If you were hoping to experience lightning fast 5G home broadband on Optus, it will now cost you extra. While the telco has previously offered uncapped 5G home internet plans for as little as $70 per month, new customers will now pay $90 per month to get the fastest Optus 5G speeds possible.
In addition to uncapped speeds, this $90 per month plan includes unlimited data, a Fetch Mighty set-top box, and one premium Fetch channel pack. Optus says its 5G home internet plans currently deliver download speeds of 214Mbps during peak hours, which lines up with what we saw when testing Optus' 5G home internet earlier in the year.
If you're looking for a cheaper Optus 5G home internet, you'll pay $75 per month for a plan with maximum data speeds capped to 100Mbps. Optus says that customers should expect download speeds of around 85Mbps during peak hours. The plan also includes unlimited data, but doesn't come with any entertainment add-ons.
Existing Optus 5G home internet customers are unaffected by these pricing changes.
Both the $75 per month and $90 per month plan 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, however.
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.
While a 100Mbps speed cap is a bit of a vibe harsher, Optus' $75 plan still stacks up favourable when compared to NBN 100 plans. When you exclude promotional discounts, NBN 100 plans will set you back at least $79 per month.
Optus 5G home internet plans come with a network satisfaction guarantee, which let you cancel your service if you're not getting speeds of at least 50Mbps - regardless of whether you've signed a contract or not. If you make a claim and Optus determines you're eligible to cancel your plan, you'll need to return your 5G modem within 30 days of cancellation or you'll be hit with a $330 fee.
Since 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.
As of September, over 420,000 households were able to sign-up for Optus 5G home internet. Check out Optus' 5G coverage using the map below:
If you're after a cheaper 5G home internet plan, SpinTel has more affordable options powered by the Optus 5G network - provided you're happy to commit to a contract. SpinTel is offering an uncapped $70 per month plan on a 24-month term, and you'll get a discount of $10 per month for your first six months. This plan includes the same modem as Optus, and SpinTel is advertising the same typical evening speeds of 214Mbps.
Alex Choros
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