Is 5G worth it?

Mobile Phone & Internet Blog | MATE | 16 September 2022

There’s no question that 5G is the next giant leap forward for mobile network technology. With its lower latency, greater network capacity and faster download speeds, 5G represents a massive improvement over the 4G network standard. 

But while major Aussie telcos have already started rolling out 5G mobile networks across the country, this new tech is still getting out of the starting blocks. With this reality in mind, it’s only understandable to ask the question: is it worth signing up for a 5G mobile phone plan? In this blog, we break it all down so you can decide whether a 5G plan is right for you. 

What Are The Benefits of 5G? 

For the average consumer, 5G stands to have a noticeable effect on day-to-day smartphone habits in two main ways:

Speed

It’s often said that 5G has the potential to deliver speeds of up to 20 Gigabits Per Second (Gbps) with a projected minimum of 100 Megabits Per Second (Mbps). To put that into perspective, 100Mbps is among the fastest NBN tiers available for home internet – and that will be the minimum 5G speed in the future. (Hence why 5G is slated to outpace unlimited data fixed broadband.)

So say goodbye to pesky buffering icons, and hello to faster speeds and a totally seamless browsing and streaming experience. 

Network Capacity

Have you ever been to a crowded event and been frustrated at how difficult it is to complete the simplest of mobile tasks like checking social media or making phone calls? Rest assured this isn’t just a ‘you’ problem, but the network struggling to handle a massive spike in traffic.

Once again, 5G is projected to solve this issue by broadening its bandwidth to accommodate up to 100x more network traffic.

Should You Get 5G? 

While there are definitely benefits to the new 5G network, whether or not you hop on a new 5G plan will very much depend on two things:

Do You Have Connectivity?

To take advantage of 5G and all its perks, you’ll need to be located in an area that has 5G network coverage.

So far a few major Aussie telcos have been making good headway in rolling out new 5G networks across capital cities and major regional centres across the country. 

MATE 5G mobile plans, for example, use parts of Telstra’s 5G mobile network – Australia’s 5G frontrunner – that currently provides coverage to at least 75% of the Australian population.

The network capability of our 5G mobile plan has access to download speeds of 10Mbps up to a speed cap of 250Mbps on 5G.

To check if your area currently has access to 5G you can use the MATE network coverage map.

Do You Have a 5G Compatible Device?

The second thing you’ll need to take advantage of the 5G network is a 5G compatible handset. 

Luckily, with 5G becoming the new norm, more and more smartphone manufacturers are jumping on the trend, giving consumers a good deal of choice for an affordable 5G phone upgrade. 

Good news still, even if you live somewhere that’s currently outside the service area of Aussie 5G networks, you’ll still be able to use your 5G handset on existing 4G and 3G networks – great for those who have their eye on a particular 5G phone.

Get 5G with MATE!

Already have 5G coverage in your area and a 5G compatible device ready to go? Then make the switch to a MATE 5G plan!

Our 5G plans are below:

Great Mates 32GB 5G

• 32GB of mobile data per month
• 500GB of banked data
• Unlimited talk & text to standard Aussie numbers
• Unlimited international phone calls & SMS to selected 15 countries

Best Mates 50GB 5G

• 50GB of mobile data per month
• 500GB of banked data
• Unlimited talk & text to standard Aussie numbers
• Unlimited international phone calls & SMS to selected 15 countries

Brilliant Mates 65GB 5G

• 65GB of mobile data per month
• 1000GB of banked data
• Unlimited talk & text to standard Aussie numbers
• Unlimited international phone calls & SMS to selected 15 countries

Soul Mates 150GB 5G

• 150GB of mobile data per month
• 1000GB of banked data
• Unlimited talk & text to standard Aussie numbers
• Unlimited international phone calls & SMS to selected 15 countries

All on the 5G network!

For more information about 5G, you can visit our dedicated 5G mobile page.

👉  Sign-up for one of our 4G or 5G postpaid mobile plans today!

¹ Selected plans only. 15 selected countries are not interchangeable.