Telstra 5G home internet plans vs. Telstra NBN plans: How do they compare

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 23 February 2022

If you're thinking about a Telstra internet plan, you now have two main options: the tried and true NBN, or the new and shiny 5G home internet. While NBN has been the dominant form of internet connectivity over the last half-decade, 5G home internet presents an alluring new option powered by next-generation mobile networks. To help you decide which is right for you, we'll cover speed, pricing, data, and more.

In this guide:

Speed

Price

Data

Contracts

Modem

Availability

Extras

Which is better?

Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Speed

Telstra reports typical evening speeds of 378Mbps on its 5G home internet plan, but says download speeds can range between 50Mbps and 600Mbps.

When it comes to NBN, Telstra offers plans on every speed tier other than NBN 12. This means you can get an NBN 25, NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250, or NBN 1000 plan from Telstra. In almost every case, Telstra reports the maximum possible typical evening speeds for each plan tier. For example, Telstra reports typical evening speeds of 100Mbps on its NBN 100 plan.

The one exception is its NBN 1000 plan, where Telstra reports typical evening speeds of 700Mbps.

NBN 250 plans are only available to FTTP and HFC addresses. NBN 1000 plans are slightly more limited, and available to all FTTP addresses but 95% of HFC addresses.

Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Price

Provider	Telstra
Speed	Up to 300 Mbps Typical speed ranges: 80-570Mbps (download) and 4-70Mbps (upload)
Data	1000GB
Connection	5G Home Internet
Type	No Contract Term
Total Price	$95 per month Min. total cost $95 for first month
	Link not supplied

Telstra has just a single 5G home internet plan, billed at $85 per month. At time of writing, Telstra will give you your first month of 5G home internet for free.

All Fixed Line nbn®

Basic Internet Only Plan

All Fixed Line nbn®

nbn® 25/4 Mbps
Unlimited Data
Deal: Get 50% off any home nbn plan for 2 months. Add code PROMO at checkout. Ends 05.10.26. T&Cs apply.

$89/mth

Min. cost $44.50

Link not supplied

$89/mth

Min. cost $44.50

Link not supplied

Telstra NBN plans start at $80 per month for NBN 25, and can be as expensive as $180 per month (excluding discounts) if you're after NBN 1000.

Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Data

Telstra's 5G home internet plan has a 1TB data allowance. If you go over this, you'll be capped to download speeds of 25Mbps for the remainder of your billing month. All of Telstra's NBN plans have unlimited data.

Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Contracts

Telstra's 5G home internet plan is genuinely contract-free. If you leave within your first 24 months, you'll just need to return your modem in good working order within 21 days of cancelling your plan. Telstra will provide a prepaid eParcel consignment ID to facilitate the return. If you don't return the modem, Telstra will charge you a non-return fee. This is equivalent to $29 multiplied by the number of months left in your initial two years.

Telstra Upfront NBN plans are also contract-free. Once again, if you leave within your first two years, you can simply return your modem in good working order after cancelling. Otherwise you'll pay a $200 fee.

Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Modem

Telstra's 5G home internet plan comes with an AW1000 modem. This modem requires a constant source of power, has four Ethernet LAN ports, one Ethernet WAN port, a full-size USB port, and dual-band WiFi. It supports WiFi 6.

Note that this modem is geolocked to your address. If you try to use it at a different address to the one you signed up for your plan with, you'll be capped to speeds of 1.5Mbps unless request an address change.

Telstra NBN plans include its third-generation Smart Modem. It has four Ethernet LAN ports, one Ethernet WAN port, a full-size USB port, and dual-band WiFi. It also supports WiFi 6, and is compatible with Telstra's third-generation Smart Wi-Fi Booster if you need to expand your network.

The Smart Modem 3 also has 4G backup in case your NBN carks it. This is capped to speeds of 25Mbps down, and 5Mbps up.

Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Availability

Telstra's 5G network currently covers more than 75% of the population, while over 12 million addresses can get NBN. At this stage of the 5G rollout, far more Australians will be able to get NBN than 5G home internet.

It's also worth noting that Telstra says there's a limit of how many 5G home internet services it will sell per postcode. Even if you have Telstra 5G home coverage, you may not be able to get a 5G home internet plan if your area is oversubscribed.

WhistleOut's coverage checker tool has 5G coverage maps, making it easy to see whether you can get 5G at your location. All you need to do is punch in your address when searching for a new phone plan. After you've done so and hit Search, you can jump straight to the coverage map by tapping See Coverage Map and then tapping Click To Activate Interactive Map.

This map will show you what kind of coverage you have in your area. 5G coverage is highlighted using the darkest shade of purple, but unticking 4G and 3G can help make it clearer. The drop down menu lets you choose between telcos.

Coverage maps are only approximate, only show outdoor coverage, and may be impacted by local conditions such as buildings.

Telstra NBN isn't available to customers who connect via Sky Muster Satellite.

Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Extras

Telstra 5G home internet and NBN plans share most of the same perks. To start, you get access to the Telstra Plus perks program. This includes:

$12.50 movie tickets for Event and BCC cinemas, excluding sessions after 5pm on a Saturday, public holidays, and special events
Discounted tickets to select sporting events
Pre-sale tickets for select concerts and events

If you're a Telstra Plus member, you'll also earn points for every dollar you spend on your monthly bill. These can then be redeemed for gadgets or a discount on a more expensive product.

Both Telstra 5G home internet and NBN plans also get three months of Binge at no cost if you haven't subscribed before.

Telstra 5G home internet vs. NBN: Which is better?

There's no one single answer to whether Telstra 5G home internet or Telstra NBN is better, it will come down to your individual circumstance. Telstra 5G home internet represents a better value deal, getting you higher speeds for a lower price, but may also be less consistent. The speeds you'll get are more prone to fluctuation than an NBN plan, but in our testing, we haven't seen speeds under 100Mbps. It's also worth noting that Telstra's 5G home internet plan doesn't have unlimited data.

Telstra NBN also has the benefit of 4G backup, which gives you an extra layer of redundancy. If your NBN goes out, you can still fall back to the Telstra mobile network. If there's a Telstra network outage, the 5G home internet plan will leave you without connectivity.

If you're lucky enough to have Telstra 5G coverage and you're curious about 5G home internet, there's no reason not to give it a crack. The first month is free, and you can always cancel your plan and return the modem at no extra cost if you decide it isn't right for you.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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