Vodafone internet plans and prices

Vodafone has a reputation for competitive pricing for its mobile plans but that’s not necessarily the case for its internet plans. While Vodafone’s internet plan prices may not be overly competitive, there are some features worth considering for those in the market for an NBN fixed-line, home wireless or mobile broadband plan.

• Vodafone NBN plans are available to most homes in Australia with every speed tier except for NBN 12 available to eligible areas.
• Vodafone NBN plans come with a $0 Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub 3.0 modem-router, which includes 4G backup.
• There are multiple Vodafone home wireless internet plans available for homes in eligible Vodafone 4G and 5G areas, all of which have unlimited data.
• Vodafone is one of a select group of NBN providers tracked quarterly by the ACCC, which showcases competitive download speeds, upload speeds and latencies.

Many homes in Australia are eligible to sign up for some kind of Vodafone plan, particularly those serviced by NBN fixed-line technologies. Vodafone also offers 4G and 5G home wireless internet, plus mobile broadband plans.

NBN fixed-line plans are available to areas connected via Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP), Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC), Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC), Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) and Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) technologies. That’s most homes in Australia, specifically those in metropolitan areas. Here’s a breakdown of the available Vodafone NBN plans and the technologies that can access them:

• NBN 25/5: FTTP, HFC, FTTC, FTTB, FTTN
• NBN 50/20: FTTP, HFC, FTTC, FTTB, FTTN
• NBN 100/20: FTTP, HFC, FTTC, FTTB, FTTN
• NBN 250/25: FTTP, HFC
• NBN 500/50: FTTP, HFC

Vodafone also sells a range of business NBN plans to eligible addresses, which are mostly similar to their residential counterparts.

Vodafone also sells a range of home wireless internet plans. Prices vary based on the max potential speed, which is based on whether it’s a 4G or 5G plan.

If you want internet that can move with you, consider a Vodafone mobile broadband plan. Vodafone sells prepaid and postpaid data-only mobile broadband plans. Prices vary based on the plan type and data limit. Note that if you don’t pair a Vodafone mobile broadband with a purchasable modem, you need to BYO compatible device (e.g. tablet, laptop or WiFi dongle).

All Vodafone internet plans come with some form of limitless data. For Vodafone NBN and home wireless internet plans, that’s unlimited full-speed data based on the max speeds available for the plan. And for Vodafone mobile broadband plans, there’s a 2Mbps speed cap if you go over the data allowance.

While you shouldn’t sign up for a Vodafone plan if you want a home phone line, NBN and home wireless plans do come with a preconfigured modem-router. Vodafone NBN and 4G home internet users can take advantage of a 30-day network-satisfaction guarantee, while Vodafone 5G home internet customers can cancel and return their modem within 30 days to avoid a hardware exit fee.

Speeds vary based on the type of Vodafone internet plan. In terms of typical evening speeds (between 7:00pm and 11:00pm nightly), here’s how Vodafone’s NBN plans fare:

• NBN 25/5: 25Mbps download, 4.25Mbps upload
• NBN 50/20: 50Mbps download, 17Mbps upload
• NBN 100/20: 90Mbps download, 17Mbps upload
• NBN 250/25: 210Mbps download, 17Mbps upload
• NBN 500/50: 450Mbps download, 42.5Mbps upload

Vodafone notes that homes connected via FTTC, FTTB and FTTN technologies may have varying plan speeds. According to the most recent ACCC data available at the time of writing, Vodafone scored good results for webpage loading times (under three seconds), latency (under 12 seconds) and minimal daily outages.

Vodafone home wireless internet speeds change based on the price. The cheapest plan has 16Mbps download and 2Mbps upload with download speeds up to 20Mbps. Vodafone’s next plan has max download speeds of 50Mbps with typical evening speeds at 49Mbps and upload speeds of 15Mbps. The priciest Vodafone home wireless internet plan has 100Mbps download speeds and 15Mbps upload speeds.

