Mobile broadband is a great thing if you’re on the go, or don’t have NBN available where you live. If you’re working from home, travelling often, or need to use the internet a lot for your job, it’s great to have mobile broadband as even a backup in the bottom of a drawer or bag.
In particular, if the whole family is home and using the internet, you’ll want an alternative if your bandwidth is being soaked up by everyone else in the house. Mobile broadband is a solution to this problem, and it could prove to be a painless backup plan for you.
Plenty of brands have hopped on the mobile broadband bandwagon, and today we’ll be going through Optus’ mobile broadband range.
Jump to:
- What is mobile broadband?
- How much does Optus mobile broadband cost?
- Mobile broadband modems & devices
- How fast is mobile broadband?
- Why should I switch to mobile broadband?
What is mobile broadband?
Mobile broadband is a type of internet connection that, while not as hard-hitting and download intensive as a NBN 50 Plan or NBN 100 plan, is still great to have with you, if you need to remain online no matter what. It’s great if you’re a traveller and need a constant internet connection, or if the home internet goes down and you need to get online right then and there.
Rather than taking advantage of internet lines to houses and properties, mobile broadband relies on 4G or 5G mobile coverage. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all have mobile coverage across Australia.
This means that 4G mobile broadband operates at similar speeds to mobile phones, typically at speeds higher than the 12Mbps limit found on basic NBN plans, and with a maximum of about 100Mbps. It also means that if home broadband connections are getting choked up by bandwidth constraints, like they are with COVID-19 traffic, this makes a brilliant alternative if your home internet is too slow.
While there are currently no unlimited data mobile broadband plans on the market, there are still some big data allowances out there. Mobile broadband can come in a variety of packages – with Optus, it takes the form of a data-only SIM card, but with others it could come with a modem, or in the form of a dongle.
How much does Optus mobile broadband cost?
Optus Mobile Broadband plans start at just $15 for a 5GB per month plan and range to $60 a month for 100GB, with all plans including an optional modem. These plans are great for anybody wanting a data-only SIM as a backup to their home internet, or for internet on the go.
With no excess data charges in Australia, and access to Optus Sport, it’s a hard deal to pass up on when searching for a mobile broadband plan. However, be aware that if you’re looking for a plan with 5G coverage, only Large and Extra Large Optus mobile broadband plans include access to the telco’s 5G network.
Optus Mobile Broadband Data SIM plans
The following table shows a selection of Optus mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest.
| Brand | Features | Max Data/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Choice Plus Data Plan
min. cost $20 month to month |
20GB | $20 | Link to provider unavailable |
 |
^^View important information | |||
As for other brands, mobile broadband prices range between $15 a month for a small data plan to $110 a month for a huge data plan. There aren’t any unlimited plans on the market right now, which means the price is largely dependent upon the packaged-in technology and the size of the data plan itself, ranging between 7GB and 250GB. Plans range between being month-to-month, and having 12 month plan lock-in periods.
Mobile broadband plans compared
To get a good idea of the prices of mobile broadband prices from different providers, we’ve included this table below for your consideration.
Telstra Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Telstra mobile 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Small
min. cost $25 over one month |
30GB | $25 | |
|
Medium
min. cost $58 over one month |
75GB | $58 | |
|
Large
min. cost $90 over one month |
400GB | $90 | |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Vodafone mobile 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Small Data SIM Only Plan
min. cost $20 over first month |
30GB | $20 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
Large Data SIM Only Plan
min. cost $40 over first month |
70GB | $40 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Amaysim Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Amaysim mobile 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Sim Only 7GB
min. cost $15 over 28 day billing period |
7GB | $15 | |
|
Sim Only 50GB
min. cost $40 over 28 day billing period |
50GB | $40 | |
|
Sim Only 90GB
min. cost $60 over 28 day billing period |
90GB | $60 | |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Southern Phone Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Southern Phone mobile 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Extra Small
min. cost $180 over 12 month plan period |
7GB | $15 | |
|
Small
min. cost $300 over 12 month plan period |
15GB | $25 | |
|
Medium
min. cost $480 over 12 month plan period |
50GB | $40 | |
|
Large
min. cost $780 over 12 month plan period |
100GB | $65 | |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Optus prepaid mobile broadband plans
Optus also offers prepaid mobile broadband plans starting at $2 for a Data Only SIM Starter Kit. If you’re interested in paying before using your data, it might be worth jumping on these. For a $30 recharge you can get 25GB worth of data with an expiry within 30 days. An 80GB recharge is also available for $130, again with a 30-day expiry.
Optus mobile broadband modems & devices
Optus also offers a range of great devices to buy with your mobile broadband plan. In short, to get onto the internet, you’ll need a device that can either pick up a hotspot signal (such as a laptop) or a device that can have a SIM card inserted (such as a phone).
Optus has two mobile broadband modems: the AC800S 4G WiFi Modem and the B818 4G WiFi Modem. The AC800S 4G WiFi Modem is great if you’re on the go and like to have portable WiFi. It has a built-in battery, and it comes in a compact design. The B818 4G WiFi Modem on the other hand is much more bulky, and is a modem you must plug in. It has a strong antenna that provides strong home WiFi coverage, ideal for families and big work-spaces, and can work well with numerous devices.
Both devices can take a data-only Micro SIM, but the B818 4G WiFI Modem has access to multiple 4G signal bands, meaning it’s better for multiple devices and users – this goes against the AC800S 4G WiFi Modem being better at portable internet usage.
You can also bring your own device and not worry about an extra cost, but Optus does offer an iPad Air (with an added bonus data plans starting at 25GB for 24 months), and a selection of smart watches from both Apple and Samsung. You can also pick up a an iPad Pro 12.9 inch, an iPad Pro 11 inch, an iPad 7th Gen, a Galaxy Tab A10.1 or a Galaxy Tab S5e.
How fast is Optus mobile broadband?
Mobile broadband speeds can vary, depending on a variety of factors. Typically, you should be able to reach download speeds of between 20Mbps and 100Mbps on a 4G connection, but faster download speeds of up to 1Gbps are now possible if you live in an area with 5G network coverage and have a compatible device.
Why should I switch to Optus mobile broadband?
Mobile broadband is a great option for you for several reasons. It’s a great alternative to the NBN when the network is under a lot of stress, and it’s also great for if you’re out and about and need a reliable internet connection. Having a separate internet connection at home could also be a great idea if you’re looking to stop bandwidth congestion for your family. If your family is watching something on Netflix and you’re trying to do a video call with your workplace, you’ll certainly notice some bandwidth tension, so maybe it’s worth thinking about mobile broadband.
If you don’t have the NBN available in your area, mobile broadband is something you should certainly consider. Mobile broadband speeds will typically idle around the Basic NBN 12 speed, which rivals the max speed of ADSL connections.
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