What are the best wireless internet plans?
Finding the best wireless internet plan for your household needs will depend on a few different factors. For example, mobile network coverage and speed caps can make a huge difference when comparing plans, and what will work well for one household, might not suit another household.
If you prioritise fast speeds, an uncapped 5G home internet plan is going to offer you the best chance at reaching fast speeds. However this isn’t a guarantee, as speeds can be impacted by things such as network coverage; if there are obstacles or a big distance between your home and the cellular tower; and network congestion.
For households on a budget, you’ll not only want to look for the cheaper home wireless broadband plans, but plans that also suit your speed needs.
Ultimately what you need or prioritise in an internet plan will determine which plan is best for your household. Comparing plans from a range of providers can help you find the plan that ticks all those boxes for you — rather than signing up to the first plan you find or simply going with a big-name provider you recognise.
What are the best-value home wireless broadband plans?
The best-value 4G home internet or 5G home internet plan will offer the right balance between price and speed for your household’s needs. However, other factors, such as customer service and reliability, can help you choose between similar plans. At Canstar, our awards for Outstanding Value and Most Satisfied Customers can help you find providers that could offer you the right plan for your needs. Our 2025 home wireless broadband award winners are:
- Outstanding Value Wireless Broadband Plans award winner 2025: iiNet and TPG
- Most Satisfied Customers Home Wireless Providers award winner 2025: TPG
Keep in mind that everyone’s experience with their provider will be different and these awards can help to provide guidance on a plan or provider that might suit what you’re looking for.
What is home wireless broadband?
Home wireless broadband is a technology that allows a modem to access the internet remotely by using the same 4G or 5G mobile networks that connect your smartphone to the internet. It’s also known as wireless internet, wireless broadband, and — depending on the mobile technology used — 4G home internet or 5G home internet.
Unlike NBN, home wireless doesn’t need to connect to a fixed line in your wall; instead, you can plug a home wireless modem into any power outlet.
All wireless internet plans will offer coverage on either Telstra, Optus or Vodafone’s networks, even if your plan is from a smaller telco. A home wireless plan can be a good alternative to NBN or fibre internet, but can sometimes be inconsistent or slow compared to fixed line broadband, especially on 4G-only plans.
5G home internet plans
5G is the latest generation of mobile technology in Australia delivering fast speeds wirelessly using 5G-enabled mobile networks, which then connect your home to the internet via a 5G modem. Its fast speeds can outstrip some of the available residential NBN speed tiers, making it a good (and sometimes cheaper) alternative to an NBN plan.
Opting for 5G over a wired connection offers flexibility and simple set-up, without the need for a phone line or a complicated installation process. You’ll also get faster speeds than 4G home internet and potentially faster speeds than the NBN (depending on which NBN plans are available at your address).
How fast are 5G home internet plans?
Theoretically, 5G is capable of reaching speeds up to 20 gigabits per second (Gbps), but in real-world performance it tends to be closer to around 1Gbps (or 1000 megabits per seocnd/Mbps). An OpenSignal report from October 2025 on Australia’s 5G experience recorded average download speeds of 208.4Mbps on the Optus network, 174.5Mbps on the Telstra network and 161.8Mbps on the Vodafone network.
However, the speeds you’re likely to achieve depend on a number of factors, including:
- Location and coverage: Are there obstacles or a long distance between you and the closest 5G tower?
- Congestion on the network: The more devices trying to connect, the slower your service is likely to be.
- Provider and plan: Some 5G home internet plans have capped speeds such as 50Mbps or 100 Mbps — you might have to look around for uncapped plans with access to faster speeds.
- Device: Newer devices will be capable of reaching faster speeds than older ones.
5G home internet providers
While there aren’t nearly as many 5G home internet providers as there are NBN providers, you’ll still have a few plans and retailers to choose from. The big three telcos — Telstra, Optus and Vodafone — which own and operate their own mobile networks, all offer 5G home internet plans, along with a number of smaller providers which use one of these networks to deliver service.
