4G wifi devices

With the National Broadband Network (NBN) still at least two to three years away for most Australians, 4G wifi networks are becoming a viable option for a faster internet connection. Drew explains where 4G coverage is currently available and how much a connection will cost.

There are currently two options for 4G wifi networking inAustralia, with Telstra and Optus operating separate networks. Both offer standalone wifi hotspot devices which have a built-in rechargeable battery. To connect to a wifi network, you turn the device on, find the wifi network on your device and connect to it by entering the password displayed on your device.

The current coverage for both Telstra and Optus are mainly city-centric within 10km in each direction of major metropolitan cities, but selected suburbs do have 4G coverage, with the areas of coverage planned to slowly expand over the coming years. If you enter an area without coverage, your device will default back to the wifi 3G network which still boasts sufficiently fast speeds.

Coverage Maps

Telstra - www.telstra.com.au 

Optus - www.optus.com.au 

You will need to select the '4G' circle below the map.

Pricing

The Telstra Bigpond Mobile wifi 4G with 8GB of data will cost $59.95 per month on a 24 month plan for those with no other Telstra plan. If you have a home phone plan, you can reduce this by $10 per month and if you have a combination of two products with Telstra, you can cut the price by a further $10 to take it down to $39.95 per month

The Optus E589 wifi modem with 10GB of data is available from $50 per month on a 24 month plan.