Optus targets renters with 50GB 4G wireless broadband plan

10

news Australia’s second-largest telecommunications company, Optus, has announced a new 50GB 4G wireless broadband plan it says is perfect for renters or students who need to quickly set up a reliable Internet connection or those living in areas with no access to cable broadband.

Powered by Optus’ 4G Plus network, Home Wireless Broadband is an out-of-the-box modem that the firm says can be set up “quickly and easily”.

Vicki Brady, Optus’ Managing Director of Marketing and Product said: “For a big group of customers, getting a timely and decent Internet connection is a real challenge. Aussie renters, who move home frequently, find it particularly frustrating to disconnect and reconnect each time, often waiting several days or weeks before they can access the Internet.”

“Optus’ Home Wireless Broadband offers a simple plug-and-play solution so customers wait minutes, not weeks, to log onto the World Wide Web once a SIM is activated. Coupled with our biggest wireless data inclusion ever offered on our 4G Plus network, customers can get connected quickly with 50GB of data and get on with their lives.”

Unlike a broadband connection, which may require a technician and often takes days to get connected, setting up to Home Wireless Broadband is extremely straightforward. Once the SIM has been activated, customers simply need to insert it into the Optus modem and they should be able to connect immediately. In effect, it’s rather like using a 4G USB modem on your laptop, except it is a standalone model.

People using the service can move home and, as long as they remain in an area with Home Wireless Broadband coverage, can take their modem with them and connect immediately from their new residence.

“Customers don’t need additional hassles when moving home or simply because they want a better broadband experience. Optus’ Home Wireless Broadband makes it easy and brings to life the possibility of a more flexible and convenient Internet solution,” said Brady.

Home Wireless Broadband is available on short- and long-term plans, and comes with a 50GB data limit. While users who regularly download large files, such as movies, might find this a little restricting, 50GB should be adequate for most general users.

Should users go over the 50GB limit, they will receive an automatic 10GB top-up for an additional $10. Do note, though, that speed is slowed to 256 kbps after 60GB of usage until the next bill cycle.

Home Wireless Broadband customers will need to fork out $70 a month for a 24-month contract – paying a minimum total cost over the full period of $1680. Twelve-month and month-to-month contracts are also available, but will require customers to pay for the modem either in instalments or upfront.

Image credit: Alpha, Creative Commons

10 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve ordered this package. To replace my only internet available at my unit. Currently using Bendigo Bank telco 20gb for $79 . Vodafone don’t have 4g in my regional city. I expect to be connected within few days. Reports of speeds vary from 5mbps to 24mbps . I guess that relates to what bands are available in each location. I have 700mhz , just been rolled out, so I expect at least 12mbps up to 30mbps . will wait and see. But it’s a great deal for me, seeing I don’t have an active landline.

    • Interesting that on the main info page about this on the Optus website, and the FAQ’s underneath and even in the CIS there appears to currently be no mention of this 12/1 speed limit. Anyone that can find a mention of this speed limit in any media article on this newly released product post the link to the article here please.

      Worse still, there appears to be no direct url link to the Optus “internet-speed page” from either the Optus Home Wireless Broadband page, or the CIS for this new product.

      http://smb.optus.com.au/opfiles/Shop/All/cis/Cis%20Documents/1416382_$70_Home_Wireless_Broadband_50GB.pdf

      With Optus marketing this new product as being over their 4G Plus Mobile Network which is marketed as their “fastest network ever”, good luck to them at being allowed to hide the speed limits on this new service for much longer.

      The low speeds (12/1) might be required by NBNCo to keep within what I thought was a contractual obligation for both Optus and Telstra not to market mobile broadband as a replacement or substitution for NBN fixed Broadband. A restriction that I assume does not apply to Vodafone or TPG. Something that is worthy of another article and further investigation from Renai on I would have thought.

      • That’s a marketing clause and has only ever been as such. They can offer mobile broadband at any speed they like there’s no technical restrictions unless the agreement was changed.

        They cannot have an advert which says this mobile BB replaces NBN or mention NBN and mobile BB as an equivalent service (which is what Telstra was doing way back when).

  2. With the original FTTP NBN, that too was planned to be a rapid set up once it was initially installed and activated, the plan being to enable a similar scenario, there were even providers offering short term easily transferred plans. The option is now gone with the MTM

  3. In the age of Netflix, 50 gigs a month with no option to increase it past 60 gigs is an embarrassment.

    • It’s a vast improvement on the 12 gigs a month I get from Virgin. Not everyone burns their quota in a few hours with streaming apps.

  4. That would be right, Optus would be capping at 12/1 because of rules regarding competition to nbn . No surprises there, but seems to be odd when other 4g plans can offer very fast speeds but half the data.

  5. In a complete twist of irony that no-one* saw coming; this is not available to those that actually need it. I’d buy this in a heartbeat as we are in a totally underserved broadband area with no (xDSL) ports available (like anyone connected to one of the 1250 exchanges/RIMs in the same boat) but sadly, 4G Plus only covers extended metro areas, i.e. people _not_ in underserved broadband areas.

    *that works in accounting, or in an ivory tower

    • Private companies roll out to the most profitable area’s first they generally have shareholders to look after who tend to not like their companies making losses rolling out to un or less profitable areas.

Comments are closed.