Get ready to ditch the NBN: Optus 5G home wireless broadband has landed

Jacqui Dent - Editorial Strategist

Last updated 31 January 2019

Get ready to ditch the NBN, Optus 5G home wireless broadband has landed

Optus has today announced that it will be offering 5G home wireless broadband plans with unlimited data and speeds of 50Mbps for $70 per month.

While availability of the plans will initially be limited, customers in selected suburbs across Australia are now able to submit expressions of interest to trial them, with the first services expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2019.

Optus says it has two 5G sites already live in Canberra and another live in Sydney, with 47 more sites planned to be online by March 2019. Optus plans to deliver 1,200 5G sites at selected locations around Australia by March 2020, including sites in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Sydney.

Optus has been the first Australian telco to announce 5G home wireless broadband and the plans look set to compete head-on with some of the best plans on the NBN.

Speeds of up to 50Mbps are currently offered on the second-fastest NBN speed tier and are capable of servicing a family of four heavy internet users. Unlimited data NBN plans on this speed tier currently start at $59.88 per month, with Optus' own plan offered for $70 per month, in line with its new 5G home wireless broadband offering.

This makes Optus' new 5G home wireless broadband plans a real NBN competitor and an affordable solution for Australians not satisfied with the performance of their current NBN connection.

Optus says the 50Mbps speeds offered on the new plans will come with a satisfaction guarantee. "If at any time you are not satisfied that you are getting download speeds of at least 50Mbps, simply get in touch and we will let you cancel your contract without cancellation fees, when you return your 5G device to us," said the telco in a statement.

While a minimum of 50Mbps is the speed currently promised, Optus says its 5G technology has the potential of delivering speeds of up to 1Gbps during peak times, and has successfully tested this in a lab environment. Of course, real world speeds and lab speeds usually differ due to a range of circumstances including network congestion, strength of signal and individual user devices.

To find out if the 5G home wireless broadband plans will be available in your area, and to register your interest in trialling one, visit the Optus website.

5G mobile connectivity also on the way

Optus Chief Executive Allen Lew said in a statement that service on the 5G network will also open to mobile customers "as more devices are released and 5G cells continue to roll-out."

The first 5G phones are expected to hit the Australian market this year and with Optus' first 1,200 sites planned to cover airports, train stations, sports stadiums and CBD locations, as well as residential areas, we could see a decent chunk of Optus customers experiencing some 5G connectivity by the end of the year. But note that Optus 5G is still unlikely to cover all the places you live, work and visit for a few years to come.

As to whether 5G phones will be ranged on Optus plans anytime soon, Lew said, "We are working with a range of smartphone manufacturers and will announce details about 5G smartphone handset availability and plans in the future."

Want more information? Check out these guides covering everything you need to know about 5G and 5G vs the NBN.

Jacqui Dent

Editorial Strategist

Jacqui Dent is an Editorial Content Strategist at WhistleOut Australia, where she writes about mobile phone plans, NBN plans and everything in between. Over her ten-year career, she has worked to provide informed advice to the public, first in the sphere of writing and now in the world of consumer tech. Jacqui has also written about consumer telco products for Business Insider, Pedestrian and the 50Up Club.

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