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Optus Wireless Broadband 200GB (4G Network) from $60/Mth (if You Bundle with Mobile). One Month Free if You Sign up Online

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Hey,

So Optus has upped their wireless broadband offering. Works on the 4G network. A good option if you rent or move house alot (i do) as you can move it with you and doesn't require a phoneline.

200GB Wireless broadband -
Month to month - $80/mth (plus cost of modem)
12 month contract - $80/mth (plus $10/mth for 12 months for modem ($120))
24 month contract - $80/mth (free modem)

Also you can get $20/mth off if you bundle with a mobile plan over $30/mth - http://www.optus.com.au/shop/bundles/20-dollar-discount

What i did:

12 month contract -
$36/mth mobile sim only ($40/mth with student discount) -see here https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/283163
$70/mth 200GB wireless broadband ($20/mth off bundled) including modem free and one month free ($70 credit)

Full cost = Mobile $436 for a year + Broadband $770

note: Up to 12/1 Mbps download/upload in 2300 MHz areas. Up to 5/1 Mbps in other areas. Check your area with their technical support before sign up

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closed Comments

  • +3

    Tempting!

    Sick of my 4mbit speeds on internode

    • +1

      same! well id like to get both! a junk $50 unlimted adsl and this for normal use

      • Do you know of any junk $50 adsl plans - cheapest I can find is spintel on an urban plan $50/month using optus dslam

        • dodo ? they hae $29.95 i pay 69 with node

        • @T1OOO: plus line rental

    • Same! What happened to internode? that TPG acquisition causing this? I thought I'm the only one getting worse and worse speed over the past few months…

      • No problems with my NBN plan from Internode, consistent 50Mbps.

    • So I'm not the only one that's having problems with Internode?
      At time my speed virtually goes down to literally nothing.
      It's been like it for months, and I use to always get a great consistent speed.

      • Since the acquisition of Internode by TPG, the 8-9mbit line speed my family was getting (we are at the edge of the exchange on a rim box) we are now getting 6mbit as it appears the ISP has profiled us and will not remove it or otherwise look into it. We do appear to be getting more disconnects/drop outs than previously what we would see.

    • Be careful…

      I just signed up thinking I would improve my speed. I am lucky to get 5Mbps…

      12 month contract and they won't cancel it. Ugh.

        • Yeah I've been there. Have you talked with Internode to get a technician to check out the wires? You can get a pretty rough estimation of how fast the speeds are based on line length (assuming you're with ADSL2 because if you're getting Cable or NBN at those speeds, you should be rioting).

        • +1

          @ChillBro:

          Isn't sletts talking about his Optus wireless connection?

          @sletts: Have you checked to see how far you are from the tower that you're connecting to?

        • @chuns:

          Yea, 1.4kms away.

          I have a tower ~100 meters away, however no 4G 2300Mhz services.

          https://oztowers.com.au/Home/FullSiteInfo?siteId=10662

          Optus said
          "I thus did a final inspection to see for any sort of network issues other than all these and found that there is fairly large Network Quality Region (Blackspot) too just besides your location which could also be affecting the overall coverage in the area."

          Doesn't help when I am locked in for 12 months.

        • @sletts:
          Have you tried locking your modem to 2300mhz band? That might help your situation, fingers crossed.

        • @unco:

          Yes… unfortunately it's too unreliable.

          Might investigate an antenna, however the 'bargain' is beginning to become a pretty expensive and time-consuming endeavor.

  • +1

    Ugh it's speed limited to 10/1 isn't it

    • +3

      12/1

    • "Up to 12/1 Mbps download/upload in 2300 MHz areas. Up to 5/1 Mbps in other areas"

      source: http://www.optus.com.au/shop/broadband/home-wireless-broadba…

    • +2

      I am on 11/1 with NBN .. Would be funny if I could get faster using mobile phone internet

      I remember back i paid AUD$55 per month for 5 gig with internode 3g years back

    • And with my current 3Mbps connection I say Huzzah! Will just have to check reception at home.

    • Sorry, I dont understand what 10/1 or 12/1 is but REALLY want to improve my shitty TPG net.

      Can someone explain this to me?

