After quietly offering 5G broadband to selected customers on an invite-only basis, Telstra is finally opening up its ultra-fast internet service to all takers.
From this week, both home and business customers in eligible areas can sign on for Telstra’s all-new 5G Internet Plan, featuring one terabyte (or 1000GB) of full-speed 5G data each month. Telstra is pricing its plan at $85 per month, with no set-up fees or modem costs and no lock-in contracts.
Telstra 5G: fast speeds and no lock-in contracts
While Telstra has offered 5G mobile broadband since mid-2019, this is the first time the telco has made 5G home internet publicly available. Unlike mobile broadband, home internet (also known as home wireless broadband) is designed to be used in one location, and to replace a fixed internet connection such as NBN.
Although Telstra’s 5G plan doesn’t include unlimited data – unlike competing plans from Optus, Vodafone, and TPG – the one terabyte allowance should more than cover the average household’s monthly usage. According to Telstra, the plan includes enough fast data to stream over 330 hours of high-definition Netflix each month (that’s over 10 hours of streaming each day).
If you do burn through those one thousand gigabytes of 5G data, your speeds will be restricted to 25Mbps for the rest of your billing cycle – so there’s no excess data fees or hard caps if you exceed your usage.
Telstra 5G Home Internet Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Telstra 5G internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
5G Home Internet
min. cost $85 over one month |
1TB | $85 | |
 View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
As for the speeds you’ll get on Telstra 5G internet, the telco is citing an average download speed of 378Mbps during the busy 7pm-11pm evening hours, with a typical speed range of between 50Mbps to 600Mbps – up to six times faster than the NBN speeds available to many Australian households.
While speeds will vary depending on factors such as your location, network congestion, and where your modem is placed, Telstra is confident that your real-world results will remain within the above ranges. Telstra has also listed typical upload speeds of 46Mbps, making 5G ideal for transferring files or making video calls.
Telstra’s 5G Internet Plan comes with an included 5G Home Modem, featuring an inbuilt and pre-activated SIM, WiFi 6 support and 4G network backup. The plug-in-and-play modem connects to Telstra’s 5G network wirelessly, but it will be geo-locked to your home or business address, meaning you can’t take your 5G service on the road. If you do move the modem outside your home area, your download speeds will be restricted to a maximum of 1.5Mbps.
The 5G modem is free with your plan, and yours to keep if you stay connected for 24 months. If you cancel your plan earlier, simply return your modem to Telstra to avoid a no-return fee of up to $696.
Right now, Telstra is offering customers their first month of 5G home internet free, as well as throwing in three months of free BINGE Standard streaming, and two months of complimentary Device Protect security.
5G home internet: plans compared
Telstra’s 5G home internet launch sees the company now competing against Optus, Vodafone, TPG and SpinTel in the 5G broadband space. One point of difference is that, unlike the above telcos, Telstra is only offering one 5G plan, with no restrictions on speeds (but with a 1TB fast data limit).
TPG 5G Home Internet Plans
The following table shows a selection of published TPG 5G home broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Home Broadband Plus
min. cost $44.99 over first month |
Unlimited | $44.99 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
Home Broadband Premium
min. cost $49.99 over first month |
Unlimited | $49.99 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Vodafone 5G Home Internet Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Vodafone 5G home broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Premium 5G Home Broadband
min. cost $75 over first month |
Unlimited | $75 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
Ultimate 5G Home Broadband
min. cost $85 over first month |
Unlimited | $85 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Optus 5G Home Internet Plans
The following table shows selected published Optus 5G home internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Optus 5G Internet Everyday
min. cost $655 over first month |
Unlimited | $79 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
Optus 5G Internet Entertainer Superfast
min. cost $675 over first month |
Unlimited | $99 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Telstra 5G Home Internet Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Telstra 5G internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5G Home Internet
min. cost $85 over one month |
1TB | $85 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
In comparison, Optus, Vodafone, TPG and SpinTel each give customers two choices: a cheaper 5G internet plan with a maximum speed of 100Mbps, or a higher-priced option with no speed restrictions. You’ll pay a starting price of around $69 per month for speed-capped 5G, depending on provider, with ultra-fast plans priced at $80-$90 monthly (similar to the $85 per month price of Telstra 5G).
All Optus, Vodafone, TPG and SpinTel plans include unlimited data, so you won’t need to keep an eye on your usage. As for speeds, Optus cites a typical busy period download speed of 210Mbps on its max speed 5G Internet Entertainer plan, while SpinTel – which also uses the Optus 5G network – lists 225Mbps.
Vodafone and TPG have yet to confirm average 5G speeds, but customers can probably expect something similar on unrestricted speed plans. However, customers should keep in mind that the Vodafone 5G network – which services both Vodafone and TPG – is behind in roll-out when compared to Telstra and Optus.
You can check 5G coverage at your address via Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, TPG and SpinTel’s websites. If you’re not yet covered, but unhappy with your NBN connection, you may still be eligible for fast 4G home broadband: you can compare plans below.
iiNet Wireless Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published iiNet home wireless broadband plans from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Home Wireless Broadband Limiitless Plan
min. cost $44.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $44.99 | Go To Site |
| View all internet plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
TPG Wireless Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published TPG home wireless broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home Wireless Broadband Unlimited Plan
min. cost $39.99 over first month |
Unlimited | $39.99 | Go To Site |
| View all internet plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Optus 4G Home Internet Plans
The following table shows a selection of Optus 4G Home Internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4G Home Internet Unlimited (24 Month)
min. cost $1,357 over 24 month plan period |
Unlimited | $59 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
4G Home Internet Unlimited (Month-to-Month)
min. cost $275 (incl. $216 modem cost) over first month plan period |
Unlimited | $59 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all internet plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Southern Phone Wireless Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Southern Phone wireless broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Home Wireless Unlimited M2M
min. cost $270 over first month plan period |
Unlimited | $60 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
Home Wireless Unlimited 24M
min. cost $1,440 over 24 month plan period |
Unlimited | $60 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all internet plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
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