Optus NBN plans and deals: How do they compare?

As one of the nation’s big three telco providers, it’s no surprise that Optus has NBN plans available to suit all price needs and speed tiers. Optus keeps matters simple with options for either bring-your-own-modem users, those who want an included Modem with mobile broadband backup and then families who want included entertainment options. It’s a simple setup that makes it remarkably easy to pick the right Optus NBN plan for you.

Like most of the big telcos, Optus does attach something of a price premium to its NBN services relative to the rest of the market. If you’re shopping purely on price, it’s well worth considering and comparing the wider range of NBN Plans you can choose from.

Optus’ pricing does make sense when you consider the additional features you can add to Optus NBN packages, including 4G backup, bundled Netflix and Wi-Fi extenders.

Optus operates its NBN services on the same NBN network as other providers, but it does describe its NBN plans just a little bit differently to many others, generally selling on its claimed typical evening speeds rather than the maximum actual theoretical throughput of the line on those plain tiers.

You’ve got five different speed tiers to choose from when comparing Optus NBN plans:

• NBN 25 (Standard): Best for a single user household on a tight budget
• NBN 50 (Standard Plus): Good for small families using multiple devices online
• NBN 100 (Premium): The sweet spot for dedicated multiple use of services such as online streaming
• NBN 250 (Home Superfast): Great if you need faster Internet speeds – and can get it
• NBN 1000 (Home Ultrafast): The best of the bunch if you have a serious need for speed or want to run lots of data-intensive apps or services across many devices.

Optus advertises the NBN 25, NBN 50 and NBN 100 at their line speeds, which means that they’re claiming those as their typical evening speeds. For the faster tiers, however, it claims NBN 250 at a typical 240Mbps, while its claims on NBN 1000 are for a typical evening speed of 600Mbps.

That doesn’t mean that Optus is offering a weaker or worse NBN product; instead it’s being broadly more honest about what kinds of speeds you should expect from that NBN service. Just because you sit on an NBN 250 plan doesn’t mean you’ll get 250Mbps from every service every hour of the day anyway.

The advantage with listing typical evening speeds, especially for those higher tier plans is that it gives you a more realistic picture of what your experience is likely to be. The evening period is when NBN services are in their peak demand time, so knowing what you can get is more useful than a claim about what’s theoretically possible.

Optus’ entry level tier of NBN plans are quite basic, but that’s because the NBN 25 tier is designed to be for essential services and not much more. Typical evening speeds are claimed at 25Mbps down and 8Mbps up. This level of service is best suited for single person households, or possibly two people if your internet needs are quite modest. Currently Optus only offers the NBN 25 tier in a bring your own modem configuration.

Optus NBN 50 plans claim typical evening speeds of 50Mbps down and 18Mbps upstream, making them a solid option for small households where you may want to enjoy a mix of HD or 4K video streams, working from home or online gaming.

Optus NBN 100 plans give you 100Mbps down and 18Mbps upstream typically, making them an ideal option for busier households or those who need to download lots of large data files for work or play. If you’re know you’re going to frequently have multiple people using data-heavy services at once a lot of the time, this is a good option to choose.

Got a real need for speed? Then Optus’ NBN 250 plans might be just what you’re looking for, with claimed typical evening speeds of 240Mbps down and 22Mbps up. The one detail that you must be aware of here is that these plans are only available for NBN customers with FTTP or HFC connections. If you’re on an FTTN connection and you want this speed tier, it’s worth looking into if you can get an upgrade to FTTP through NBN.

The cream of the crop, Optus’ NBN 1000 plans offer up to 600Mbps down and 40Mbps up for customers with an FTTP or HFC connection only. Those who work from home with large data files or seriously data-hungry families may be best suited at this tier, but bear in mind that speeds can vary markedly; you won’t always be sitting in the peak speed lane for every site or service.

What if you can’t get or don’t want an NBN connection? Optus has wireless broadband plans that are worth consideration. These typically work from a fixed modem, not a portable one, working on either Optus’ 4G or 5G networks depending on availability in your location and your budget.

For 4G home broadband, Optus offers a single simple data-only package, but if you are within the Optus 5G footprint you get a wider choice of speed tiers and entertainment packages to choose from.

Optus’ bundling deal for its NBN packages are what it calls its “Family Entertainer” tiers. They are offered at all NBN speed tiers except NBN 25 at a slightly higher cost than the equivalent “Everday” plan.

So what does your extra money get you? The Family Entertainer Bundle includes an additional Ultra WiFi Booster to extend the Wi-Fi range of the included Optus Modem, as well as a monthly Netflix Standard subscription.

If you’re wondering what happened to Optus Sport, it still exists as a service, but it’s no longer bundled free with Optus NBN or Optus 4G/5G home broadband services. Optus customers can add Optus Sport to their plans at a reduced cost of $6.99 per month on top of their existing bill, but this isn’t an automatically included bundle package at any price tier.

Optus’ default NBN offer is for its Ultra Wi-Fi Modem Gen 2, a Wi-Fi 6 capable modem with included 4G backup capability. What this means is that if your NBN connection is disrupted for any reason, it will fall back to using the Optus 4G network to continue offering you Internet services at a maximum of 25Mbps down.

Optus Family Entertainer plans also bundle in an Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Booster to extend the range of your home Wi-Fi. It’s an interesting inclusion, though if you’re really struggling to get Wi-Fi to every corner of your home, investing in a good Mesh network system may be a wiser option.

Optus offers its NBN hardware at no cost to customers on its month-to-month plans… with a slight catch. It’s only free if you stay connected for at least three years. Cancel your plan before that three year term is up and you’ll have to pay an exit fee equivalent to $7 per month for every remaining month in that three year period from when you signed up. It’s the same story for the WiFi booster, free if you stay for three years or $6 for every remaining month left if you exit early.

For mobile broadband customers, the 4G home broadband plan uses a $216 modem, but like the NBN plans this is at no cost if you remain an Optus customer. Unlike its NBN plans, this is for a slightly shorter term of only 24 months, not 36 months. Exit an Optus 4G Broadband plan early and you’ll be on the hook for $9 per month for each remaining month.

Optus’ 5G home broadband modem requires a 3 year commitment if you want it for free, or $576 upfront. Like its other services you get an effective “credit” against that cost for each month you remain connected, but if you leave before that 3 year period is up, you will have to pay $16 per month for each month remaining in that three year period.

When you’re shopping for NBN plans, comparison is crucial to ensure that you’re getting the best deal for your particular needs. Here’s a selection of comparable NBN plans to consider.