Is Optus 5G Any Good? | Plans, Coverage & FAQ

Are you looking to get onto the 5G network? With the 5G rollout currently underway in Australia, major mobile providers such as Optus are now offering 5G mobile phone and home broadband plans. If you’re curious about 5G and want to know if Optus 5G is right for you and available in your area, keep reading below.

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The Optus 5G Network Rollout

The Optus 5G rollout is slowly moving across the country. However, the Optus 5G network is still in the early stages of rollout, and all of the major telcos are still working on offering 5G coverage across the majority of the country.

If you’re wondering if the Optus 5G Network is available in your area, you will need to check the Optus 5G coverage map which you can find below along with more information about the Optus 5G rollout.

It should be noted that in-building Optus 5G network access is still very limited, and you’ll find a better connection to the 5G network outside.

Optus 5G Coverage Map

The Optus 5G coverage map is now live and interactive, which can help give you a better sense of where you are able to get 5G network coverage.

Previously, Optus used static photos such as the one below to show their 5G coverage, but now you can see a more accurate, interactive, network coverage map. Click on the button below to view the interactive map based on your location.

Interactive Optus 5G Network Coverage Map

Currently, you'll find the Optus 5G network well and available in the following areas:

• Adelaide
• Brisbane
• Canberra
• Central Coast
• Freemantle Region
• Geelong West
• Hawkesbury River
• Melbourne
• Moreton Bay Region
• Mornington Peninsula
• Perth
• Sydney

Optus 5g tower locations: If you want to know how close you are to the nearest Optus 5G tower, you can log into the My Optus App, and Optus 5G tower locations nearest you.

If you want to find the position of your nearest Optus 5G tower, you can find the signal via the My Optus App on your phone.

Optus 5G Home Internet Plans

5G home wireless broadband is seen as an NBN alternative, with speeds typical of faster NBN speed tiers.

Optus offers two 5G home wireless broadband plans. Below, you can find more information about Optus 5G home broadband plans, your included Optus 5G modem, and what speeds you can expect with the Optus 5G network, compared to the National Broadband Network.

Optus 5G Home Broadband Plans

Optus has two 5G home broadband plans available in Australia:

1. The Optus 5G Internet Everyday Plan, which is a simple plan with download speeds capped at 100Mbps
2. The Optus 5G Internet Entertainer Superfast Plan, which is a more robust plan with unlimited download speeds

Below you can find a summary of the two Optus 5G plans available, along with their cost, inclusions, and the download speeds you can expect.

Both Optus 5G home broadband plans come with unlimited data, and a modem, the only difference is whether you can handle capped download speeds or want unlimited download speeds.

When you sign up for an Optus 5G home broadband plan, you will get an included 5G-enabled modem. This modem is free if you stay with your Optus 5G plan for 36 months, but you will need to pay out the rest of the modem (maximum cost: $576) if you leave before then.

Optus 5G Speed vs. NBN Speed

Optus 5G is on-par with the faster NBN speed tiers.

Depending on the plan you choose, Optus 5G home wireless broadband has download speeds similar to the speeds of the following NBN plans:

 NBN 100: Max download speeds of 100Mbps. Typical evening speeds of 83Mbps - 100Mbps.

 NBN Superfast: Max download speeds of250Mbps. Typical evening speeds of 210Mbps - 250Mbps.

 NBN Ultrafast: Max download speeds of 1000Mbps. Typical evening speeds of 215Mbps - 600Mbps.

With these expected download speeds, 5G home broadband customers can easily stream in HD, game online, and make video calls.​​​​​​​

Optus 5G Modem

Important: If you’re interested in switching to an Optus 5G plan, you will need a 5G-enabled modem.

Your Optus 5G modem, a next-gen Nokia 5G Modem, is included in your Optus 5G home broadband plan if you choose to stay for 36 months. However, cancelling your Optus 5G home broadband plan before 36 months is up means you could pay up to $576 (max. cost) for the modem.

When your Optus 5G modem is delivered to your address, you can simply plug-and-play, no setup or visit from a technician is required.

Here is how to set up your Optus 5G modem:

• Unbox the 5G modem when it’s delivered to your address
• Plus the modem into a power source and turn it on
• Download or open the My Optus App to find the best position for your 5G modem
• Position your Optus 5G modem in the best location

After you find the best 5G connection in your home, your modem will automatically update to the latest version. This might take some time, so wait 24 hours to get your maximum download speeds.

If you’re having trouble connecting to the Optus 5G Network in your home, contact Optus customer service by calling 1300 101 693.

Optus 5G Mobile Plans

If you’re looking for 5G on the go, Optus now offers both postpaid, no-contract, mobile phone plans with 5G access and 5G prepaid mobile plans.

Here, you can find more information about Optus 5G mobile plans and devices available to you. Before signing up for a plan with the intention of accessing the 5G network make sure you check the Optus 5G coverage map for not only your home address, but also your work, school, and anywhere else you frequently visit. This will ensure that you can truly make the most of your new 5G experience.

Month-to-Month Optus 5G Plans

Unlike other mobile providers, Optus does not restrict 5G access to only certain mobile phone plans.

