Optus Wireless Broadband Review

It may not look like much, but this pearl white, plastic modem could be the first step towards the future of internet in Australia. It's a bold statement, but in a few years time we might look back with the knowledge that Optus Wireless Broadband is the first, real NBN internet alternative.

Not that this is the first modem with a SIM card in it. As you'll know, there's been mobile broadband products available for years. But these products have been shackled by restrictions that made them either unsuitable for, or too expensive to replace a fixed line connection.

The Optus 4G Plus WiFi Modem (a rebadged Huawei B525 modem) combines a decent modem and WiFi router, with an affordable monthly bill and enough internet data for most homes, as you can see from the plans below:

Broadband Plans

Optus

Optus Optus Plus Everyday 5G 5G Home Internet 50/11 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $54/mth for a year, then $69/mth or as notified. New services. Incl intro offer + extra $5/mth off. Min cost $522. Ends 6/10. $54/mth for first 12 months, then $69/mth or as notified Min. cost $54 Link not supplied

$54/mth for first 12 months, then $69/mth or as notified Min. cost $54

Link not supplied

Sorted by price

See More Plans ~ Last Updated 1/10/2026

Powered By

How WhistleOut Works

Full speed ahead

One of the factors that sets the Optus Wireless Broadband service apart from similar products that have come before is that you get access to full 4G internet speeds. Previously services from companies like VividWireless, Spintel, Exetel have offered affordable data plans, but have speed limited the connection of your service to 12Mbps downloads and 1Mbps uploads. As we know from common complaints about the NBN, this isn't fast enough for busy homes.

Optus used to speed limit home wireless broadband products in the same way, but since the last product update the handbrake has come off and you can now access download speeds up to 300Mbps.

Before you get too excited, it's important to not that it's unlikely that anyone will see download speeds anywhere in the vicinity of 300Mbps. The fundamentals of mobile internet mean that speed is a slave to numerous factors, like coverage and congestion, but you should find that the speed you do get is sufficient for the things you'd expect it to do.

I tested the 4G Plus WiFi Modem in a place that has reasonably good Optus mobile coverage. The Optus Modem has a signal indictor light and it sat on three bars out of five throughout the review. During the tests I noted download speeds of between 20 to 40Mbps and upload speeds up to about 7Mbps.

This may not sound like lightning fast speeds, but it was certainly fast enough to down what I needed it to do. I could watch 4K videos streams on Netflix on my TV, general web browsing was fast, and I even played a bit of Fortnite to see whether it could handle a fast-paced online game. In fact, I needed to download Fortnite before I could play it (a 15GB file download) and I was impressed to be online and shooting in a little under an hour. For the ultimate test, I secretly trialled it as the primary internet connection at home for a couple of days and no one noticed the difference between it and our regular cable internet connection.

The deal with data

To make Wireless Broadband a viable NBN alternative your plan needs to include enough data to go around. At the time of writing this review, Optus has two data options available: a 200GB plan and a 500GB plan. There is no unlimited data plan option yet (though I'd expect one in the near future) but I'd also argue that 500GB is more than enough data for most homes right now.

You be wise to check your most recent home internet bills before diving in, though. The catch with these generous data plans is that if you reach your limit you will be charged $10 for an extra 10GB extra. Optus says it will stop auto data top-ups if you use an extra 50GB in a month, but by that point you'll already have a $50 excess usage bill on your hands.

The Huawei B252 modem

The modem you receive from Optus isn't much of a looker. Not that modems tend to win beauty pageants, but don't expect something cute and discreet like an Apple HomePod or Google Home speaker. This is the sort of gadget you'll be trying to hide behind a pot plant in your living room.

That said, it comes will all of the features we think you'll need, plus a couple extra. The modem offers 802.11 ac WiFi networking, with dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands to make use of. On the back are four Ethernet ports for direct connections, plus a PSTN port to plug a VoIP-capable phone into. There's also two antenna attachments under a cover on the rear, which you can use to extend the range of the internal antennas with 'bunny ear' antennas that you can buy separately.

Inside the modem it offers 3G and 4G connectivity with Cat 6 LTE, which is how it is capable of 300Mbps download speeds. You'll need a Micro SIM to get online, which Optus will send to you with the modem.

One thing to note is that this modem doesn't have a battery and needs to be plugged in to work. This may seem obvious when you look at the modem, but given that it is technically classed as a mobile broadband product it is worth pointing out that this modem isn't exactly mobile.

Who is Optus Wireless Broadband for?

Given the features of the modem, the current price and data inclusions, Optus Wireless Broadband is a great solution for anyone having an issue with the NBN at home or at the office of a small business. The Huawei B525 modem is reasonably robust and should be sufficient for most homes.

At its best, the service is on par with an NBN 50 connection, and its worst, its like an NBN 25 service. Due to the nature of mobile internet, people using Wireless Broadband should expect to experience both extremes. If you were to run regular speed tests you would see a lot of fluctuation in performance. But for everyday internet, the way most Australian families use the internet today, Optus Wireless Broadband should do the trick, and not break the bank either.

Joseph Hanlon

Editorial Director | X | LinkedIn

Joe Hanlon has been immersed in mobile phones, plans and the internet for over a decade, having written for publications like CNET, Techradar, Gizmodo and Lifehacker. He steers the editorial ship and makes sure that we are always serving up the most useful guides and recommendations. If you ever bump into Joe on the street, don't be afraid to ask for a phone recommendation. It's embarrassing how much he enjoys talking about this stuff. He also loves listening to podcasts, so feel free to email Joe with recommendations.

Read full bio

Find a better internet plan

Thousands of internet plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.

Powered By

Any Speed 0-25 Mbps 26-50 Mbps 51-100 Mbps 101-500 Mbps 501-750 Mbps 751-1000 Mbps 1001 Mbps+

Search 34 Providers

Checking prices and plans

Powered By Comparisons Powered By

How WhistleOut Works