While 2020 may forever be known as the year of working from home, for inner Sydney resident Luke Donkin, it was a case of ‘business as usual’.

Having worked from home for the past five years – the last year-and-a-half at the Potts Point apartment he shares with his partner Tom – access to a fast and reliable* internet connection was non-negotiable.

“When we were looking for a new apartment, one of the main drawcards was internet connection,” says Luke.

Little did they know that, in the not-too-distant future when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Tom would also come to rely on their nbn™ connectivity as he took to working full-time from home.

“For us both to be able to continue working for our businesses,” says Luke, “we needed to have that fast and reliable connection”.

Connected devices

And it’s not merely having any old internet connection that’s important for Luke and Tom.

With more than 30 connected devices at their place, it was also about choosing the right speed plan via their phone and internet provider to meet their needs.*

On one side, being able to meet their business objectives was critical to the tech-savvy pair – but so too was being able to keep their house connected in the way they want.  

“We’re very much a ‘connected devices’ household,” says Luke.

“Our TV is 100 per cent streamed, and everything that can be is connected to and controlled by our phones – lights, music, things like that.

“It sounds like a small thing but it’s nice to be able to turn them on when we’re on our way home and know that everything will be ready and working when we get in.”

Through their phone and internet provider, Luke and Tom chose a retail plan powered by nbn™.

“If I’m watching sport downstairs on TV and Tom wants to watch something up here on Netflix, it means we can stream without interruption, without buffering and it really means that we’re getting the most bang for our buck out of the lifestyle we want to live from the connected home that we live in.” *  

Connecting loved ones

And while connectivity has certainly been a benefit to Luke and Tom for both work and downtime, it’s also helped them bridge that unavoidable COVID-19 divide.

“My partner’s English and being able to stay in touch with nieces, nephews, cousins, grandparents… has been incredible,” says Luke.

“Being able to talk to these people on a regular basis, face-to-face, has brought a lot of comfort over what has been quite a challenging time.”

It’s been during this challenging time that a further benefit has emerged for Luke.

“Not only has the nbn™ [network] allowed me to really focus [on] my business and make sure that I could keep working, it has really helped our friends with small businesses from around our community.”  

Their digital transformation phase, says Luke, has been supported by the nbn’s fast network, and allows the couple to “spend money with them so that we feel we’re really driving back to their businesses and our wider community.”

So, what does the future hold for Luke and Tom?

More connected devices? Maybe.

Further embracing their home connectivity? Very likely.

“I definitely think this experience has changed the way we’ll work and use the internet, even after the pandemic.

“We intend to keep our home as our main base for business moving forward. These changes have been enabled because we have the infrastructure – that’s what’s made it into a reality, not just a dream.”