Welcome to the NBN Maidstone Victoria… or should you be welcomed to the Optus network? It seems the answer is the latter, because the NBN took so long to reach Maidstone that it was beaten to the finish line by Optus 5G. Better yet, NBN hasn’t even crossed the line yet, and Optus 5G is already there.

Many of us have languished in the world of inadequate internet connectivity. Just ask Chris or Duncan about their woeful internet experiences over the last couple of years, though both – fortunately – are now connected (with varying success) via the NBN.

Just like Chris and Duncan, though, for many customers those days of complete internet woe are over, and many Australians have access to connections of 50Mbps or higher. Not so for a significant number of users though.

While cables are being run into Maidstone in Victoria, Optus has already delivered 5G connectivity to the local users who are still waiting for NBN to be delivered. For some users, if Optus can deliver a good experience, those NBN cables may in fact never be used.

Connecting to 5G, locals are seeing 400Mbps speeds downstream on a regular basis with the speeds averaging over 300Mbps. Even in congested network times, they’re reporting speeds over 50Mbps which is the guaranteed minimum speed. If you experience speeds lower than this, there is an exit clause on the contract allowing you to leave with no penalty.

All of this is happening on an Optus 5G plan costing $70 per month for an unlimited data capacity.

Compare this to the Aussie Broadband 250/25 Mbps FTTP NBN plan at $169 per month and the 5G option could be a winner in terms of performance and – significantly – in terms of price.

There are some failings of 5G in terms of maintaining high speed connectivity. Range from the tower, any physical obstructions and even the weather conditions can have an effect on the speeds you’ll experience on 5G. So consider whether your close to a tower, where to place the modem and if external antenna options need to be utilized to maximise your experience.

A recent article from news.com.au has a user reporting several very positive factors.

The only thing that was tricky was the positioning of the modem, but I got help from Optus over the phone.

The latency is better than their ADSL2 connection was.

Download times are fast… really fast for large files such as updates and operating system files.

Multiple users are streaming simultaneously with no reported issues of buffering or noticeable lag on the network.

It is unfortunate that the NBN rollout has become so disjointed that houses have the potential for FTTP, where two streets over they may be on HFC, FTTC or FTTN. Not only that, but the rollout has been so prolonged in some areas, that mobile carriers have been able to deliver a brand new technology, with higher speeds for less.

5G has been hailed as the field of dreams, now that it’s becoming a viable product for users – it seems the players are ready to take to the field.