A 4G home internet plan is worth considering if you want an alternative to the NBN but don’t particularly mind a lower maximum speed. 4G broadband leverages the networks operated by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone to provide internet to your home, without any fixed-line technology required.
If you live outside of a major city or town and don’t have the NBN (or are unsatisfied with the quality of the NBN at your address), 4G home internet might be the right pick, but if you want faster broadband, we’d recommend the best 5G home internet plans, though this might not be an option as 5G networks are still being rolled out and may not be available in your area. We’d also point you to other NBN alternatives if you’d like even faster internet speeds with lower latency, such as private fibre networks and Starlink satellite internet.
As far as 4G broadband goes, you have two basic options; home internet, serviced with a dedicated plug-in modem, and 4G mobile broadband, which can be used on the go without a modem (though some plans can be ordered with a modem included). The good thing about both of these 4G internet types is that they don’t take too long to set up, with it often being as simple as plugging the modem in and turning it on, or slotting a SIM card into a capable device in the case of mobile broadband.
Let’s get into the best 4G home internet plans in Australia. We’ll compare the deals on offer below and answer your burning questions.
Best 4G home internet plans
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The below 4G home internet plans are best suited for households where fixed NBN plans are not available or are prone to dropouts. Keep these in mind as alternatives to 5G home internet and fixed wireless NBN plans where those are not available.
Best value 4G home internet plan
Fastest 4G home internet plan
Best 4G mobile broadband plans
The below mobile broadband plans are best suited for people who want an internet connection on the go separately from their mobile phone’s data plan.
Best cheap mobile broadband plan
Best big-data mobile broadband plan
4G home internet FAQ
What is 4G home internet?
4G home internet utilises 4G networks operated by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Rather than being a portable internet service as part of a phone plan, 4G home internet is intended for stationary use inside of a home and isn’t meant to be used on the go (this is the defining trait of mobile broadband).
With this in mind, 4G home internet is massively different to the NBN. Although fixed wireless NBN utilises a mix of 4G and 5G technology to service regional and rural homes with internet, 4G home internet completely skips the network serviced by NBN Co and instead goes through Australian telcos and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). Because there’s no fixed connection to a port in the wall of your home involved (apart from power), 4G is typically faster to set up than an NBN connection.
What is 4G mobile broadband?
Mobile broadband is similar to 5G and 4G home wireless plans, but the main distinction between the two is that the modem router provided with mobile broadband plans are designed to be portable, while the modem that comes with 5G and 4G home internet plans need to be powered from a wall outlet.
There’s also plenty of mobile broadband plans on the market that don’t come with a modem at all. Instead, they come in the form of a SIM card that’s designed to be slotted into portable devices such as laptops and tablets.
Overall, mobile broadband plans tend to offer significantly less data for equivalent costs compared to home wireless plans, so it’s worth considering how important mobility is for your situation before signing up.
What are the pros and cons of 4G home internet?
Pros:
- Can be moved around the home
- A good option if you don’t have access to a fixed line NBN connection
- Competitively priced against low-speed NBN plans
Cons:
- Some plans carry low maximum download speeds
- 5G is a better choice – if you can get it
- Less modem-router choice flexibility than the NBN
What can I expect from 4G internet?
More than anything else, the main issue with 4G home internet is its reliance on mobile data. While you can plug it in anywhere, it will need to work off 4G signals. That means if you live in rural or remote areas of Australia, or in a 4G blackspot, you will find yourself running into slow or non-existent internet.
To counter this, make sure you test the mobile speeds where you live first, with a service such as Speedtest. If you find that you’re getting next to no internet there, consider signing up to an NBN plan if it’s available to you.
If you want an even faster connection, 5G home internet plans are also available. However, you will then need to be in an area where a 5G mobile tower is available. Most home internet plans are both 4G and 5G compatible, and will simply work on what is in your area.
How much are 4G home internet installation fees?
Because there is no need to have anything installed or have any engineers come around, 4G home broadband is completely free to have set up. Wherever you get your 4G broadband from, the company will send you your router and you set it up yourself.
Does 4G home internet come with data caps?
The answer depends on which provider you sign up with, and what plan you choose. Most (if not all) 4G home internet plans come with unlimited data usage, but you are likely to get a maximum download speed data cap. This is similar to the NBN, which comes with various download speed tiers.
Does 4G home internet work as well as the NBN?
Broadly speaking, 4G home internet is a solution to getting internet in your home, but it’s not perfect – especially compared to the NBN. Low maximum download speeds put it far behind alternatives such as 5G home internet and fixed-wireless NBN, making it really only a worthwhile option when these other internet types aren’t viable.
There is the benefit to being able to put the 4G modem wherever you want in your home, but on top of not getting the higher speeds of fixed-line NBN plans and the lower latency that comes with a fixed internet connection, it’s hard for 4G home internet to stack up against a competitively priced NBN plan.
We recommend looking around at NBN alternatives alongside 4G home internet plans if you’re after the best network access in your household, along with NBN plans if your home can be serviced by one.
Is a 4G home internet plan the right choice?
4G home internet is a great alternative to the NBN in situations where you may want a more reliable connection, particularly if your NBN plan is prone to outages. However, a 4G home internet plan will be much slower than 5G home internet plan, to the point where you'll likely be frustrated in your home when trying to access the internet from multiple devices.
While the fastest 4G home internet plan you'll find caps out at 25Mbps, 5G home internet plans tend to be capable of much greater speeds – up to 600Mbps on Telstra's 5G plan under optimal conditions, in fact (though you'll likely get between 50mbps and 300Mbps most of the time).
If you're in an area serviced by a 5G network, you may want to look into picking up one of those speedier plans. If you want an internet plan on the go, it might be worth picking up a mobile broadband plan.
