Optus will now offer 100Mbps and uncapped 5G home internet products

Optus is changing the way it prices its ‘5G’ home internet services, including the creation of a $75 a month product with roughly the same speed profile as a fixed-line 100Mbps NBN service.

The telco presently offers only one 5G internet plan, which costs $70 a month and comes with unlimited data as well as minimum 50Mbps speeds.

That plan is uncapped in terms of the maximum speed it can run at, and the telco currently says on its website that “average download speeds” on the plan are 174Mbps.

However, Optus will soon change the way it markets the 5G internet service.

Its new starting price point is $75 a month for an “everyday plan”, and this service is capped at a maximum 100Mbps, though Optus estimates “average download speed of 85Mbps between 7pm-11pm”.

That price point and speed profile is on par with - if not a shade cheaper than - a fixed-line service purchased via the NBN.

Optus said it will also create a $90 a month plan called “entertainer” where 5G speeds are uncapped.

The telco said in a statement its network “currently delivers an average download speed of 214Mbps (between 7pm-11pm)”.

The everyday plan will be available from tomorrow (Friday) but will temporarily come with the uncapped speeds of the “entertainer” product.

Optus’ managing director of marketing and revenue Matt Williams said that “having been in-market with [its 5G internet] product for nearly a year, we have seen and learnt how our thousands of customers are using [it].”

“What is clear is that customers enjoy choice and flexibility when it comes to home internet, so we have designed these new 5G internet plans to create options for our customers – delivering them a high speed and entertainment package that works best for their lifestyle,” he said.

Around 420,000 households are able to access 5G internet services, according to Optus.

iTnews understands the 50Mbps minimum speed guarantee will stay for both new plans.

In addition, while the existing $70 a month plan will be discontinued, customers already on it can stay at that rate and speed for the remainder of their contracted period.

Telstra recently put up its own 5G product prices after a year of offering services, setting a $65 a month minimum in order to access 5G. However, unlike Optus, it has data quota caps in place.