Any postpaid Optus mobile plan comes with 5G access, as long as you have a 5G-enabled device and live or work in a city with 5G network coverage.

In addition to Optus 5G access, all Optus mobile plans come with the following benefits:

DATA BENEFITS:

• Endless Data: If you hit your data allowance, your download speed will be reduced to 1.5Mbps and you won’t get hit with any excess data charges.
• Share Your Data: Share your mobile data across Optus Choice Plus mobile plans under the same account.
• Unlimited Data Day: For $5 extra through the My Optus App, choose a 24-hour period of unlimited data.
• Donate Your Data: Share excess data through the My Optus App to help Australians in need.
• Optus Pause: Pause your mobile and home Wi-Fi connections through the My Optus App to disconnect for a moment.

TEXT & TALK

• Unlimited standard national talk and text including mobiles, landlines, and 13/1300 numbers.
• Unlimited standard international talk and text to 35 select destinations (not available on the Small Optus Choice Plus Plan).
• Optional international roaming add-on

OPTUS ENTERTAINMENT

• Optus Sport is included in your plan at no extra cost to watch Premier League, J.League, and other live and on-demand games.
• OS Fitness is included in your plan at no extra cost to access home fitness videos including dance, yoga, and pilates.
• SubHub is available to eligible Optus account holders to manage your paid subscriptions and unlock additional offers while staying jup to date with the latest content and services.

If you’re interested in signing up for a month-to-month, no-contract, Optus 5G plan, you can find a summary of the plan, cost, and data inclusions below.

Optus Prepaid 5G Plans

Optus Flex is a prepaid mobile phone plan available through Optus and now is available with 5G access.

To get an Optus prepaid 5G plan, you just need to follow three easy steps:

1. Buy an Optus Flex SIM card or eSIM (if your phone is compatible)
2. Download the My Optus App and select “Get connected now”
3. Choose your plan and manage your service through the app

Optus Flex plans are a bit different. Essentially these are prepaid mobile phone plans on either daily, weekly, fortnightly, or 30-day expiry and work out to cost about $1 per GB of data and 2GB of data per day. You can manage your Optus Flex plan through the My Optus App.

Inclusions on a 5G Optus Flex Plan include:

• Unlimited standard national talk and text
• Up to 200GB of data rollover
• Other optional add-ons

Here you can find a summary of 5G Optus Flex plans, their cost, and the expiry period.

Optus 5G Mobile Devices

If you want to join the Optus 5G network, you’re going to need a 5G-enabled handset.

Thankfully, as the cost of 5G technology goes down, more and more phones are available with 5G capabilities, including budget-friendly phones.

Optus has both prepaid 5G devices (phones you purchase upfront and unlocked), and 5G-enabled phones on a plan (pay off your device monthly along with your Optus 5G mobile phone plan).

Visit the Optus website to see all 5G phones available for purchase.

Optus 5G handsets on a plan include the newest models from Samsung, Apple, and Google including the Galaxy Z Fold, iPhone 13, and Pixel 6, as well as models from brands such as Oppo and ZTE. Remember, if you decide to purchase a phone and pay it off monthly, it will be locked to the Optus network until it’s paid off, and you will need to sign up for an Optus mobile plan as well.

If you prefer a prepaid device, you can choose between the Optus-brand X Swift 5G ($279 upfront), or the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G ($349 upfront).

Optus 5G Mobile Broadband Plans

If you’re looking for internet on the go, mobile broadband can be a great choice for tablets, WiFi dongles, and portable modems.

Optus recently expanded its 5G to its two largest mobile broadband plans, so now you can connect to the 5G network with your compatible hotspot or another mobile broadband device.

• Endless Data: If you use up your 5G data allowance, your download speed will be reduced to 1.5Mbps with no excess data charges
• Data Sharing: Share your available data across eligible Optus plans on the same account.

Optus’s smaller mobile broadband plans are still limited to the 4G network, though we can expect that to change in the future as 5G continues to roll out across the country.

Below you can find the two Optus mobile broadband plans that offer 5G network access.

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Valid April 2021.

Mobile broadband can be used for any number of devices, but if you want to connect to 5G your device needs to be 5G compatible. Optus offers the portable ZTE 5G Capable modem available on a repayment play for as little as $12.08 per month.

The Optus 5G portable ZTE modem includes:

• Up to 9 hours of battery use
• Connect up to 32 devices at one time

Optus 5G Review

Across the web, Optus 5G reviews are mixed at best.

The biggest complaint most customers seem to have about their Optus 5G network service is that when it works, it works great. The only issue is that it doesn’t work most of the time (according to customer reviews).

However, as a new technology, it can be expected that there are some bugs and kinks in the 5G network. Despite these mixed Optus 5G reviews, as the newest iteration of the mobile network, it will only improve as time goes on.

Our recommendation? If you don’t have a reliable NBN connection to your home but are covered by the 5G network, it might be worth it to try a 5G home wireless broadband plan. However, as 5G becomes the norm, it’s probably better to wait another year or so before switching over to a 5G-enabled device and 5G mobile plan. This will give all 5G network providers a bit more time to expand coverage, reduce the cost of devices, and improve their service.