Telstra to start offering 5G home internet on an invite-only basis

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 29 September 2020

Telstra today announced that it will start inviting select customers to sign-up to its first 5G home internet plan from tomorrow, marking the first time the telco has offered 5G as an NBN alternative.

While Telstra hasn't provided specific details about what a customer needs to do qualify for a 5G service, we can make a reasonable guess based on CEO Andy Penn's comments from earlier the year, positioning the technology as an alternative to FTTN and fixed wireless NBN.

"Fixed wireless is not necessarily the right solution for every customer," said Penn. "It’s definitely a very viable and particularly attractive option for customers whose experience may not be the best, either because they’re in a, perhaps a fibre to the node area, where they’ve got a long lead line on their service and therefore they’re not receiving the best experience, or where they’re getting a fixed wireless service, but over an NBN network."

Penn also suggested 5G home broadband could work as a "really good alternative" to 4G home broadband as well as ADSL.

Telstra says its 5G network currently spans over 100 suburbs across 53 cities.

Telstra will only offer one 5G home internet plan initially - an $85 per month option with 500GB of data. The plan includes a $0 modem and the first month free. Telstra expects customers will achieve download speeds between 50Mbps and 300Mbps. At this stage, it's unclear whether you'll need to pay a modem fee if you leave within your first 24 months, as with Telstra's NBN plans.

For comparison, other 5G home internet plans start at $70 per month with unlimited data and uncapped speeds through Optus. This plan is no longer available through the Optus website, however, and you'll need to specifically ask for it in store or over the phone if you'd like it.

Optus is replacing this plan with two more expensive plans. A $75 per month 5G plan with speeds capped to 100Mbps, and $90 per month with uncapped speeds, Fetch TV, and an Optus Sport subscription.

Optus' $90 per month plan won't be available for a few more weeks. Until the $90 per month plan launches, anyone who signs up to Optus' $75 per month plan will get uncapped speeds and an Optus Sport subscription for the life of their plan.

No matter which plan you pick, you'll need to sign a 24-month contract or a $200 setup fee. If you leave Optus, you'll need to return your 5G modem.

When testing Optus' 5G home internet earlier in the year, we saw speeds between 120Mbps and 400Mbps depending on the time of day. 200Mbps is a safe average. Right now, Optus is saying its 5G home internet plans achieve an average download speed of 214Mbps.

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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