Optus Speed Test Results (in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Shepparton & Sydney)
Alright, now it is time to talk about the speeds you can expect with Optus after covering all the other essential topics like coverage.
But before I share my 128 speed test results in Adelaide (SA – South Australia), Brisbane (QLD – Queensland), Canberra (ACT – Australian Capital Territory), Melbourne (VIC – Victoria), Shepparton (VIC) & Sydney (NSW – New South Wales), I want to set the stage first and make a small comparison with Optus's competition.
Optus is regarded by Speedtest as the second-fastest mobile operator in Australia in Q1-Q2 of 2022.
With a median download speed of 75.27, Optus is ahead of Vodafone Australia (59.15 Mbps) but behind Telstra (81.57 Mbps).
When I arrived in Australia, 5G NR was already available to Optus prepaid customers (unlike its competition that took a bit longer).
So I have plenty of 5G NR results to share with you.
I did speed tests with the Speedtest app in six cities (although Australia has sub-cities (like the City of Monash in metro Melbourne), making the number of cities 17) across five states.
So I will go city to city, allowing you to just read the results of the city/cities/state you plan to visit.
For reference, I consider an average download speed of 25 Mbps and an average of 10 Mbps upload speed fast enough.
Preferably, download speeds should be 100 Mbps+ on 4G/LTE… but we are not there yet 🗿.
But why these averages?
A download speed of more than 25 Mbps is enough to video stream content @ 4k resolution.
Social media sites that allow for live streaming, like Facebook Live, recommend an upload speed of at least 10 Mbps.
So, that is why – but that does not mean that a download speed of less than 100 Mbps excited me 😏.
But Australia spoiled… everything slower than 300 Mbps is slow now 🤣.
Optus Speed Test Results in Adelaide (South Australia)
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia (SA), the second-least-populated Australian state (excluding the territories), and precisely in the middle (fifth-most-populated of nine) when taking internal territories into account.
Personally, I thought Adelaide was a boring city 🗿, and my fellow Melburnians agree (and I probably pissed off some Adelaideans – I still love y'all 🫶🏿🥹).
Luckily, my stay was short because I did not want to stay longer than an extended weekend.
Anyway, I mostly stayed in the city and did not explore the rest of South Australia (I may go in the not-near future).
Let's see how Optus performed in Adelaide:
.
Fast speeds with Optus in Adelaide!
In fact, Optus had the fourth-fastest download speed but the third-slowest upload speed in Adelaide.
Yeah… the competition was fierce in Adelaide 🗿.
I had an average download speed of 147.39 Mbps and a median download speed of 92.26 Mbps with Optus: it passed the 4K video streaming test in Adelaide.
The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Adelaide – Optus had an average upload speed of 18.99 Mbps and a median upload speed of 19.42 Mbps.
Optus' slowest download speed was at Clio Cafe in Adelaide CBD (37.10 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
This was fast enough to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps), but it still resulted Optus in being the worst performer at this location (with Amaysim, an Optus MVNO, being the second-slowest (69.87 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
Yeah… somehow the MVNO was faster than the mobile operator itself… uncommon 🤔.
When we also look at the travel eSIMs I tested, Optus was only slower than Nomad (54.95 Mbps – on the Optus 4G/LTE network).
Again… an uncommon and odd result for Optus 🥸.
Optus' worst upload speed performance was at Port Adelaide Plaza (1.50 Mbps on 5G NR), making it fail the HD live streaming test (minimum of 10 Mbps).
But I cannot blame Optus that much because all the other SIM cards and (travel) eSIMs I tested struggled to get an upload speed faster than 8 Mbps (with Lebara Australia, a Vodafone Australia MVNO, being the fastest (7.08 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
Optus Speed Test Results in Brisbane (Queensland)
Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland (QLD), the third-most-populated Australian state. It is also the third-largest when taking internal territories into account.
Before I went to Brisbane, I asked some of my Melbourne friends if Brisbane was fun.
They all said Brisbane is a big country town – some even said it was as boring as Adelaide.
I can tell you that Brisbane is not boring at all – they were all liars.
I confronted one of those spreading anti-Brisbane propaganda… she told me that some other friends of her had visited the city between the time she told me about Brisbane, all saying it is actually quite fun.
She herself did not go to Brisbane in 20 years 🗿 so it may have been a boring country town in the past… but not anymore!