      Thanks in advance

      • +2

        This Optus service is capped at 12mbps download and 1mbps upload if you're in a 2300mhz area, otherwise you'll be on 5/1 for all other areas.

        Vividwireless is capped at 10mbps download and 1mbps upload and only runs on 2300mhz.

        Keep in mind mbps is megabits per second, not megabytes per second.

        You can calculate the potential speeds through Google

        Also run your own speedtest to see what current speeds you're getting.
        http://www.speedtest.net/

        • Run speed tests through https://fast.com/. It uses Netflix's servers to send the data, regular sites like speedtest.com have a higher QoS assigned by ISPs. Hence why speed tests are often quicker than real world use age, such as Netflix.

        • @no not me: Good tip thanks. I get this message when I try that site.

          • Could not reach our servers to perform the test. You may not be connected to the internet
        • @unco: That's odd. Not sure about what the cause of that issue is, maybe the site is experiencing issues. Could possibly be an add-on or DNS issue or maybe an ISP problem (hopefully and probably not a block).

        • @no not me: Worked great for me thanks, I get a whopping 4.6mbps result with my iinet naked adsl connection with the Netflix site and 4.81mbps with speedtest site. Blistering fast internet (NOT). 12mbps sounds pretty good to me the :-)

        • @Op54: Glad to hear. It's good to have real-world speed test results. From what I can tell, fast.com is built in such a way that ISPs cannot "fake" or prioritise results. The speed you get there is the speed your ISP will deliver for Netflix, which in most cases is throttled not and not given higher priority.

        • @no not me: oh maybe it's got to do with my Getflix settings. I'll have a play with it and see if that's it.
          Thanks mate.

        • @no not me:

          You can also use a download manager such as DownThemAll to grab a random file off a well bandwidth provisioned mirror such as aarnet.

        • @Op54: 250kbps for me…

  • +5

    vivid wireless is better value and operate on the same network.

    • +1

      And unlimited compared to Optus 200G with excess

    • +2

      yeah i considered vivid but their unlimited is $89/mth and you have to buy the modem outright. In my situation (only two people in the house) 200GB is heaps and all over a much better deal for me. For some unlimited is a must though.

      • +1

        Modem is free for Vivid if you sign up a 24 month contract.

        • +1

          and ETF is ONLY (Modem Cost / 24) * Remaining Months as far as I can tell. Cancel 12 months in to the contract and you pay ~$100 ETF.

        • +1

          @DarkRyoushii:

          That's correct, you only have the opportunity to lose money by not choosing the 24 month contract option.

        • @musicinbed69:
          Do you have to pay out the remaining monthly repayments or it's purely just the ETF that you have to pay out?

        • @unco:
          Last I checked you essentially pay out the modem fee - ((modem fee / 24) * months with)
          So if you leave after 1 month. that's $199 - ((199 / 24 <8.29>) * 1 month. = $190.71 exit fee.

          But if you leave after 6 months, that's a $149.25 exit fee. Which means you save $50~ish compared to buying the modem outright from the beginning.

      • +2

        Heaps of used vivifis and gateways on Gumtree.

    • Yes, my vivid is 3 times faster than my optus ADSL2,

  • +1

    If they didn't limit it to 12/1Mbps I'd be all over this. Its still better than my 6Mbps ADSL though.

  • not fast

  • hrmm that is a good deal, man really this would make NBN obsolete if they unleased 1TB uncaped 4g plans for even say 200$!

    • you can get unlimited 4g Plans with vivid wireless for $80 per month. I use them and I get great speeds with very little problems. Uses Optus network.

      https://www.vividwireless.com.au/plans/unlimited-plan

      • +1

        I assume you mean 89 dollars? What speed do you get?

      • Can you tell me a few things?

        Speedtest.net result, distance from Tower (If known), State?

        • using Speedtest.net I get 7.32 mbps. I am Sydney but in a very good coverage area for optus.

        • @dlakers3peat:

          That's great and all but I need a Speedtest.net result - ideally from a customer in Melbourne. I want to know latency (Ping) to a Melbourne speedtest location as well as Sydney.

          Maybe you could test to a melbourne speedtest server for me instead? :)

        • @DarkRyoushii: This would be of little use because there are too many variables. You'd need to take in to account the local tower you're connected to and the congestion etc.