Vodafone doesn’t self-reported expected speeds for its mobile broadband plans, though they are eligible for $5 international roaming in more than 100 countries. Additionally, Vodafone mobile broadband prepaid plans have up to 50GB of data rollover if you recharge before your current 30-day plan expires.

Whether you’re looking at mobile or internet plans, Vodafone has a history of offering deals. If there’s a Vodafone internet deal on today, you’ll see it listed below.

Vodafone’s key perks include a $0 setup fee, discounted prices for bundling mobile and internet plans, plus select plans come with a preconfigured modem-router with 4G backup. The only other perk worth flagging is that Vodafone mobile broadband users can share data across up to 10 plans (if they’re under a single account).

Vodafone lets new sign-ups save money by using a bring-your-own (BYO) NBN-compatible modem. A compatible BYO modem for Vodafone is one that supports PPPoE authentication; additionally, Vodafone notes that a VDSL2-compatible device is required for particular technologies: router (FTTC) or modem-router (FTTB and FTTN).

Alternatively, Vodafone NBN and home wireless internet plans include a preconfigured modem. Note that you may have to pay a pro rata hardware fee if you stop using an eligible Vodafone plan within 24 or 36 months.

The Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub 3.0 modem-router is a dual-band WiFi 6 device that comes with NBN and 4G home wireless internet plans, which offers remote tech support. This modem-router has 4G backup with speeds up to 20Mbps download and 2Mbps upload in the event of an NBN outage. The Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub 3.0 also has four gigabit Ethernet ports for compatible wired devices and a single USB 2.0 port.

Vodafone 5G home wireless internet plans come with a compatible modem-router, either the Sagemcom F@st 5866T or the Nokia FastMile. The Sagemcom modem-router offers local wireless speeds up to 4700Mbps via dual-band WiFi 6, plus it has three Ethernet ports (two gigabit, one 2.5Gb) and a USB 3.0 port. And the Nokia FastMile is a dual-band WiFi 5 modem-router with a single USB 3.0 port and three gigabit Ethernet ports for compatible wired devices.

Vodafone postpaid mobile broadband users also have the option of adding a Vodafone Pocket WiFi 4 4G device with repayment periods over 12, 24 or 36 months. The Vodafone Pocket WiFi 4 4G is a dual-band WiFi 5 device, which can connect up to 16 devices wirelessly. It’s compatible with PC and Mac devices, weighs 71 grams and has a 1500mAh battery capacity.

Vodafone NBN fixed-line plans are available to most metropolitan homes and specifically areas connected via FTTP, HFC, FTTC, FTTB and FTTN. Input your address on the Vodafone website to see which NBN technology connects your home. Alternatively, Vodafone home wireless internet and Vodafone mobile broadband plans are available to eligible areas with Vodafone network coverage (specifically 4G and 5G), which is collectively around 96% of Australians. Use the interactive map below for an idea of Vodafone network coverage in your area. Note that Vodafone has announced it will switch off its 3G mobile network by the end of 2023.

It’s a straightforward process to switch to a Vodafone internet plan. Follow these steps to shift to a Vodafone NBN plan:

1. Pick a Vodafone NBN plan that’s best for you. Click on the corresponding orange ‘Go to Site’ button (if available).
2. Input your home address on the Vodafone NBN page to confirm availability, then select whether you’d like a Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub 3.0 plan or one with a BYO modem.
4. Choose the red ‘Select this plan’ to lock in your Vodafone NBN plan, then click on the red ‘Continue to cart’ button.
5. Follow the checkout prompts to complete your Vodafone NBN plan order.

It’s a similar process for Vodafone home internet except that you won’t be able to proceed if your address isn’t in an eligible area. For Vodafone mobile broadband, follow the same steps above and, when you get to the Vodafone website, either add a Vodafone Pocket WiFi 4 4G device or skip that step and add the relevant page to your cart, then follow the prompts.