Interactive explainer
Transfer or switch? Decision tool
Answer three questions about your move and your current Optus plan, and the tool gives you a clear verdict: transfer on autopilot, or stop and re-compare before you commit. Either way it reminds you of the lead time you need so you are not left offline.
Should you transfer your Optus plan, or switch?
A decision aid, not advice. Always confirm availability and any contract terms with Optus for your specific address.
Verdict
The verdict is "Re-compare before you decide" if your plan no longer suits you or the new line differs, because that is when the old plan is most likely to be the wrong fit. A contract or modem still owing does not stop you switching, but it adds a cost to weigh, so the tool flags it.
Assumptions: a "transfer" keeps your exact plan; a "switch" means re-comparing and possibly changing plan or provider. Lead time of two to four weeks reflects that a new connection, technician visit or modem can be needed. Indicative 2026 guidance. Sources: Optus relocation guidance, NBN Co technology categories.
| Connection at new address | What it is | Speed tiers | What it means for your move |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTTP (fibre to the premises) | Full fibre to the building | All tiers, including the fastest | If your new place is FTTP and your old one was not, you may be paying for less speed than the line can now deliver. |
| FTTC (fibre to the curb) | Fibre to a pit on the street | High tiers usually achievable | Solid speeds; worth checking your tier matches what the line supports. |
| HFC (pay-TV cable) | Coaxial cable to the home | High tiers usually achievable | Common in older suburbs; a different modem may be required than an FTTN setup. |
| FTTN (fibre to the node) | Copper for the last stretch | Speed falls with distance from the node | If your new address is FTTN, a fast tier you paid for elsewhere may not be reachable, so you could be over-paying. |
| Fixed wireless or 5G home | No fixed line to the home | Varies by signal and plan | Where fixed-line NBN is poor or absent, Optus 5G home internet can be the better fit; check coverage at the new address. |
The short answer
What moving your Optus internet really involves
When you move house, Optus offers a one-click way to take your internet with you: tell them the new address and they transfer your existing plan across. It is genuinely convenient, and for plenty of people it is the right call. But the move is also the single best moment to stop and re-compare, because two things change the day you change address. Your new home may sit on a different NBN technology than your old one, which changes the speeds you can actually get, so the plan that suited your last place can be the wrong fit at the next one. And Optus 5G home internet, a no-fixed-line option, may now be available where you are going even if it was not before. Transferring on autopilot keeps the old plan rolling whether or not it still earns its keep. This page explains how the Optus move really works, why the easy default is rarely the cheapest, and how much lead time you need so you are not left offline.
Here is the core takeaway in one line: Optus makes transferring your plan a one-click default because inertia protects their margin, but a move is the one moment it costs nothing to re-compare, so check the new line and the alternatives before you transfer on autopilot. That reframes the whole task. The question is not "how do I move my Optus plan", it is "is this still the right plan for the address I am moving to". Sometimes the answer is yes and the transfer is perfect. Often it is not, and the easy default quietly keeps you on a plan that no longer fits.
Reframe the assumption: the convenient transfer is built to keep you, not to get you the best deal. Treat the move as a free re-comparison: confirm the NBN technology at the new address, check whether Optus 5G home internet is now available there, and only then decide to transfer or switch. And book two to four weeks ahead either way, so the decision is calm rather than forced.
The blind spot
How a one-click transfer quietly keeps you on the wrong plan
Most "moving with Optus" guides do one of three unhelpful things, and each one nudges you toward the autopilot transfer without ever asking whether it is right for you.
First, they treat the transfer as the whole task. They walk you through telling Optus your new address and stop there, as if moving the plan were the goal. It is not. The goal is the right plan for the new home, and a transfer carries your old plan across unchanged, which is only the right outcome if the old plan still fits.
Second, they ignore the line under the floorboards. They assume the connection at the new address behaves like the old one. In reality your achievable speed is set by the NBN technology at the new premises, and that varies street by street. Move onto copper-based FTTN and a fast tier you paid for elsewhere may be unreachable; move onto full-fibre FTTP and your old tier may now be slower than the line could give you. Either way, transferring blind leaves the mismatch in place.
Third, they never mention the alternative sitting next to NBN. Optus 5G home internet can be available at the new address even if it was not at the old one, and for some homes it is the better or faster fit. A guide that frames the move as "transfer your NBN" hides that choice entirely, and the customer never knows there was one to make.