      • what the hell!? how come im only finding this out now?! last i knew it was only wimix as an option not 4g?!

      • +1

        This discussion seems to suggest that VIVID is NOT faster: http://forum.vividwireless.com.au/forum/general-discussion/i…

        • +1

          Of course vivid (10/1) isn't faster than optus' own wireless broadband (12/1) but it's also not limited to 200gb either which I think is the selling point.

        • I get 3.5mb/sec right now. This would be triple the speed. I now use my 4g phone to install apps that are like 100meg and they fly compared to my wifi with adsl. This is a good stop gap solution me thinks.

        • +1

          It's good enough for us for Netflix, Youtube, browsing, downloading linux ISOs (ahem). Even playing Battlefield 1 on PS4 is flawless, even with voice chat. All that on the yellow signal strength when green is ideal. I was very pleasantly surprised at that last point. Ping is nothing special, but if you want to game just use a Telstra prepaid 4g with 6GB on it.

        • +1

          @T1OOO:
          12 mbit is 1.5mb/s

        • @zfind:

          nice! yeah i dont game, so not interested…..

        • @rememberme:

          i knows, i get like 390 k BYTES a second. its like 3 times more.

      • yep sorry $89 per month. Plus if you sign up for a 24 month contract you will get the modem for free. and free delivery.

      • vividwireless is not currently available in your area

        In Melbourne West. No NBN either. The only option is ADSL2+.

    • +2

      Not really. If everyone jumped on that there wouldn't be the spectrum to provide everyone 12/1 let alone decent uncapped speeds. You'd need low power base stations on every street which would be incredibly expensive.

      There's reports of even NBN co fixed wireless towers becoming heavily congested which are generally in low density areas.

  • Inverter in my truck = rolling hotspot

  • After better uploads. Which they wouldn't hobble these plans with 1MB up…

  • I wish I could not buy the modem on the month to month solution. You can use any other modem (say E5573) that is cheaply available I would guess. Forcing me to buy their modem (which runs on ebay for 199 unlocked) is a pain.

    • +1

      You have to buy their modem as they cap the modem speeds to 12/1 at the modem as well. If you put the sim in your phone or another modem, it will force you to call Optus to have it unblocked once its put back in your device. The SIM wont work in anything that is not the imei and product code of the modem.

      • Thanks for the clarification!

  • +1

    Got one of these to use in a rural location with a mast & antenna rig I previously used with a Telstra connection. Obviously purely dependant on what signal strengths are available at the required location but yeah this device works brilliantly for me at over five times the speed of the Telstra device/connection through the exact same antenna rig. AC Wifi and Gigabit LAN is a nice bonus too!

    • What antenna rig is this?

      • +1

        I just got one of these kits: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/11dBi-4G-3G-700-2700-MHz-Antenna-…

        When I was with Telstra I tried many different antennas with greatly varying results. These antennas weren't available back then but the combination of this antenna and the Optus modem worked beautifully first go with only limited fiddling with antenna aim to get optimal performance. Again, all dependant on location & what signals are present and that's all voodoo as it can change dramatically every 5-10 meters.

        • Hm, I might have to try this sometime. I got one of the cheaper indoor ones a while back, but it really doesn't help much.

        • @elusive: Yep. No guarantees on any of this as so much can effect reception but after spending thousands on finding a solution another $140 was nothing. If it doesn't work you could flip it and probably not lose too much anyway, maybe only $10-$20 as long as you keep everything in 'as new' condition.

  • +3

    Up to 12/1 Mbps download/upload in 2300 MHz areas. Up to 5/1 Mbps in other areas

    Note this in OP. This is not full speed 4g.

  • Checked availability… "WE DO NOT CURRENTLY OFFER OPTUS BROADBAND AT YOUR ADDRESS".

    • +1

      Yeah, this is quite common however due to the mysterious way radio signals can travel it's definitely not accurate. My rural address (as mentioned above) always reported that Broadband wasn't available, both wired & wireless however I'm connecting fine. All depends on how desperate you are and how much you want to risk it. I had a hunch it would work OK and luckily it paid off.

