Optus increases core 5G home internet plan prices and will add speed caps

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 11 September 2020

Optus has announced a restructure of its core 5G home internet plans that will see prices go up and speed caps added.

Optus previously offered just a single 5G home internet plan billed at $70 per month. This plan included unlimited data at uncapped 5G speeds. This plan is now being replaced by two new plans that make up Optus' core 5G home internet range.

The first is a $75 per month plan with unlimited data but maximum speeds of 100Mbps. Optus expects that customers will get download speeds of around 85Mbps during peak hours. However, customers who sign up during an introductory period will receive uncapped speeds for the life of their plan as well as an Optus Sport subscription. This introductory period will last until Optus launches its second 5G plan.

The second is $90 per month plan with unlimited data, uncapped speeds, a Fetch Mighty set-top box and an Optus Sport subscription. Optus says its 5G network currently delivers an average download speed of 214Mbps during peak hours, which lines up with what we saw when testing Optus' 5G home internet earlier in the year. This plan will be available before the end of the year, but Optus has yet to confirm specifics.

Both plans are available on either a 24-month contract or a month-to-month basis. Customers who go on a month-to-month will pay a $200 setup fee.

While these two plans are replacing Optus' older $70 5G home broadband plan, the telco says customers can still specifically request it if they go into a store or make an order via web chat. It is however no longer listed on the Optus website, or available to order online. The $70 plan does not include Optus Sport. It is unclear how much longer this plan will be available for. Customers currently on Optus' $70 plan will be able to stay on it, regardless of whether they've signed a contract or not.

The introduction of speed caps to 5G plans is notable, as to date, all 5G services in Australia have been uncapped. An uncapped connection is able to attain speeds as fast as hardware and coverage allow, free of artificial restrictions. For example, when testing Optus 5G home internet earlier this year, we saw speeds over 300Mbps during less busy periods.

Despite the introduction of a 100Mbps speed cap, Optus' $75 plan will stack up favourable when compared to NBN 100 plans. When excluding promotional discounts, NBN 100 plans tend to start at a minimum of $79 per month. Typical evening speeds of 85Mbps are also faster than what every NBN provider other than Telstra and Superloop currently advertises.

Optus 5G home internet plans come with a network satisfaction guarantee, which will let you cancel the service if you're not getting speeds of at least 50Mbps. If you make a claim and Optus determines you're eligible to cancel your service, you'll need to return your 5G modem within 30 days of cancellation or you'll be hit with a $330 fee.

Given it's still early days for 5G, there are a couple of things worth noting. If you sign up for an Optus 5G home broadband plan and the move house, you may not be able to continue using the service at your new address - even though the modem has 4G back-up. Instead, Optus will attempt to provide a replacement internet service. If you choose not to go with Optus' replacement service, you may need to pay a cancellation fee and will have to return your 5G modem.

The maximum cancellation fee on a 24-month contract is $450. This fee will decrease for every month you stay with Optus.

At present, over 420,000 households are currently able to sign-up for Optus 5G home broadband. You can check out Optus' 5G coverage using the map below:

Click to Activate Interactive Map

Coverage information is collected from carriers and other third party sources. This is approximate coverage only and does not include indoor coverage. Actual speed and performance depends on your location and device. Local conditions and things like natural and artificial physical features of an area all affect your reception. Coverage © Mosaik

Optus' 5G home internet price rise comes shortly after Telstra announced plans to start selling its own 5G home internet service before the end of the year. Telstra has yet to be confirm plans or pricing for its own 5G internet service.

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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