Vividwireless Broadband Plans Review

Vividwireless is a Sydney-based broadband provider with a twist – the company specialises solely in providing home wireless broadband plans. Launched in March 2010, Vividwireless was purchased by Optus in 2012 and as of October 2017 customers can now purchase Vividwireless plans and modems from Optus stores, making it a convenient option if you’re looking for a quick internet solution.

Vividwireless avoids the hassle by offering 4G LTE wireless internet plans – its wireless modem needs only to be plugged into a power socket, where it can be set up within minutes – no complex cable connections required. Furthermore, there’s no need for phone line rental, which could save you a significant amount every month.

• The principle downside of wireless internet is sometimes-patchy coverage, or even a complete lack of service in your area. It’s therefore important to check the quality of 4G coverage at your home before buying a wireless internet plan.
• The good news is that all of Australia’s major cities have reasonably comprehensive 4G coverage on the Optus network, and the area covered is constantly increasing.

If you’re considering a wireless broadband plan, read on for our breakdown of the plans offered by Vividwireless.

Benefits of Vividwireless

The main benefit with Vividwireless is that it uses mobile technology, and is therefore pretty reliable and very easy to set up.

• A traditional wired broadband connectionrequires a technician to come to your house and install new cables, re-route your service, set up your new modem and much more – a process which may take days to schedule and hours to undertake.
• Vividwireless plans can be established yourself with a simple plug-in modem.
• Speeds up to 12/1Mbps – an improvement over the old 10/1 plans. Being that this is a 4G LTE connection, speeds may be more reliable than with a traditional fixed-line plan.
• Online and telesales purchases come with free shipping and handling of modems.
• Available in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth areas where 4G is available.
• Call centre hours from 9am-11pm Monday to Friday and weekends and public holidays from 9am-10pm (AEDT).

Vividwireless also powers a home wireless plan through Optus, which offers more choice for the consumer. So let’s compare Vividwireless broadband plans, and what – if any – other providers are also offering in competition.

Vividwireless Internet Plans

Vividwireless offers two different broadband plans, the most expensive of which offers unlimited data. 200GB can be had for $70 a month, while unlimited data will cost $90 a month. Both plans come with a month-to-month contract as standard:

• The modem costs $199, bringing the total minimum cost for the first to $269.
• Vividwireless does offer new customers ‘one month free’, whereby your second month’s bill is credit to you.
• The modem in question is a Huawei B315s.
• Data packs on the 200GB plan can be added from $10 for 10GB.

Vividwireless offers its data on an anytime basis – there are no peak or off-peak limits to worry about. However, your speed may be throttled under the Vividwireless “fair use” policy if they determine your use is heavy enough to be adversely affecting the network.

• Peer to Peer file sharing is listed as an example of activity likely to be throttled
• Additionally, connecting more than 5 devices to a Vividwireless service increases your possibility of being slowed or shaped

How does Vividwireless compare to other internet providers?

With a unique approach as the only provider to solely offer home wireless broadband, the telco’s main competition consists of its big brother Optus, as well as Telstra. However, if you’re looking for the cheapest plan, you may have to stick with the NBN or ADSL.

Vividwireless Plans Compared to ADSL & NBN Providers

The company’s two data capped plans can’t match a traditional broadband service in terms of how much you pay for the data included.

• Many other providers offer unlimited NBN & ADSL broadband and home phone bundles for less than $60 a month.
• The downside to this is you have to put up with installation time, while Vividwireless’ plans are simply ‘plug and play’.

As you can see below, the cheapest providers to offer unlimited data on either an NBN or ADSL connection are Dodo, AusBBS, Amaysim and Belong Broadband.

Vividwireless Plans Compared to Telstra & Optus Home Wireless

A much fairer comparison is with other wireless broadband plans of the same ilk, which come with the convenience and portability of a wireless connection. Vividwireless’ Unlimited plan is in fact the only unlimited home wireless plan in Australia.

• The closest rival is the 200GB plan on offer from Optus, which provides more than enough data for most households at $70/month.
• Telstra provides just 80GB for over double the price. For those who use more than that, Vivid’s value becomes a bit more apparent.

If you enjoy streaming media, playing video games, or browsing the web often, the unlimited wireless data plan could represent a smart investment – provided your use doesn’t fall afoul of the provider’s “fair use” policy.

Vividwireless Plans Compared to Mobile Broadband Providers

Being that Vividwireless plans use the Optus 4G network, if you’re looking for the biggest choice in providers then it’s only fair to also have a look at some mobile broadband providers and look at pairing their plans with a Wi-Fi dongle or pocket Wi-Fi device. This more or less gives the same benefit as a Vividwireless plan, but the dongles may not be able to support multiple connected devices.

• Data with mobile broadband providers is usually much lower and more expensive per gigabyte.

Some of the cheapest SIM-only providers are Jeenee Mobile, OVO Mobile, Bendigo Bank Telco, and Virgin Mobile. All offer 10GB for around $30 a month. Keep in mind these are ‘SIM only’, which is great if you have a tablet but you will need a dongle or pocket modem if you’re on a laptop or needing to connect a few devices. This is an additional cost that can cost upwards of $100.

Is a Vividwireless plan a good deal?

Vividwireless offers an interesting alternative to traditional ADSL or cable broadband. Wireless internet means a quick, easy setup, no line rental fees and the flexibility to take your internet connection with you wherever you go. While the value proposition might not match that of a fixed line internet plan in the long term, Vividwireless is a very useful option for many Australian households.

• The sheer flexibility afforded with a Vividwireless plan means you can simply ‘plug and play’ and for many people this ease of set-up and convenience is worth the higher-than-average cost for the amount of data they receive.

Vividwireless has attacked a gaping hole in the market of customers who want flexible home internet solutions. With unlimited data for about $90 a month, it’s well poised to take on the big providers in the internet world, and with Optus’ backing, it will be interesting to see how the home wireless broadband market can continue to expand.

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