How the Optus move actually works, piece by piece
Expert analysis: why transferring is the default and what it costs you
Inertia is the business model, not a side effect
A transfer is profitable precisely because it asks nothing of you. The customer who clicks "move my service" never re-prices, never re-compares, and rolls onto the new address on the same plan at the same margin. That is not a criticism of Optus so much as how every retained-customer business works: the cheapest customer to keep is the one who never shops. The move is rare because it briefly breaks that inertia: you are already dealing with the account, already on the phone or in the app, already making decisions. Spend five minutes of that attention on the plan itself and you turn the retailer's best moment into yours.
The NBN technology at the new address resets what you can buy
NBN is not one network but several connection types, and the one at your new premises decides the speeds you can actually achieve. FTTP (full fibre) supports the top tiers; FTTC and HFC usually reach high tiers; FTTN runs copper for the last stretch, so speed falls with distance from the node. When you move, the technology can change, and your plan does not adjust itself. Paying for a fast tier on an FTTN line that cannot deliver it is money wasted; sitting on a slow tier after moving onto FTTP is performance left on the table. Checking the technology at the new address, which Optus can confirm, is how you right-size the plan.
Optus 5G home internet changes the menu, not just the price
Where fixed-line NBN is poor, delayed or unavailable, Optus 5G home internet delivers broadband over the mobile network with no fixed-line install, so it can be live quickly. Coverage is address-specific and expands over time, which is why a move matters: 5G home may now reach the place you are going even if it never served your old home. Treating the move as "transfer the NBN" skips this comparison entirely. Treating it as "what is the best connection for this address" puts 5G home on the table next to your existing plan, where it belongs.
Lead time and equipment are the hard constraints
None of the above helps if you arrive to no internet. A simple transfer onto an active line can be fast, but a new connection, a technician visit, or a modem swap takes scheduling, and demand peaks at month end when leases turn over. Book the move two to four weeks ahead. Equipment matters too: you usually keep your modem if the connection type is unchanged, but a change of technology can require different hardware, which Optus arranges. You can reach Optus to start a relocation on 133 937 within Australia, or +61 2 8082 5678 from overseas, through the My Optus app, or by online chat.
What this looks like in real moves
How the autopilot transfer plays out across Australia
The mechanics above are not theory. They are exactly how Australians end up overpaying or offline after a move:
The fast tier the new line cannot deliver
A renter transfers a premium high-speed plan from an FTTP unit to a house on FTTN. The copper line cannot reach the tier, so they keep paying premium prices for speeds the connection physically cannot give. The plan moved; the value did not.
The 5G option they never knew existed
A family moves to a new estate where fixed-line NBN is delayed, transfers their NBN plan, and waits weeks for activation. Optus 5G home internet covered the address and could have been live in days, but nobody compared it, because the move was framed as "transfer the NBN".
The plan that drifted past the market
A household transfers a plan they signed three years ago and never reviewed. It rolls onto the new address at the old price while sharper plans sit one comparison away. The move was the natural moment to check, and the one-click transfer skipped it.
The week offline
A mover leaves the relocation to the last few days before a month-end move-in. The new address needs a technician, the slots are full, and they spend the first week in the new home tethering off a phone. A two to four week run-up would have avoided it entirely.
The insider insight
The move is the leverage, so do not spend it on a click
Here is the part the transfer flow never puts plainly. Switching internet is hard to make yourself do precisely because nothing forces it: the plan works, the bill arrives, and re-comparing always feels like next month's job. A move removes that friction for one window. You are already changing address with Optus, already in the account, already deciding things. That is the cheapest possible moment to re-compare, because the cost of acting, the attention and the admin, is already sunk into the move you are making anyway. Click "transfer" and you spend that rare leverage on keeping the status quo.
The non-obvious truth: the value of a move is not the transfer, it is the re-comparison the transfer talks you out of. The households that come out ahead are not the ones who moved their plan fastest, they are the ones who paused, checked the new line, checked 5G coverage, checked the plan against the market, and then transferred or switched on purpose. The one-click path is built to make that pause feel unnecessary. It is the most valuable five minutes of the whole move.
The practical consequence: do not let "move my service" be a reflex. Use the move as a deadline to re-compare, decide deliberately, and book early enough that the decision is yours rather than the calendar's.