Anyway I mostly stayed in the city and did not explore the rest of Queensland (unlike South Australia, I would be willing to go back again, to Cairns, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast).
Let's see how Optus performed in Brisbane:
.
Blazing-fast speeds with Optus in Brisbane!
In fact, Optus had the third-fastest download– and the second-slowest upload speed in Brisbane.
I had an average download speed of 176.93 Mbps and a median download speed of 130.04 Mbps with Optus: it passed the 4K video streaming test in Brisbane.
The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Brisbane – Optus had an average upload speed of 21.05 Mbps and a median upload speed of 17.26 Mbps.
Optus' slowest download speed was at Toowong Village, a shopping center in Toowong, one of Brisbane's inner suburbs (6.49 Mbps on 3G).
This was too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).
I am not sure what was happening at this shopping center, but every SIM card and (travel) eSIM using the Telstra network had no reception at all – not even 3G.
All on the Vodafone Australia did surprisingly well, with Vodafone Australia itself having a download speed of 81.02 Mbps – the fastest result of all the SIM cards and (travel) eSIMs I tested.
It probably does not come as a surprise that Optus' slowest upload speed was also at Toowong Village (0.32 Mbps).
Only Amaysim, an Optus MVNO, Airalo's Yes! Go! Australia eSIM (on the Optus 4G/LTE network) & Holafly (on the Vodafone Australia 4G/LTE network) had a slower upload speed than Optus.
Optus Speed Test Results in Canberra (Australian Capital Territory)
Canberra is the largest city in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which, as the name implies, is also Australia's capital city.
Not Sydney or Melbourne (and certainly not Brisbane) – Canberra.
Just like how Wellington is New Zealand's capital and not Auckland… or how Toronto and Vancouver get called Canada's capital instead of Ottawa.
The Australian Capital Territory is the most-populated internal territory (ahead of the Northern Territory and Jervis Bay Territory, which often gets forgotten), but the ACT has a smaller population than any other state.
One thing I find unfortunate about Canberra's reputation is that everyone says it is boring – even the security guy at the airport asked if I thought Canberra was boring.
Honestly… Canberra is not boring at all!
Sure, it is not as exciting as Brisbane, Melbourne, or Sydney, but it is certainly pretty.
Canberra Airport used to host two international flights (after years of lobbying) from Qatar and Singapore.
The latter scrapped the flight because of COVID – the former planned to resume its Melbourne – Canberra – Doha flights in October, then December, before ultimately ditching it, unfortunately.
But I do not think you should visit only Canberra when visiting Australia… that would be disappointing 🗿.
Let's see how Optus performed in Canberra:
.
Again fast speeds with Optus in Canberra!
In fact, Optus had the second-fastest download– and the third-slowest upload speed in Canberra (the former behind Telstra (568.17 Mbps on 5G NR)).
I had an average download speed of 141.85 Mbps and a median download speed of 101.25 Mbps with Optus: it passed the 4K video streaming test in Canberra.
The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Canberra – Optus had an average upload speed of 16.55 Mbps and a median upload speed of 14.61 Mbps.
Optus' slowest download speed was at my Airbnb in the Reid suburb – part of the District of Canberra Central (3.90 Mbps on 4G/LTE)
This was way too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).
Only the SIM cards on the Telstra network, including Telstra itself, ALDImobile Australia & Boost Mobile Australia, had a much faster download speed (65.71 Mbps on 4G/LTE, 79.05 Mbps on 4G/LTE (fastest all the SIM cards and (travel) eSIMs I tested) & 69.19 Mbps on 5G NR, respectively).
It probably does not come as a surprise that Optus' slowest upload speed was also at my Airbnb (0.16 Mbps).
Only Vodafone Australia had a slower upload speed (0.15 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
When we also look at the travel eSIMs I tested, Optus was only faster than the Holafly eSIM (0.02 on the Vodafone Australia 4G/LTE network).
Optus Speed Test Results in Melbourne (Victoria)
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria (VIC), the second-most-populated Australian state (including the internal territories).
Greater Melbourne is also the second-largest city in Australia, just behind Sydney.
I may be baised because I live in Melbourne, but Melbourne is my favorite Australian city 😍.
The vibe, the way the city is set up & the attractions are why I, and especially my boyfriend, love (living in) Melbourne.
