Telcos are literally giving away 5G home broadband (for the first month at least)

Anula Wiwatowska - Offsite Editorial Lead

Last updated 06 April 2022

While the NBN continues to be the internet of choice (or at the very least of necessity) for most Australians, telcos aren’t being shy about spruiking 5G home broadband as an alternative. Right now almost every Australian 5G provider want you to give it a go so badly, that they are literally giving it away for free. For the first month that is.

Theoretically 5G home internet can give you significantly faster download speeds than NBN does, for a smaller cost. Telstra advertises 5G typical evening speeds of 378Mbps for $85 per month, while an NBN 100 plan with Telstra will set you back $110 instead. Optus’ 5G home internet has evening speeds of 210Mbps for $89 per month as opposed to a $109 NBN 100 plan.

Currently Vodafone doesn’t provide typical evening speed data for 5G plans, but in our testing of the mobile 5G network we have found speeds up to 491Mbps in areas around Sydney for the provider.

Here are the most popular NBN 100 plans at the moment for you to compare.

#1	Dodo	Dodo 100/17 Mbps typical evening speed Unlimited Data $62.99/mth Min. cost $62.99 Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $92.99/mth*. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply.	100%	Go to Site
#2	amaysim	amaysim 100/18 Mbps typical evening speed Unlimited Data $50/mth Min. cost $50 Deal: Includes $40/mth off for the first 6 months ($30 NBN Sale + $10 Standard Intro Offer), then $90/mth. Ends 20.10.26	52%	Go to Site
#3	Superloop	Superloop 95/17 Mbps typical evening speed Unlimited Data $74/mth Min. cost $74 Deal: Incl. $21/mth off 6 months! $74/mth for 6 mths, then $95/mth + Bundle & Save	44%	Go to Site
#4	iiNet	iiNet 99/17 Mbps typical evening speed Unlimited Data $69.99/mth Min. cost $79.99 Deal: Includes $25/mth off for 6 mths - $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $94.99/mth. Use code SAVE25FOR6	25%	Link not supplied
#5	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom 100/17 Mbps typical evening speed Unlimited Data $67.90/mth Min. cost $67.90 Deal: Includes $25/mth off for the first 6 mths, $67.90/mth for first 6 months, then $92.90/mth.	25%	Go to Site

No matter how much controversy surrounds the NBN, the idea of disconnecting your tried (and trusted?) NBN connection at home in order to blindly dive into a new technology can be unnerving. Afterall 5G speeds vary across the country, and across providers, so it is natural to be wary about tossing it all away for what could be a fling.

Out of the “free month” offers, most of them will genuinely cost you nothing if you decide that 5G home broadband isn’t for you. All plans are contract-free, but you are required to pay a modem fee over the course of your plan. Optus, Vodafone, and the TPG group providers (iiNet, Internode & TPG) will give you the modem for free if you stay for 36 months, while Telstra plans only require a 24-month commitment to own the modem outright.

Telstra, Vodafone, and the rest of the TPG Group will let you return your modem within 30 days of cancelling your 5G plan for free. If you cancel during the free trial period you won’t pay a cent for the modem or for the service. Optus however, does not have a modem return policy currently, so if you want to test out 5G and it isn’t your cup of tea then you’re on the hook for up for as much as $576 for the modem. If you cancel your Optus 5G home internet plan within your first 36 months, you'll need to pay a modem fee equivalent to $16 for each month left in your three-year term.

The exception to Optus’ rule is if your speeds can’t meet the 50Mbps Satisfaction Guarantee. If you can prove that your download speeds are slower than 50Mbps, and Optus can’t help you improve these then you can return your modem in good working order, at no additional cost to you.

Anula Wiwatowska

Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram

Anula is the Off-Site Editorial Lead for WhistleOut Australia, and an award winning tech journalist. She has been writing about the Australian telco industry, and consumer technology for over five years, and has been known to tell her Uber driver which phone they should upgrade to next.

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