Best 5G mobile phone plans in Australia (November 2024)

Do you feel the need for speed?

Best prepaid 5G plan
TPG
TPG 50GB Medium Plan
🔥 First 6 months for$17.50/month
Network
Vodafone
Data
50GB
Standard calls and texts
Unlimited
Best Vodafone 5G plan
Vodaphone
Vodafone $59 Medium SIM Only Plan
🔥 Discounted to$49/month
Network
Vodafone
Data
180GB
Standard calls and texts
Unlimited
🔥 Deal
3 months of BINGE + $10/mth off on plan fees
Best Optus 5G plan
Optus
$79 Optus Plus Promo Plan
🔥 First 12 months for$69/month
Network
Optus
Data
360GB
Standard calls and texts
Unlimited
Best Telstra 5G plan
Telstra
Telstra $69 Pre-Paid Mobile Plan
$69/mo
Network
Telstra
Data
70GB
Standard calls and texts
Unlimited
🔥 Deal
40GB bonus for first 3 recharges
Georgia Dixon
Nov 21, 2024
Icon Time To Read5 min read


More popular 5G mobile plan deals

Still looking for the perfect 5G data or phone plan? Here's a list of popular 5G phone plans we have in our database

 5G in Australia has quickly gone from being a niche inclusion that offered next-generations to the few consumers who could afford it to a mainstream option that's speedy and comprehensive enough that many are treating it as a full-blown alternative to the NBN.

While Samsung was the first big phone maker to jump on the 5G bandwagon, it didn't long before Apple and others caught up. As more and more phone manufacturers have moved towards making phones that offer 5G as standard rather than at a premium, the local lineup of mobile providers offering plans with access to 5G speeds has done the same.

There are still some decent deals available through the Big Three, but if you're after the best 5G SIM-only plans in 2024 then there are plenty of reasons to take a look at the many MVNOs that now offer those faster download speeds at a more competitive price.

In this guide, we'll take you through our top picks for the best 5G phone plans.

Best prepaid 5G mobile plan

TPG 50GB Medium Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Great value
  • Unlimited international calls to select countries
  • 5G included
con
Reasons to avoid
  • Speeds up to 150Mbps
  • No data banking
  • Vodafone network

How we picked this plan: We sorted prepaid 5G plans by price and then chose the one that lets you get the most data and benefits for the lowest cost per month.

For November, TPG takes out our top spot for the best prepaid 5G mobile plan. You'll pay just $17.50 per month for 50GB for the first 6 months. After the promotional period, the price rises to $35 a month, which is still good value for all that data.

You can compare it to other 5G prepaid mobile plans below.

Cheapest 5G SIM only mobile plan

TPG 50GB Medium Plan

How we picked this plan: We sorted SIM-only 5G mobile plans by price and then chose the cheapest one.

TPG also takes the spot for our cheapest 5G SIM-only mobile plan. With its 6-month discount bringing the price down to $17.50 for 50GB of data, it's considerably cheaper than other plans that offer less data. After the 6-month promotional period, your monthly cost will rise to $35, but $35 for 50GB of data is still a compelling deal.

If you want the cheapest plan on a 24-month period, then Southern Phone is the cheapest choice with the $19 Small 5G SIM plan. It costs a total of $546 for 2 years for 20GB data per month and some international call credit. Check below for the cheapest plans over 24-months:

Best Telstra 5G mobile plan (and best for coverage)

Telstra $69 Pre-Paid Mobile

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Some international calls
  • 200GB Data Rollover
  • More data with Prepaid than Postpaid
con
Reasons to avoid
  • No endless data like on postpaid

How we picked this plan: We sorted Telstra 5G plans by price and then chose the one that lets you get the most data and benefits for the best price.

As Australia’s largest telco, it’s no surprise that Telstra’s 5G rollout is kicking the competition’s butt right now. At the time of writing, its next-gen network covers 87% of the Australian population. That’s by far the best coverage from the best three, but the gap will only get narrower as Optus and Vodafone catch up.

Regardless, if you’re only after the best coverage you can get, Telstra’s 5G phone plans have you covered. Unfortunately, that coverage does come at a premium, with the cheapest  Telstra plan 5G data plan coming in at $65, which isn't exactly as budget-friendly as the competition.

If you're after for a little more data though, look no further than the $75 Essential Plan. It gets you more than twice the data of the cheaper Basic Plan, plus all the same perks. 

If that's not enough for you, here's the full range of Telstra's 5G plans.

Best Optus 5G mobile plan

$79 Optus Plus Promo Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Unlimited international calls to select countries
  • No excess data fees
  • 5G included
con
Reasons to avoid
  • Endless data capped at 1.5Mbps

How we picked this plan: We sorted Optus 5G plans by price and then chose the one that lets you get the most data and benefits for the best price.

The entry point to Optus’ 5G network is far cheaper than Telstra’s, but you’ll likely only get coverage in metropolitan areas. If you’re okay with waiting a little longer for better coverage and unwilling to go prepaid, you can save a decent chunk of change, as Optus’ cheapest 5G phone plan is $10 cheaper than Telstra’s.

That said, if you're game to spend a little more there's a ton of value to be found in Optus' $79 Plus Promo Plan. This plan gets you a whopping 360GB of 5G data, and you'll only pay $69 per month for the first 12 months, after which the price will go up to $79 per month. That sum makes it our top pick when it comes to bang for the buck.

Need more (or less) data? Check out all of Optus' 5G plans below.

5G Australia modem

Got more 5G questions?

