A 4G home internet connection may be suitable for those that can’t get the NBN or aren’t happy with it. Just check that the speeds are suitable for your household.
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What is 4G home internet?
4G home internet uses the mobile network to connect you to the internet, using a modem that connects to the same network as mobile phones. It's designed to be used in the home or other fixed location and not on the go.
What is the best 4G home internet plan?
The best 4G home internet plan will depend on a couple factors including the network coverage you require, what speed you're after and what your budget is.
Our top pick for the best value 4G home internet plan is SpinTel's 4G Home Wireless Broadband plan. It comes with unlimited data and a typical download speed of 20Mbps, which is the fastest 4G home internet speed on Finder.
SpinTel's plan is also the cheapest, at $39.95 for the first 3 months, then $49.95 after. Its speeds are comparable to NBN 25 plans which average around $55-60 a month. SpinTel offers a cheaper alternative to this, especially if you're satisfied with being on the Optus network.
Is 4G fast enough for home internet?
It depends on what you need from your home internet connection and how many people are in your household.
Most 4G home internet plans, or home wireless broadband as they're sometimes called, offer unlimited data which should take away any worries of having to monitor your online activities.
While download speeds on the 4G network can theoretically reach up to 200Mbps, 4G home internet plans are frequently capped to a maximum download speed of 25Mbps.
This speed is suitable for browsing, emails, social media and streaming music, SD and HD video. But it won't be enough for 4K streaming or online gaming.
At this speed, 1-3 people could be online at the same time, but you may notice a lag if all 3 of you are medium to heavy internet users and logged in simultaneously.
Is 4G fast enough for Netflix?
A 4G connection should be fast enough for Netflix and streaming in general, but only in standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD) quality. 4G would not be fast enough for streaming in 4K.
Is 4G home internet better than the NBN?
It depends on what you use the internet for and what type of NBN connection you have.
In general, a fixed line NBN connection will be a more stable option than 4G home internet.
There are many factors that can affect the quality of your 4G home internet connection including:
The strength of your mobile signal
Your proximity to a mobile tower
Congestion on the mobile network
Location of your modem
Weather conditions
The pros and cons of 4G home internet compared to NBN include:
Pros
Home internet is easy to set up
Slightly cheaper than equivalent NBN plans
4G network accessible to majority of the population
Can still access internet in a power outage with home internet
Cons
4G speeds are capped
Less stable connection than fixed line NBN
If you want faster speeds, you'll need a connection other than 4G
Home internet modems can be more expensive than NBN, with no option to BYO modem
Finder survey: Why are Australians signing up to a home wireless broadband plan?
In a survey of 1,006 Australians, the majority of respondents (566) indicated that the primary reason for buying a home wireless broadband plan was to save on their home internet costs.
Response
Looking for cheaper home internet
56.36%
None of the above
24.55%
Can't get any other internet connection
18.18%
Not happy with the NBN
15.45%
Other
1.82%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
TPG 4G home internet
TPG's 4G home internet plan costs $54.99 a month. It features unlimited data and its maximum speed is capped to 20Mbps, with a typical evening speed of 16Mbps.
If you're an existing TPG customer though, you can get the same plan for $49.99 a month. If you don't think you'll use much data, there's a cheaper, data-capped 100GB plan for $44.99 a month.
TPG's 4G home internet plan also features:
No lock-in contract
No activation or delivery fees
Free modem if you stay connected for 24 months. If you decide to cancel earlier, just return the modem within 21 days to avoid being charged
We currently don't have a partnership for that product, but we have other similar offers to choose from (how we picked these
):
iiNet 4G home internet
For iiNet's 4G home internet plan, you can sign up for $59.99 a month which gets you unlimited data and a maximum download speed of 20Mbps. Its typical evening speed is 16Mbps.
Existing iiNet customers can save a few dollars and get this same home wireless broadband plan for only $49.99 a month.
Other features of iiNet's 4G home internet plan are:
Pay nothing for a modem if you stay connected to iiNet for 24 months. If you leave before then but return the modem within 21 days, you also won't pay for it
No upfront fees
If you're switching from NBN, iiNet will keep your NBN plan connected for 7 days so you can switch back if you're not satisfied with its 4G home internet connection
We currently don't have a partnership for that product, but we have other similar offers to choose from (how we picked these
):
Vodafone 4G home internet
Vodafone's 4G home internet plan costs $60 a month and comes with unlimited data. The maximum download speed is 20Mbps, but expect typical evening speeds of 16Mbps.
If you already have a phone plan with Vodafone, you'll be privy to a discount and will only pay $50 a month.
With Vodafone's 4G home internet plan you can also expect:
No lock-in contract
Vodafone will cover the cost of your modem if you stay connected for 24 months. If you leave early, you'll need to pay $7.50 a month for each remaining month
We currently don't have a partnership for that product, but we have other similar offers to choose from (how we picked these
):
Telstra 4G home internet
Telstra actually doesn't offer 4G home internet. It only offers a 5G home internet plan which you can only sign up to if your home is covered by 5G. You can pop in your address on its website to find out.
Otherwise, your only option for a 4G home internet connection from Telstra would be to sign up to one of its mobile broadband plans.
How much does it cost to install 4G home internet?
There are no installation costs with 4G home internet. When you sign up to a plan, you'll get sent a 4G home internet modem that you can easily plug in and use.
Most 4G home internet plans come with a modem included for free, but keep in mind there may be terms and conditions associated with the modem. For example, you may need to stay connected to the provider for a minimum period to get the modem for free.
Otherwise you may need to return the modem within a certain timeframe or be charged a fee to pay off the cost of the modem.
How do I get 4G home internet?
Unlike 5G home internet, 4G home internet is more widely available across Australia.
You'll still need to input your address on the provider's website to check you're able to sign up to one its plans.
Is there an alternative to 4G home internet?
One alternative to 4G home internet is to get an NBN connection.
If you are unable to or don't want to connect to the NBN then you could try 4G mobile broadband or a 5G home internet plan if it's available for your address.
Mark Neilsen is a journalist with over 20 years of experience specialising in the evolving landscape of entertainment and communications. He has contributed to Yahoo Finance, The New Daily, and news.com.au, and was an editor at The Drum Media and The Music. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from Charles Sturt University. Mark was a TV Streaming and Utilities Writer at Finder from 2022 to 2024. See full bio
Mark's expertise
Mark has written 53 Finder guides across topics including:
If you've got an HFC NBN connection, you can get a plan with speeds up to 1000Mbps.
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