Providers offering 5G home internet plans include:
- Telstra
- Optus
- Vodafone
- TPG
- iiNet
- Yomojo
- SpinTel
4G home internet plans
Like its 5G counterpart, 4G home internet delivers data in the same way as mobile data on your smartphone: by using a mobile or cellular network to provide internet access, instead of a fixed internet connection.
While not as fast as 5G, 4G mobile networks are more widespread than the 5G networks. So while some households might not be eligible for a 5G home internet plan, they may be able to get 4G home internet instead.
The set-up process is also easy with 4G home broadband; generally, you can plug in the provided modem and you’re ready to go.
Most 4G home internet plans come with unlimited data, however the speeds tend to be capped. The maximum megabits per second differ based on the telco you’re with, but you’ll commonly find plans with around 20Mbps or 25Mbps. These speeds are more in line with the slower NBN speed tiers, so if you have higher internet usage needs or a larger household, 4G might not be able to keep up.
How fast are 4G home internet plans?
Actual speeds experienced on a 4G home internet plan will be determined by a range of factors, but it can theoretically reach speeds of around 100Mbps. Real-world performance is typically around half of this, with the OpenSignal report from October 2025 recording average 4G speeds of 59.3Mbps for the Optus network, 53Mbps for the Telstra network and 40.1Mbps for the Vodafone network. Keep in mind that many 4G home internet plans may have speed caps slower than these recorded speeds.
4G home internet providers
Much like 5G home internet, there aren’t too many providers offering 4G home internet plans. Providers currently offering 4G home wireless plans include:
- Optus
- Kogan
- TPG
- iiNet
- Yomojo
- SpinTel
Cheap wireless internet plans
If you’re looking at keeping costs down, the good news is that home wireless broadband plans can be found for around $50-$60 per month, which is typically cheaper than many NBN plans. However, these cheap plans come with a catch.
Most of the cheap wireless internet plans are 4G home internet plans, so you’ll see speeds capped at around 20Mbps or 25Mbps. These speeds are comparable to the slower NBN speed tiers, so you’ll still need to compromise on speed if you’re looking for cheap internet. However, 4G home wireless plans are also more widely available than 5G due to wider 4G network coverage.
For cheap 5G home internet plans, once again, you’ll be compromising on speed. Speed-capped plans with 50Mbps speeds are often the cheapest 5G home wireless options. However, this speed is comparable to the most popular NBN speed tier, NBN 50, which offers a good-enough performance for many households.
What about home wireless internet deals?
Picking up a plan with a discount is another way to cut the price of your 4G home internet or 5G home internet plan, with many providers frequently offering discounts on plan fees. However these discounts may only run for a set time, such as your first month or first six months. For this reason, always compare a plan’s standard price to ensure it fits in your budget.
While it might be tempting to switch from one provider to another once your discount ends, it’s not always that simple. You’ll need to ensure that any discounted plan you switch to has network coverage at your address and check whether you need to return or pay off any remaining modem fees. Some providers may require you to stay connected to your plan for 12, 24 or 36 months to get your ‘free’ modem. Always check the terms and conditions of a free modem or special offer before signing up to a plan.
How to compare home wireless internet plans
Comparing home wireless broadband plans from a range of providers can help you find the best internet plan for your needs and budget.
Network coverage
As home wireless broadband relies on one of the three mobile networks to deliver 4G or 5G access to homes, you might find that not all networks, and therefore not all plans, will be available to you. For example, you might have 5G home internet available from one provider using one network, while you might find only 4G coverage offered from another provider using a different network. You’ll need to check your home address on the provider’s website before signing up to any plan.
Speeds
Many of the 4G and 5G home wireless plans have speed caps. This is also how providers adjust the pricing of their plans. For example, you’ll find a provider offering a 5G home internet plan with a speed cap of 50Mbps will be cheaper than a plan with 100Mbps speed cap. A plan with uncapped 5G speeds — which really makes the most of those faster 5G speeds — can be harder to find and these plans are usually more expensive than speed-capped plans.
