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Telstra offers the widest 5G network coverage in Australia, servicing 80% of the Australian population.
Having said that, it's always best to go with a network that offers the best coverage at your home or the areas you usually frequent. This could just as well be Optus or Vodafone.
There are currently 16 providers offering 5G plans in Finder's database, and a further 12 providers offering mobile plans with a free 5G trial.
The 5G trial means you can take a provider's mobile plan with 5G for a spin, free of cost, until the trial period ends.
While some providers now offer 5G in Australia, just be aware that it may not be available across their full set of mobile plans. Some providers will offer specific 5G plans, while others tack it onto their regular 3G/4G plans.
Here's a list of providers in Australia that are currently offering dedicated 5G plans and those offering 5G trials:
| 5G mobile plans | Free 5G trial |
|---|---|
| AGL | iiNet |
| ALDImobile | Kogan Mobile |
| amaysim Mobile | TPG Mobile |
| Aussie Broadband Mobile | |
| Belong Mobile | |
| Boost Mobile | |
| CMobile Blue | |
| Exetel Mobile | |
| Goodtel Mobile | |
| JB Hi-Fi | |
| Lebara Mobile | |
| Mate | |
| Moose Mobile | |
| More | |
| numobile | |
| Optus | |
| Southern Phone | |
| SpinTel | |
| Tangerine Telecom Mobile | |
| Telsim | |
| Telstra Mobile | |
| Vodafone Mobile | |
| Woolworths Mobile | |
| Konec Mobile |
The average monthly cost of a 5G mobile plan on Finder is $52, and the average data allowance comes out to be close to 100GB per month.
It's not straightforward to compare 4G and 5G mobile plan costs from the same provider as data allowances can vary quite a bit.
The assumption is that because 5G mobile speeds are faster, you'll end up using more data to download, watch videos and play online games.
Generally speaking, 5G mobile plans are currently priced more expensive than 4G plans. But with the higher price tag, you'll likely get rewarded with more data too.
I needed to switch to the Telstra network because of reception dramas, but I didn't want to pay the Telstra price premium. ALDImobile had a much more affordable 5G option and I've had no dramas at all since switching.— Angus Kidman, editor at large
The cheapest 5G mobile plan on Finder is from Goodtel with 5GB for $24 per month.
If you want to try out 5G speeds for even cheaper, you could sign up to Optus's Flex 2GB for $2 plan, but it only lasts for a day.
Theoretically, 5G speeds can be as fast as 1 gigabit per second, which is about 20 times faster than a standard 4G plan. However, it's much more likely you'll get speeds closer to 100–400Mbps.
5G speed can be affected by a number of factors such as your location, your mobile device and your provider.
Optus currently has the fastest 5G network in Australia with a speed of 240.5Mbps, according to the OpenSignal Mobile Network Experience Report from October 2022.
Telstra came in at a close second with 232.3Mbps, with Vodafone falling quite far behind at 122.1Mbps.
Interestingly, Telstra users had the most consistent experience in Australia, while Optus users continued to have the best 5G video experience and a good games experience.
This depends on your requirements, budget and whether 5G is available at your property and the places you usually visit. You will also need to ensure you have a 5G capable handset.
If you like to play online games, stream videos and download things on the go, then 5G speeds and lower latency could suit you well.
However, with the current price of 5G mobile plans being quite a bit more expensive than a regular 4G plan, it may be in your interest to wait till the technology is more widely available to specifically seek out a 5G plan.
In a survey of 1,110 Australians, 5G was the 3rd most popular feature that respondents were looking for in a mobile plan.
| Response | |
|---|---|
| Network coverage | 85.32% |
| Data rollover | 34.14% |
| 5G | 27.3% |
| Customer support options | 24.32% |
| Wi-Fi calling | 18.02% |
| Brand | 14.14% |
| International calls | 11.17% |
| Data sharing | 10.9% |
| Other | 3.15% |
| eSIM | 2.52% |
| None of the above | 2.34% |
You can always sign up to a month-to-month 5G mobile plan and see how you go. If you don't see a noticeable difference then you always have the option to switch to another plan or provider.
Mariam Gabaji
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