The Netgear Nighthawk M2 is a portable modem that can achieve 2Gbps download speeds on Telstra 4G

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 01 March 2019

Netgear's new Nighthawk M2 mobile router is now available through Telstra for customers signing up to mobile broadband plans. Succeeding the already zippy Nighthawk M1, the Nighthawk M2 is portable hotspot that can achieved download speeds up for to 2Gbps per second on the Telstra network, and upload speed of up to 150Mbps. Even those these speeds might seem 5G fast, these are still being attained over 4G.

The Nighthawk M2 is able to achieve these speeds through carrier aggregation: it can simultaneously connect to all five frequencies the Telstra network operates on - 700MHz, 900Mhz, 1800Mhz, 2100MHz, and 2600MHz - for faster downloads.

Of course, not all parts of the Telstra network are built on all five frequencies, so your actual download speeds predominantly be determined by your physical location. Other factors such as network congestion can also affect performance, but a Netgear spokesperson told us download speeds between 100Mbps and 500Mbps should be achievable for many.

The Nighthawk M2 has an integrated battery with up to 24 hours of charge for use on the go, but can also be plugged in for use at home. Up to 20 devices can connect wirelessly, and there's also an Ethernet port if you want to connect a network switch or other wireless devices.

Telstra's Nighthawk M2 plans are as follows:

15GB for $39 per month
50GB for $64 per month
90GB for $89 per month

These are sold on a 24-month contract. The Nighthawk M2 is available now.

Compare all mobile broadband plans here.

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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