If you’re tired of the NBN and live in an area that receives a reliable 5G connection, you could be on the cusp of unlocking faster and cheaper internet.
Keep reading as we compare 5G home internet to NBN on cost and speed and reliability, while sharing some of the best like-for-like NBN and 5G home internet plans in our database.
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Cost: 5G vs NBN
In terms of cost, 5G home internet works out about the same as an NBN connection or, in some cases, it can even be a little cheaper.
This is because more providers are offering 5G home broadband plans than ever before. It’s worth noting that NBN plan prices often look cheaper due to included promo discounts, which expire after an initial period. So equivalent 5G home broadband plans can actually work out cheaper in the long run.
Here’s some 5G home broadband plans capped at 50Mbps:
And here’s how they compare to some of the cheapest NBN 50 plans in our database right now:
If you’re looking for a little more speed, here are the cheapest 100Mbps capped 5G plans in our database:
And this is how they stack up against some of our NBN 100 plans:
The price difference becomes most obvious when you compare uncapped 5G plans with NBN 250 plans. Uncapped 5G plans are not only slightly more affordable than NBN 250 plans, but they can also reach speeds faster than NBN 250 plans can. So ultimately, you should achieve faster speeds for less money.
Here’s a selection of uncapped 5G home broadband plans:
And here are the cheapest NBN 250 plans in our database right now for comparison:
Speed: 5G vs NBN
As mentioned above, 5G home broadband plans come in three speeds: 50Mbps, 100Mbps and even uncapped. Uncapped speeds can achieve up to 1Gbps but, to be realistic, telcos promise around 250Mbps.
While NBN plans can also achieve 1Gbps if you opt for the highest NBN speed tier — NBN 1000 — this is only available to those lucky enough to have an FTTP or HFC connection type. You’re also unlikely to ever see 1Gbps during peak hours.
It’s worth noting that 5G home internet speeds are also more prone to fluctuation than NBN speeds, with factors like coverage and congestion also often having an impact.
Here are the fastest NBN 1000 plans you can get right now:
Christie Graham is Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s mobile and internet comparison site.