If you’re working from home, on the go, or just need reliable internet connections wherever you are, mobile broadband should have you covered. Mobile broadband is an internet connection that takes advantage of 4G and (with limited devices) 5G networks.
Plenty of businesses have jumped on the mobile broadband bandwagon by offering it as an alternative to the NBN and home internet. It’s great for all kinds of purposes – as a backup plan, as a home internet solution, or if you need to hop on your work emails while on the train.
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.
In this article we’ll be going through the mobile broadband plans offered by Telstra.
Jump to:
- What is mobile broadband?
- How much does Telstra mobile broadband cost?
- Telstra mobile broadband modems & devices
- How fast is Telstra mobile broadband?
- Why should I switch to Telstra mobile broadband?
What is mobile broadband?
Mobile broadband is type of internet connection that, while not as hard-hitting and download intensive as a Standard Plus 50 NBN Plan or a Premium 100 NBN plan, is still great to have with you if you’re all business and need to stay online no matter what. It’s great if you’re a traveller and need a constant internet connections, or if the home internet goes down and you need to get online right then and there.
Mobile broadband speeds are, at a minimum, most similar to that of a Basic NBN 12 speed, and while there are no unlimited plans on the market, there are some big data options out there. Mobile broadband can come in a variety of packages – with Telstra, it takes the form of a data-only SIM card, but with others it could come in the form of a modem or in the form of a dongle.
Rather than taking advantage of internet lines to houses and properties, mobile broadband relies on 4G mobile coverage. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all have 4G mobile coverage across Australia, and are rolling out their respective 5G networks.
This means that mobile broadband operates at similar speeds to mobile phones. 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.
How much does Telstra mobile broadband cost?
Telstra’s mobile broadband plans start at $15 for 5GB of fast data on a month to month basis, and range to $75 for 200GB on a month to month basis. You can also get a mobile broadband modem bundled in, and can share your plan’s data with up to ten eligible plans on a single Telstra account.
Telstra offers four mobile broadband plans – Extra Small, Small, Medium and Large. Compared to Optus, they are a bit pricey, but keep in mind Telstra’s network is a little bit faster. In addition to a full-speed gigabyte allowance, Telstra also includes unlimited data capped at speeds of 1.5Mbps on all mobile broadband plans.
These plans are available on what Telstra calls an ‘upfront’ basis, meaning instead of being billed for your usage, you’ll pay in advance each month. You can set up renewing payments via AutoPay – as there’s no excess data fees for use in Australia, you can rely on your plan fee to stay the same each month.
Beyond Telstra, 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.
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 | |||
Mobile broadband plans compared
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 | |||
Telstra mobile broadband devices
Telstra offers a selection of great devices to use with mobile broadband. The four modems up for grabs are the:
- Telstra 4GX USB
- Nighthawk M2
- Telstra 4GX Wi-Fi Pro
- Telstra 4GX Modem
The Telstra 4GX USB, the Nighthawk M2 and the Telstra 4GX Wi-Fi Pro are great if you’re on the go, supporting up to five, 20 and 10 devices on their networks respectively. The 4GX USB is a dongle that you plug into your device, and allows for you to hotspot, whereas the Nighthawk M2 and the 4GX Wi-Fi Pro have in-built screens, allowing you to monitor your usage.
The 4GX Modem allows for up to 20 devices to be connected, and is great for streaming and gaming – the trade-off is that it’s not a portable modem unlike the others up for grabs, but it’s great and super-fast for a home connection.
These modems vary greatly in price and payment plans, with the Telstra 4GX USB starting at $2.66 a month for 36 months, and the 4GX modem starting at $8 a month for 36 months.
If you live in a 5G-covered area, Telstra offers a 5G Wi-Fi Pro, although the device may not always be in stock due to demand. This offers both 5G and 4G mobile broadband connections, and is available on 24-month and 36-month plans.
Telstra also offers an ArloGo WiFi camera, which allows you to keep an eye on things from other places.
How fast is Telstra mobile broadband?
Typically with mobile broadband, 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.
However, there are speed differences between devices and networks. Head to our guide for more information on mobile broadband speeds.
Why should I switch to Telstra 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, such as within the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.
Image: Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock
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