Data
As home wireless internet plans are touted as an alternative to a fixed-line NBN plan, you’ll find most 4G or 5G home internet plans come with unlimited data by default. However, some plans might have data caps in place, so keep this in mind when comparing.
Budget
Once you have an idea of what speeds you want, and what plans are available at your home, setting a budget can help you decide which plan will suit your needs. If you have a tighter budget, you might need to compromise on speed, such as choosing a 100Mbps capped plan rather than an uncapped speed plan.
The price differences between home wireless plans can be anywhere from $10 to $20 per month. Much like with mobile phone plans, you might also find home wireless plans from smaller providers are cheaper than those offered by the big three telcos.
Extras
Most wireless internet plans come with a modem included on the plan, but how you pay for it — even if it’s a ‘free’ modem — will differ between providers. Make sure you read any fine print about included devices before signing up to a plan. Home wireless plans also don’t typically include access to a home phone line, so you might find an NBN plan better suits you if you need a landline service.
How are wireless internet plans different to mobile broadband?
Home wireless broadband and mobile broadband use the same technology. However, home wireless plans typically come packaged with a modem/router that needs to be plugged into a power point, and are designed to be a replacement internet service for a fixed line internet connection, such as an NBN plan. Keep in mind that some plans or modems might be geo-locked to your address, so you’ll want to check plan details before signing up.
Mobile broadband plans, sometimes also called data-only plans or data-only SIM, usually have a smaller data allowance (compared to the unlimited data with home wireless) and are usually available either as a SIM card only, or bundled with a portable modem or dongle. These plans are typically for tablet devices or portable modems/dongles, to be used in a laptop or to access the internet on the go.
What are the pros and cons of home wireless broadband?
Pros
- Home wireless broadband is easy to set up, and can be taken with you if you move house (provided a modem isn’t locked to your address and service is available at your new home).
- It’s a fast alternative for customers who can’t access NBN, or are unhappy with their NBN performance.
- 4G is available to most of the population, with 5G coverage continuing to roll out nationwide.
- Home wireless plans can be cheaper than equivalent speeds on NBN.
- Most plans now include unlimited data.
Cons
- Home wireless broadband relies on mobile network coverage, so will struggle in areas with poor reception.
- Much smaller range of plans and providers to choose from when compared to NBN.
- Fast 5G speeds are not available everywhere, and 4G speeds may be too slow for big households or heavy users.
- Many 5G plans include a speed cap, so you’re not able to reach those super-fast 5G speeds unless you pay for an uncapped plan (which is typically more expensive).
- It’s not always as reliable as fixed-line internet, and speeds can be affected by heavy network traffic.
5G home internet vs NBN — which is better?
If you’re looking for an NBN alternative, 5G home wireless is the best fit — these plans usually include unlimited data, and are good for connecting multiple devices in your household. You can connect to 5G home wireless through a plug-in modem, so set-up is generally fast and simple if you’re in an area with 5G coverage.
Speeds
While 5G is capable of reaching super-fast speeds up to 20Gbps, real-world experience sees a lot more variation with average speeds more around the 150Mbps to 200Mbps. However NBN speeds have become much faster in recent years with plans offering download speeds of up to 2000Mbps (2Gbps), depending on your connection type.
With 5G speeds determined by a wide range of factors, you might find a fast NBN plan is more likely to deliver a faster or more consistent speed, especially if your home has a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connection type.
Price
5G home internet plans tend to be relatively affordable, as many providers now price and sell 5G internet based on the maximum achievable download speeds.
Plans with a maximum speed of 50Mbps tend to begin at around $60 per month, while speeds up to 100Mbps will set you back around $65 monthly. For uncapped speeds, plans tend to be over $85 per month and up.
In comparison, NBN 50 plans begin at around $75 to $85 per month at standard pricing, although new-customer discounts are often available. NBN 100 or NBN 500 plans are available from around $80 per month and up, and if you’re after something faster, NBN 750 is priced from around $90 monthly and up.
Keep in mind that these prices are a guide only, and costs will vary between providers.