We've got answers. Here's everything you need to know about the 5G rollout in Australia, and how the Telstra, Optus and Vodafone networks compare.

Best Vodafone 5G mobile plan

Vodafone $59 Medium SIM Only Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Unlimited international calls to select countries
  • No excess data fees
  • 5G included
con
Reasons to avoid
  • Endless data capped at 2Mbps

How we picked this plan: We sorted Vodafone 5G plans by price and then chose the one that lets you get the most data and benefits for the best price.

Since Vodafone extends the 5G olive branch to all its prepaid plans, you can get access for as little as $30. That said, if you actually want decent data inclusions, the $59 Medium Plan is your best bet. If you sign up before 2 December 2024, you'll 180GB of monthly data, and you'll get $10 off your bill each month you stay connected, bringing the cost down to $49 a month.

Of the Big Three, Vodafone has the least 5G coverage and really only caters for capital cities. In fact, according to Vodafone's website, around 3,000 suburbs across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Gold Coast, Central Coast, Wollongong and Sunshine Coast can currently access its 5G network.

For a sense of how this plan compares to the rest of the roster, take a look at Vodafone's postpaid 5G plans below.

5G coverage maps

Telstra 5G coverage

The map below should help you get a better sense of what the coverage of the Telstra 5G network looks like. It'll also help you visualise the 5G coverage of MVNOs like Boost Mobile, Belong, Exetel, MATE and NuMobile since those providers utilise the same 5G network as Telstra.

Optus 5G coverage

The map below should help you get a better sense of what the coverage of the Optus 5G network looks like. It'll also help you visualise the 5G coverage of MVNOs like SpinTel and Aussie Broadband since those providers utilise the same 5G network.

Vodafone 5G covergage

The map below should help you get a better sense of what the coverage of the Vodafone 5G network looks like. It'll also help you visualise the 5G coverage of MVNOs like TPG, iiNet, Kogan and Lebara since these providers utilise the same 5G network.

Who has the best 5G coverage in Australia?

Since the exact size of each major 5G network isn't publicly known, it's hard to say for absolute certainty which provider offers the best coverage. That said, we've got our suspicions.

Even if we had access to hard data, numbers rarely tell the whole story. Whether a given provider has the best possible coverage might not matter as much as whether your mobile network covers the specific places where you individually want or need 5G connectivity or how reliable that network is during peak hours.

Who offers 5G plans in Australia?

The following Australian mobile providers currently offer 5G:

5G mobile plan FAQs

Who is the best 5G provider?

This question is a tricky one. Telstra has the largest 5G network, covering 85% of Australia. However, a 2023 analysis by Open Signal found that Optus had the fastest 5G download speeds, while Vodafone customers had the highest proportion of time with a 5G connection.

To determine the best 5G provider for you, you'll need to weigh up coverage in your area against factors like download speeds and the proportion of time you can actually expect to have a 5G connection.

Do I need a new SIM card for a 5G plan?

No, you do not necessarily need a new SIM card for 5G.

As long as your current phone model supports 5G connectivity and you're already with a provider that offers a 5G network (and plan to stick with them), you can use your existing SIM. All you have to do is switch to a 5G-enabled plan and you're good to go.

However, if you're planning on switching providers, you will need a new SIM card no matter what.

Who offers 5G in Australia?

There are currently fifteen 5G mobile providers available in Australia. The list here covers the big three (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone) as well as smaller players like SpinTel, Southern Phone, Aussie Broadband and Boost Mobile.

That said, we should start seeing 5G access roll out to more and more MVNOs in the coming years.

Are 5G plans worth it?

Whether or not 5G plans are worth it is dependent on a few factors.

If your current phone isn't 5G compatible (and you don't plan on upgrading any time soon), then getting a 5G phone plan would be a waste of money.

If your current phone is 5G enabled, the choice comes down to two factors: location and usage. If you're in a metropolitan location and need blazing-fast internet speeds for work (or play!) then a 5G plan is more than likely going to be worth it to you. If you're in a rural area, it's possible you won't have 5G coverage anyway, so only get a 5G plan if you've checked the coverage in your area.

If you've decided you don't need 5G, check out our guide to the best cheap mobile plans

How much do 5G plans cost in Australia?

5G phone plans in Australia come in a number of different shapes and sizes, but range in price from as little as $25 per month to as much as $89 per month. Many of the options fall between those two extremes, at between $50 and $60 per month.

Do I need to buy a 5G phone to get 5G?

You don't technically need to buy a 5G phone to get a 5G mobile plan, but you will need one to use it. 

Both Australia's big three telcos and the many MVNO providers that piggyback off the same networks will happily sell you a 5G plan regardless, but if you're using an older device or a handset that isn't outfitted with the right parts to get 5G coverage then you'll likely end up stuck at 4G instead. What's more, you'll be paying a premium for it.

The simple version is this. You need a 5G phone, and a 5G phone plan. You need to be in a place covered by a 5G network in order to get 5G in Australia.

Georgia Dixon
Written by
Georgia Dixon has 10 years of experience writing about all things tech, entertainment and lifestyle. She spends most of her time as Managing Editor of SafeWise Australia and also has bylines on 7NEWS, Stuff.co.nz, in TechLife magazine and more. In 2023 she won Best News Writer at the Consensus IT Awards, and in 2024 she was a finalist for Best News Journalist at the Samsung IT Journalism Awards (The Lizzies). In her spare time, you'll find her playing games and daydreaming about good food, wine, and dogs.

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