyday life and home design, more devices and activities are sharing the home internet connection.
asserted
devices → become → connection
Some are easy to spot.
asserted
Some → spot → ?
One parent is on a video call, another is working online from the backyard office, and the kids are gaming or streaming.
asserted
kids → work → office
Then there are devices you may not think about.
uncertain
you → be → ?
Smart air conditioning, garden irrigation, outdoor lighting, smart garage doors and electric vehicle charging can all be connected and working quietly in the background.
asserted
conditioning → connect → background
That picture is becoming more common, and households may have more connected devices than they realise.
uncertain
they → become → devices
The average broadband household now has 25 connected devices, more than triple the average of seven in 2013.
asserted
household → have → 2013
That number is predicted to reach 45 by 2030, according to Omdia’s Fibre Development Index Analysis.
uncertain
number → predict → Analysis
Kristy and Marcus count over 120 connected devices in their home.
asserted
Kristy → count → home
Both work in hybrid jobs; their daughters, 11 and 13, are online for school, work, entertainment and near-daily video calls to friends and their grandmother in England.
asserted
daughters → work → England
Not that all 120, and counting, are awake at once.
asserted
120 → count → ?
Most stay on standby until something needs them: the cameras kick in when someone walks up the path, the lights switch on when the sun goes down, the car charges when electricity is cheaper.
asserted
electricity → stay → path
Yet, their nbn® connection supports their devices, tasks and schedules around the clock.
asserted
connection → support → clock
They do have one test before buying any new smart technology: would they use it every day?
asserted
they → have → it
“A smart home isn’t about having lots of gadgets,” says Kristy.
asserted
Kristy → have → gadgets
“It’s the things that make family life easier, like smart lights, a doorbell camera or a smart lock.
asserted
life → ’ → lights
It becomes part of the house.”
asserted
It → become → house
The goal is not to make the technology the focus, but to help everyday life run more smoothly.
asserted
life → make → ?
How can smart devices make daily life easier?
asserted
life → make → ?
Security, energy efficiency and safety also help.
asserted
Security → help → ?
Security cameras tell the family when a parcel has arrived, or when someone is at the door.
asserted
someone → tell → door
A fingerprint lock on the garden studio means they no longer walk up from the house, tea in hand, to find they’ve left the key behind.
asserted
they → mean → key
A smart speaker can broadcast “dinner’s ready” throughout the house.
asserted
dinner → broadcast → house
Smart lighting has made the biggest everyday difference, Marcus says.
asserted
Marcus → make → difference
What began with a single $10 smart bulb expanded over several years to every light in the house.
asserted
began → begin → house
After dinner, one press switches off the kitchen lights, dims the dining room and brings up softer lighting.
asserted
press → switch → lighting
The family can also choose brighter settings for video calls or adjust the mood before bed.
asserted
family → choose → bed
What affects Wi-Fi performance at home?
asserted
What → affect → home
As more devices operate at the same time, the home internet setup behind them becomes more important.
asserted
setup → operate → them
A smart light may use little data on its own.
uncertain
light → use → own
But when many devices connect to the Wi-Fi router at once, the demand can quickly build.
asserted
demand → connect → router
The scale of that change is clear in how much data households now use.
asserted
households → use → data
Average monthly household downloads on the nbn network rose from 39.5GB in 2013 to about 574GB in 2026, more than 14 times as much, according to nbn.
uncertain
downloads → rise → nbn
That growth makes it worth checking whether your internet plan and Wi-Fi router still suit the way you use the internet today.
asserted
you → make → internet
As of 30 June 2026, 37 per cent of services on the nbn network were on plans offering speeds of 500Mbps or above, but the speed arriving at your house is only part of the story.
asserted
speed → offer → story
If your Wi-Fi router came with a plan five years ago, ask your provider whether it still suits what you’re paying for, supports the number of devices in your home and continues to receive security updates.
asserted
you → come → updates
Some older Wi-Fi routers cap Wi-Fi at 100Mbps, even when the connection supports higher speeds.
asserted
connection → cap → speeds
They may also be less able to manage many connected devices and data-heavy activities at the same time.
uncertain
They → manage → time
Your plan, your Wi-Fi router, where it sits, and the size and construction of your home all shape what speed each device actually gets.
asserted
device → sit → speed
Marcus and Kristy have an nbn Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connection and a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system to help extend their internet coverage around the home.
asserted
Marcus → have → home
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
