Vodafone vs Optus vs Telstra: Which Provider Has the Best NBN Plans With 4G Backup?

Every NBN provider has issues from time to time, but only a few offer a 4G backup. It’s never nice to have your home internet connection fall down, but it’s always smart to be prepared for that possibility. 

If your NBN plan has a 4G backup, your modem will automatically roll over to a 4G connection to keep you online in the event an outage happens. 

The only catch is that you’ll experience slower speeds. Every provider that offers NBN plans with 4G backup either caps download speeds at 12Mbps or 25Mbps. That’s fast enough to keep bingeing Netflix, but too slow for larger uploads and downloads. Think of it as equivalent to an NBN 12 or NBN 25 plan. 

There are currently five major providers that currently offer 4G backup in Australia: Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, iiNet, and Internode. We’ll take a closer look at the biggest of these providers in a moment, but first, here’s how they compare when it comes to NBN 50 plans:

Optus NBN plans with 4G backup

While Optus does let you link a pre-owned modem to any of its NBN plans, those who want 4G backup will have to bundle in the provider’s own Ultra WiFi modem instead. 

This won’t cost you anything extra up-front. However, it does mean that if you leave within your first 36 months with the provider you’ll have to pay a pro-rated modem fee. In typical cases, this works out to be $7 for each month you have left in that three-year term.

So long as you’re keen on having a 4G backup in place and don’t mind sticking it out, you’re looking at home internet download speeds of 25Mbps and upload speeds of 2Mbps whenever your NBN connection goes down.

What’s more, Optus currently has a number of offers in place for new NBN customers. Sign up for anything but the provider’s cheapest NBN 50 plan, and you’re looking at a discount on your first six months. 

The more expensive Optus Entertainer plans also include a standard Netflix subscription at no extra cost through its SubHub subscription management platform. If any or all of that sounds good, check out the widget below for a snapshot of Optus’ NBN plans:

Vodafone NBN plans with 4G backup

As with Optus, each of Vodafone’s NBN plans can be bundled with a modem that offers a built-in 4G backup. The Vodafone WiFi Hub 3.0 supports 4G fallback for up to 30 consecutive days when you’re waiting to be connected to the NBN or in the event that your connection fails for whatever reason. In either situation, you’ll stay connected, but your speeds will be capped at 20Mbps down and 2Mbps up.

If you’re already a Vodafone postpaid mobile customer, you can also save $15 per month on any of the Vodafone NBN plans below.

Vodafone NBN plans are contract-free, but if you add the WiFi Hub to your home internet plan before your first 24 months are up, you’ll have to pay out a pro-rated modem fee. The exact cost of this extra charge will vary depending on when you leave, working to be around $7.50 for each month left in that 24-month term. 

Telstra NBN plans with 4G backup

Telstra NBN plans all come with the provider’s third-generation Smart Modem. Like its counterparts, this modem router comes with the ability to use a 4G connection as a backup while you’re waiting for Telstra to connect your NBN plan. It’ll also kick in whenever the router runs into any network-related issues.

The main drawback here is that it’s a little slower than your NBN connection. Telstra customers in a pinch are looking at 4G home internet download speeds of 25Mbps and upload speeds of 5Mbps. Speedwise, it’s roughly equivalent to an NBN 25 plan.

Here’s a look at Telstra’s NBN plans:

Like Optus, Telstra is also currently running a few NBN deals. 

First up, every one of the provider’s NBN plans comes with two free months of Binge and three months of Apple Music. You’ll also save on your first six months of all NBN plans with speeds of 50Mbps and up. The more you spend, the bigger the discount. NBN 50 customers save $5 per month, NBN 100 customers save $10 per month and NBN 250 customers save $20 per month for six months.

While all of Telstra’s NBN plans are contract-free, leaving within the first two years will require you to return the modem or pay a fee to keep it.  

One last thing. If you’re looking for faster 4G backup, Telstra’s small business NBN plans might be worth a look. These plans include uncapped 4G access, which means that they can achieve internet speeds much higher than their consumer-grade counterparts. What that looks like will vary depending on your location and network congestion, but the Telstra 4G network can comfortably hit speeds between 50Mbps and 100Mbps in most metro areas, if not faster.

Check out the widget below for a shortlist of Telstra Business NBN plans with 4G backup.

Other NBN providers with 4G backup.

As mentioned at the top, iiNet and Internode also offer NBN plans with 4G backup. 

iiNet’s 4G backup is powered by the Vodafone network, but it’s a little slower. Speeds are capped at 12Mbps down and 1Mbps up.

Here’s a look at iiNet’s NBN plans:     

Internode isn’t much better, nor is it worse. This provider’s 4G backup is also powered by the Vodafone network with speeds limited to 12Mbps down and 1Mbps up.

Here’s a look at Internode’s NBN plans:     

Fergus Halliday is a journalist at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.