Best home wireless broadband plans

Did you lose the 'NBN lottery' at your address? The NBN is made up of a number of different technologies, where some are clearly better than others. This is what we call the ‘NBN lottery’ as you have no choice or control over which NBN tech will connect your home to the network.

If you find yourself on the end of a slow NBN connection, or in a house with no NBN, you may not be able to change it (without a lot of money) but you may be able to switch to something different entirely.

If you're looking for a way to access the internet that doesn't involve the NBN, your best bet is home wireless broadband, or perhaps even mobile broadband. If you get a decent smartphone signal at home, you may find this is the best option for you.

Let’s take a look at some of the best 4G (and 5G) home internet plans  available to Australians.

TPG takes out the crown for best overall 4G home internet plan thanks to the flexibility on offer. You'll get unlimited data at speeds of 20Mbps, and your first month free. After you'll pay $54.99 per month.

Th real value comes from the fact the plan is contract-free, and comes with the modem for free. If you want to leave, you can simply return the modem.

If you want 4G home internet on the Optus network, SpinTel is our current winner. You'll pay $44.95 per month for your first three months, and $54.95 per month thereafter. This comes with 20Mbps download speeds and unlimited data.

You'll pay $30 upfront in device and shipping fees. If you leave SpinTel, you'll need to return the modem.

Here's how SpinTel's plan compares to other 4G home internet plans on the Optus network:

Powered by the Vodafone network, it shouldn't be surprising to see our overall winner TPG show up here too. Once again, you'll pay $54.99 per month for unlimited data and download speeds of up to 20Mbps.

Here’s how it compares other 4G home internet options on the Vodafone network:

Telstra is our top choice when it comes to 5G home internet plans for three key factors.

Firstly, Telstra has the largest 5G footprint in Australia. It covers over 80% of the population, which increases the odds of you actually being able to get 5G home internet with Telstra.

Secondly, the plan has uncapped 5G speeds. When testing the plan, we've seen speeds over 500Mbps.

And lastly, the plan is $85 per month. That's cheaper than a lot of NBN 100 plans, and more affordable than Optus' uncapped plan.

The only catch you have to consider is the plan only has a 1TB allowance. While that's effectively unlimited for most, it may not be quite enough for super heavy downloaders.

This plan is contract-free. You'll just need to return your modem if you decide to leave to avoid paying a hardware fee.

Here is how Telstra's plan compares to other plans with download speeds of at least 100Mbps:

If you're after a cheaper 5G home internet plan, TPG is a great pick. It has an entry-level plan capped to speeds of 50Mbps - the same as an NBN 50 plan - for $59.99 per month. That's $15 per month cheaper than TPG's own NBN 50 plan.

This plan comes with its first month free, and doesn't have any lock in. If you want to leave, you'll just need to return your modem to avoid paying any hardware fees.

Here's how this plan compares to other affordable 5G options: 

The key to finding a great home wireless internet plan is balancing speed and price. 

Cheaper 4G home internet plans offer slower speeds than more expensive 5G home internet plans. 

If you're not a demanding internet user, 4G home internet may be enough for you. 

Households of three or more will want to consider at least at 50Mbps 5G home internet plan, however, if not faster. 

The following telcos currently offer home wireless internet plans: 

• Telstra (5G)
• Optus (4G and 5G)
• Vodafone (4G and 5G)
• TPG (4G and 5G)
• iiNet (4G and 5G)
• Internode (4G and 5G)
• SpinTel (4G and 5G)

As it is with most things, the advantages of Home Wireless Broadband are far more obvious than the drawbacks.

The fact that you can set up a brand new Home Wireless Broadband connection in minutes will come as a huge relief for anyone who has waited for weeks on an NBN technician’s visit. And we literally mean minutes; the last time we tested a Home Wireless Broadband service we timed it and it took just under three minutes. 

On the flip side, home wireless broadband plans can't go as fast as NBN plans, have higher latency, and are more prone to congestion.