      • I'm on OVO (Optus 4G), and i told them that. I have a perfectly good connection, still they tell me they will not sell me that plan because they do not support my area. Must be the lack of 'plus'.

  • I called up. This is not available in my area.

    So he explained that this particular service is designed to work on a 4G-Plus network ONLY. It will not drop down to 4G or 3G.

    So it is really important to check coverage maps for the 4G Plus before ordering.

    • I think it's highly likely it would work at least at 5Mbit if you can convince them to sell it to you. It operates on all their 4G frequencies.

  • Deciding whether to go with this or optus cable on a 24 month plan both are $60/month after discounts. 200Gb would be more than sufficient though I know cable has unlimited data. More concerned with speed rather than data. Any suggestions?

    • +2

      I think cable would be better. I haven't been using Optus cable for a while and I understand it has congestion too (what hasn't). But for those thinking of ditching fix line for wireless, I would think they are on ADSL rather than cable as cable should have better reliability and speed when compared to ADSL (and even wireless)

    • +1

      I ditched Telstra earlier this year due to their poor 'everything' and took the risky plunge by moving all my services over to Optus even after reading many reports of terrible speeds and unreliable connectivity. I've gotta say it's one of the best risks I've ever taken… approx. 85-100mbps constant Cable speeds (& sometimes even over 100!), great mobile coverage and at a far lower cost than Telstra. Could be location based luck as many other OzBargainers still seem to have big problems with Optus but yeah I can't recommend Optus (especially their speed upgraded Cable plans) more!

      • During peak times my Optus cable can be quite slow.

    • This is 12/1mbps.

      If you mean you're considering ADSL, Google to find your local exchange and calculate approx. distance. Around 2.5km is where 12/1mbps will be an equivalent option, beyond that ADSL will be slower. Note some towns may have subexchanges which aren't listed, though if there's an exchange <2.5KM you can almost guarantee you will receive speeds higher than on this 4G plan. If there's no exchange listed closer than that, it's a massive gamble.

      If NBN or other high-speed technology is available, I'd recommend it over 4G anyday.

  • +1

    Those thinking of ditching their rubbish fixed line/ADSL connections should consider the increased latency that comes with using a wireless connection. Ok for internet and streaming but could be an issue for online gaming.

    • I signed up in October for this Optus wireless plan, I am getting consistent sub 80 pings in Battlefront 1, for what it's worth. I waited to check pings on the new service, and then cancelled our 'landline' ADSL

    • Locally I receive 59 ping to Sydney on landline, 58-63 on 4G.

      In other words, ping time is more unstable (the routing paths are almost random, lol) though with-in a few milliseconds difference usually. Note my modem at times randomly decides it wants to use a different 4G tower (resulting in dropped packets for 0.5-1second), though I use a cheaper portable 4G modem.

  • -1

    RIP Optus 4G network.

    • Why? I just did a speed test on my mobile on Optus 4G: Ping-17ms Download-61.55Mbps Upload-26.50Mbps Seems to be very much alive & kicking, no?

      • -1

        Wait until thousands of people sign up for these plans. Then let me know how things are going.

        • +1

          I believe its a different bandwidth than the mobile 4G network. The wireless broadband is exclusively the 4G-plus network on 2300mHz.

        • +1

          @Megskins: The Optus product runs on the other bands too but limits them to 5/1 speeds I guess to try and limit the affect on mobile users.

        • @Megskins: It's 12Mbit on 2300MHz but works on all their 4G frequencies.

        • These plans have been out for months so there will already be tons of people on them (and the original 50GB plan since November last year).

        • +1

          @StevePER:

          In some cases throttling speeds on cellular networks makes things worse. That is, the bottle neck is in the spectrum Optus has (not the fibre backhaul)… So the longer you delay the transfer of data, the bigger the bottle neck at the cellular layer is (the longer the spectrum is engaged/utilised for).

          Optus did a similar thing in the 3G days and it ended in a sloooow network.

        • @StevePER:

          Yeah but now 4 times more data, and much more viable fixed line replacement.

  • Do you need to buy the modem? Can you just put the SIM in another device?

    • The SIM is apparently locked to modem so no however I've read that you can use other SIMs in the modem.

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