Why Are MVNOs Dragging Their Feet on 5G?

Lstrongzero on 29/08/2021 - 23:14

It’s been almost two years (maybe more) that 5G has been available to the consumer. Yet spintel
Seems to be the only MVNO that offers 5G. Does anyone have any insider knowledge as to why?

Cheers.

Mobile

Comments

  • Hybroid on 29/08/2021 - 23:15
    +3

    4G is cheaper.

    • strongzero on 29/08/2021 - 23:19

      So it’s not just charged per mb?

  • Joshminey on 29/08/2021 - 23:20
    +1

    Aussie Broadband also offer 5G

    • strongzero on 29/08/2021 - 23:23

      I did not know that cheers for the heads up.

  • thatonethere on 29/08/2021 - 23:26
    +1

    5g costs money this time

    Source: In process of fighting it out with telstra to move to new plans for enterprise. They are taking no prisoners - disconnecting our 7000 user account from 5g (got a few months complimentary) during negotiations on the new plans

    • kipps on 30/08/2021 - 08:43
      +2

      This is the first time Telstra has not actively encouraged people to migrate to a superior network. Their position is bordering on ridiculous - and will likely be pushing people to MVNOs which offer the same 4G service for less than the base $55/mth plan. Terrible company.

      • Chandler on 30/08/2021 - 11:44
        +1

        Already on a Telstra MVNO (Aldi) - have been for quite a while - for this exact reason: why pay $45 when you can pay $15, for comparable coverage (if not the same - I certainly haven't noticed any difference).

        I can see they've really upped the data inclusion to try and keep customers who don't consider how much they actually need (currently 40GB, was 15GB when I was last on Telstra). I only use 2-4GB per month, so the Aldi 3GB usually covers my needs; and even if I need a little more data one month, I'll have any leftovers from previous months or can top it up another 3GB and still pay less per month than on Telstra; and any leftovers from that top-up roll-over to the following month/s.

        • kipps on 30/08/2021 - 18:27
          +1

          I’m going MVNO as soon as my handset repayment credit ends. There’s no incentive to stay with handset subsidies gone and expensive plans.

  • Jjj888 on 29/08/2021 - 23:32
    +4

    BECAUSE THEY Cater to the low end of the market, people who want cheap easy internet access with very low costs and don't really care about 5G or anything like that, and mostly those people will go from company to company in order to get the lowest possible monthly costs

  • mickyb80 on 30/08/2021 - 01:04
    +1

    Some debate if the MP are even offering 5G to the VMO in some cases I'm hearing.
    It's also exe, so VMO will take up the 4g space as others connected to MP move to 5g capacity.
    Money to be made for the MP capacity left over.
    Lost of reasons goes on.

  • PensionerXXL on 30/08/2021 - 06:46
    +4

    prolly because the 5g towers keep getting burnt down by people who use to think they transmit covid

  • ESEMCE on 30/08/2021 - 09:14
    +1

    Same thing happened at the rollout of 4G.
    MVNO's were 3G only to start out with. The Carriers withholding 4G access to "justify" their premium rates.

    • eug on 30/08/2021 - 11:17

      The Carriers withholding 4G access to "justify" their premium rates.

      How unfair. 4G deployments cost nothing to the carriers after all.

  • tanksinatra on 30/08/2021 - 09:27
    +2

    Ultimately the Telco's choose to sell 5G to MVNO's.
    Given its the new fandangled technology, and a bit of a selling point, they probably won't for a while.

  • hikaru78 on 30/08/2021 - 10:03
    +4

    Just because the network operator has it doesnt mean the offer it wholesale to mvno

    • dust on 30/08/2021 - 10:03

      And if they do offer it, it will be at a premium.

  • bongom on 30/08/2021 - 11:23

    What percentage of customers on MVNO's have a 5G capable mobile phone?

    • AdosHouse on 30/08/2021 - 13:18

      Or the opposite, what percentage of 5G mobile owners live in a 5G reception area?

      I have a Note20 but I never get 5G even though I am on a 5G plan.

  • Drakesy on 30/08/2021 - 12:03
    +1

    When 4g already gets me 80-100mb/s around town they don't really have a reason to. Yes it's a nice to have but why give up a 'premium' point of difference when you don't have to.

    Only 0.01% of the population probably will use the extra bandwidth provided by 5G. (these people will pay for the premium product anyway)

    Oh and the battery drain is not ideal.

  • bunkr on 30/08/2021 - 21:55
    +1

    TLDR: 4G is cheaper and 5G coverage is pretty poor even in urban settings

    Longer:
    The way 5G is setup now, there are many technical limitations due to which 5G is bloody expensive. For example, to get 5G, there needs to be a tower within 500m of the phone / device. And even then coverage is spotty at best. Look that this 5G coverage map of Optus: https://www.optus.com.au/about/network/coverage.
    It is entirely possible that half the houses on a street have 5G and other half not. The coverage also seems to be affected by the topography of the area. Until a reliable way of delivering 5G experience can be found, this will not become mainstream.
    Optus says that 5G provides coverage for 20% of Australian population. Now this means that under current coverage, make sure you are not moving about with your device like mobile phone. My personal feeling is that 5G is likely to be more successful as a non-mobile internet service, like home broadband, than people's mobile phones. At least in the next few years.

  • hashtagbargain on 11/05/2022 - 23:24

    Telstra finally announces 5G access for its MNVOs today:

    https://www.itnews.com.au/news/telstra-to-open-its-5g-networ…

  • Darayus on 12/05/2022 - 10:45
    +1

    i get 5G connection on BOOST in North Sydney and Sydney CBD.

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