Grounded in the analysis
What you should actually do when moving with Optus
Specific moves that follow from how the transfer is designed, not generic advice.
Check the new line before you commit
Ask Optus what NBN technology the new address uses, and whether Optus 5G home internet is available there. The connection sets the speeds you can actually get, so confirm your tier still fits the line rather than transferring blind.
Re-compare, then transfer or switch on purpose
Treat the move as a free price check. Compare your current plan against the market and against 5G home for the new address. If it still suits, transfer; if it does not, switch. Either way it is a deliberate choice, not a default.
Book two to four weeks ahead
Start the relocation early through the My Optus app or on 133 937. A new connection, technician visit or modem swap takes scheduling, and month-end demand is high, so the run-up is what keeps you from arriving offline.
Planning the wider move? Use our moving checklist, sort your utility connections, and compare plans for the new address with our internet providers guide.
Current figures, last updated 2026-06-16
Indicative figures for moving with Optus internet in 2026. Sources: Optus relocation guidance and NBN Co technology categories. Availability, speeds and any fees depend on your specific new address, so confirm them with Optus before you decide.
The bottom line
Why the move is worth more than the click it takes to transfer
Moving your Optus internet is easy by design, and that is exactly the catch: the one-click transfer is built to keep you on the plan you have, whether or not it still fits the address you are going to. The move is the rare moment when re-comparing costs nothing extra, because the new line can change the speeds you can get and Optus 5G home internet may now be an option where you are headed. So check the technology at the new address, compare your plan against the market and against 5G home, and book two to four weeks ahead so you are never left offline. With internet prices moving and NBN technology varying street by street, the people who come out ahead in 2026 are the ones who treat the move as a free re-comparison, then transfer or switch on purpose.
Common questions
A Selectra expert answers your Optus moving questions
Tell Optus you are moving and give them the new address, through the My Optus app, online chat, or by phone on 133 937 within Australia (or +61 2 8082 5678 from overseas). Optus checks what is available at the new place, confirms whether your current plan can be transferred, and books any technician visit needed. Do this at least two to four weeks before you move, because a relocation can need a new connection or an appointment, and slots fill up. Before you click transfer, take a moment to re-compare: a move is the one time it costs nothing to switch, and your old plan is not guaranteed to be the best fit for the new line.
Transfer if you are genuinely happy with the price and speed and the new address uses the same kind of connection. Re-compare and consider switching if any of these are true: you are out of contract or near the end, the new address is on a different NBN technology (so your speed tier may no longer fit), Optus 5G home internet is now an option there, or you simply have not checked your plan against the market in a year or more. A move resets nothing automatically; the old plan rolls on at the old price unless you act, which is exactly why the easy transfer is the most expensive default for people whose plan no longer suits them.
Not always at the same speed. Your achievable speed depends on the NBN technology at the new premises, and that can differ from your old home. A plan built for a full-fibre (FTTP) address may underdeliver on a copper-based (FTTN) line where speed drops with distance from the node; conversely, moving onto FTTP can mean your old tier is now slower than the line could give you. Optus will tell you what is available, but it is on you to check that the tier you are paying for still matches what the new line can do, and to adjust if it does not.
Two to four weeks is the safe window. A straightforward transfer onto an active line can be quick, but if the new address needs a fresh connection, a technician visit, or different equipment, that takes scheduling, and demand peaks at the end of the month when most leases turn over. Leave it to the last few days and you risk arriving to no internet for a stretch. Booking early also buys you time to re-compare calmly rather than defaulting to a rushed one-click transfer because the move-in date is on top of you.
Possibly, and a move is the moment to check. Optus 5G home internet delivers fixed-wireless broadband over the mobile network with no fixed-line installation, so it can be set up fast and may suit a new address where fixed-line NBN is slow, delayed, or unavailable. Availability depends on 5G coverage at the specific address, so confirm it for the new place rather than assuming. Even if it was not an option at your old home, coverage expands over time, so it is worth comparing against transferring your existing NBN plan before you decide.
Usually yes, if the new address uses the same connection type. If the technology changes (for example moving from an FTTN setup to HFC or FTTP), Optus may send a different modem because the hardware has to match the line. Check this when you arrange the move so you are not caught with a modem that will not connect. If you are weighing a switch, factor in any new-modem or setup costs on both sides before deciding, and ask whether early-exit fees apply if you are still inside a contract term.
