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Optus has cut the price of its 4G home wireless internet plans, bringing them down to just $59 per month. The discount lasts for the life of your plan and makes them fairly attractive for anyone struggling with a subpar NBN connection.
Optus’s 4G home wireless plans are available month-to-month on a 24-month contract. If you opt for the contract-free option, you’ll pay a $216 modem fee on sign-up. Either way, you’ll get a 500GB download allowance.
Here are Optus’ 4G home wireless plans:
For those not familiar with the concept, 4G home wireless is an NBN alternative powered by the same mobile networks as our phones. You get a plug-in modem that requires mains power rather than a portable WiFi hotspot, but it’s an internet solution that works straight out of the box. You don’t need a technician to install it.
Optus 4G home wireless runs at uncapped 4G speeds, but this will depend on coverage in your area and congestion. When testing it, we’ve seen speeds between 20Mbps and 50Mbps.
Here is how Optus’ 4G home wireless broadband plans compare to the competition:
SpinTel is the cheapest 4G home wireless broadband provider at $49.95, but you only get a 200GB allowance. The modem fee is also slightly more expensive, at $230 upfront.
TPG will do unlimited 4G home wireless internet for $54.99 per month. The catch is your download speeds are limited to 20Mbps, making it a little slower than an NBN 25 connection. You’ll get your first month free, and if you leave, you can simply return your modem rather than paying a fee.
The same is true for iiNet, Internode, and Vodafone 4G home wireless internet, although those three providers are $5 per month more expensive than TPG’s plan. Vodafone is still worth considering if you’re an existing mobile customer, as you’ll save $10 per month on your 4G home internet service.
If you’re looking for an NBN alternative and you’re lucky enough to be in a 5G coverage area, 5G home internet represents a faster option. Here are the cheapest 5G home internet plans around:
TPG is the cheapest option on the Vodafone network, at $69.99 per month. This plan is capped to speeds of 100Mbps and has unlimited data. You can get your first month free. Vodafone hasn’t provided any meaningful figures about the size of its 5G network.
Optus charges $79 per month for its cheapest plan, which again, is capped to a speed of 100Mbps and comes with your first month free. Optus’ 5G network covers 1.2 million addresses.
Telstra’s sole 5G home internet plan will set you back $85 per month and has a 1TB download allowance. You can also get your first month free. Telstra’s 5G network covers over 75% of the population.
With almost every 5G home internet plan, you can simply cancel your plan and return your modem if it isn’t right for you. If you do so, you won’t pay a cent to leave.
Optus is the only exception, where you’ll get hit with a costly exit fee if you cancel within your first 36 months. This fee is equivalent to $16 for each month left in your three-year term, up to a maximum of $576. The only way you can get out of paying this fee is if you’re experiencing speeds under 50Mbps and Optus can’t help you improve them.
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOutAustralia’s phone and internet comparison website.
