Optus once again crowned the fastest mobile network in latest network report

A new report from Opensignal has awarded Optus with its seventh consecutive win on 5G download speeds, and put the telco well ahead of both Telstra and Vodafone across several categories.

During the recording period between July 1 and Sep 28, Optus saw the fastest average 5G download speeds, measured at 209.1Mbps. The teal telco was far ahead of Telstra and Vodafone, at 177.7Mbps and 162.9Mbps respectively.

Optus also came out on top for video experience, 5G video experience, gaming experience, 5G download speeds and consistent quality (a measurement of if the network is sufficient to support common mobile app requirements at a ‘good enough’ level of quality).

“We know how valuable a strong network is for our customers who use their devices in so many aspects of their lives,” an Optus spokesperson said. “So much work goes into the network, so we are incredibly proud to win these awards.”

Optus and Vodafone scooped up joint wins for 5G gaming experience, 5G upload speeds and network availability (a measurement of the proportion of time people have a network connection in the places they regularly visit). Vodafone won for download speed experience (including 4G and soon to be phased out 3G), upload speed experience and 5G availability.

“Our Vodafone users continue to observe the fastest overall average download speeds in Australia,” Opensignal wrote in its report.

In last place for awards received was Telstra, though the blue and orange telco scooped up wins for coverage experience and 5G coverage experience, with Opensignal assessing the extent of mobile networks in populated areas of Australia and the experience users receive. Telstra’s score of 9.5/10 was leagues ahead of Optus and Vodafone, scoring 8.3 and 6.4.

“This means Telstra has the widest and largest geographic footprint of coverage in populated areas out of all mobile operators in Australia,” Opensignal wrote.

So should I switch to Optus?

Opensignal’s report is a useful indicator of network quality, and across the most categories, Optus is the winner, particularly when it comes to network consistency and 5G experience – a category in which Optus won all four awards (two of which tied with Vodafone).

But obviously Vodafone’s win for download experience isn’t one to be ignored, especially with the telco offering the cheapest plans among the three network providers. Telstra’s wins on coverage experience are also not to be scoffed at, more so if you live in a regional or rural area, though it offers the most expensive plans of the big three.

And that’s probably the most important factor for most people when considering a phone plan. Telstra’s cheapest postpaid plan costs AU$65p/m and 50GB of included data, while Optus’ is AU$52p/m for 50GB and Vodafone’s is AU$49p/m for 50GB. All these plans technically include unlimited data, with speedcaps enforced after the 50GB threshold.

Considering its results in the recent Opensignal report, it might be worth considering Optus as the ‘best of both worlds’ choice – a high level of quality across several areas with a price tag in between Vodafone and Telstra. Vodafone may also be worth considering as the economic choice, but we’d also recommend checking out the best phone plans and the best SIM-only plans, as you’ll likely find a better deal from a smaller provider.

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