Sydney is not bad either – not at all. The issue is that things are too spread out… and I thought it felt a bit too corporate 🤔.
Moreover, Melbourne has the most extensive tram network worldwide (thanks to Major General Sir Robert Joseph Henry Risson) and the largest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere – Chadstone (take that, Sydney!).
Let's see how Optus performed in Melbourne:
.
Lightning fast 5G NR speeds with Optus in Melbourne!
In fact, Optus had the second-fastest download– and the fastest upload speed in Melbourne (the former behind Telstra (849.66 Mbps on 5G NR)).
I had an average download speed of 360.39 Mbps and a median download speed of 387.31 Mbps with Optus: it passed the 4K video streaming test in Melbourne.
The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Melbourne – Optus had an average upload speed of 36.52 Mbps and a median upload speed of 22.24 Mbps.
Optus' slowest download speed was at Akwaaba Restaurant in St Kilda (part of the City of Glen Eira in Southeast Melbourne), with a download speed of 8.86 Mbps on 4G/LTE.
This was way too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).
Surprisingly, every other SIM card and (travel) eSIM I tested at this location, besides the SimOptions 3 HK eSIM (12.17 Mbps on the Vodafone Australia 4G/LTE network), were slower than Optus.
Optus' slowest upload speed was at Holmesglen Institute in Malvern East (part of the City of Stonnington in Southeast Melbourne), with an upload speed of 0.45 Mbps on 5G NR, making it fail the HD live streaming test (minimum of 10 Mbps).
This was quite a surprise because Optus' download speed was 115.94 Mbps.
None of the other SIM cards and (travel) eSIMs I tested were slower than Optus, with the SimOptions 3 HK eSIM being the second-slowest (1.09 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
Optus Speed Test Results in Shepparton (Victoria)
Shepparton-Mooroopna (not to be confused with Shepperton, Surrey in the United Kingdom) is the sixth-largest city in Victoria.
While I had nothing to do there, my boyfriend always wanted to see the museum up there (Shepparton Art Museum – SAM).
Moreover, it was a great opportunity to test the mobile operators' and travel eSIMs' performance in regional Australia.
Shepparton is certainly not part of The Outback, but it is far from the metro area to call it regional.
But if you want to visit more exciting regional cities in Victoria, you are better off in Ballarat and Bendigo – both reachable by V/Line regional trains.
Let's see how Optus performed in Shepparton:
.
Decent speeds with Optus in Mooroopna and Shepparton.
In fact, Optus had the third-fastest download– and third-slowest upload speed in Shepparton.
I had an average download speed of 39.60 Mbps and a median download speed of 37.64 Mbps with Optus: it passed the 4K video streaming test in Shepparton.
The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Shepparton – Optus had an average upload speed of 10.59 Mbps and a median upload speed of 7.10 Mbps.
Optus' slowest download speed was at the sole Riverlinks Westside in Mooroopna – part of Central Shepparton (1.32 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
This was way too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).
Optus was the worst performer at this test location compared to its competitors.
When we also take a look at the travel eSIMs I tested, Optus was only faster than the Airalo Yes! Go! eSIM (0.19 Mbps on the Optus 4G/LTE network).
Optus' worst upload speed performance was at the sole Woolworths supermarket in Shepparton (2.83 Mbps on 4G/LTE), making it fail the HD live streaming test (minimum of 10 Mbps).
Only Vodafone Australia was slower than Optus (1.84 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
The SimOptions 3 HK eSIM, on the Vodafone Australia 4G/LTE network, could not connect.
The Nomad eSIM, on the Optus 4G/LTE network, was slightly slower than Optus (0.87 Mbps).
Optus Speed Test Results in Sydney (New South Wales)
Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales (NSW), the most-populated Australian state (including the internal territories).
Greater Sydney is also the largest Australian city (just ahead of Melbourne).
Sydney is a lovely city with plenty of things to see and do.
But it is a rather car-centric city, making visiting multiple key attractions in one day a bit challenging.
Let alone how expensive everything is over there 🤑.
But I do love Sydney's doubledecker suburban trains – they are fun!
Let's see how Optus performed in Shepparton:
.
Extremely rapid 5G NR speeds with Optus in Sydney!
In fact, Optus had the fastest download– and upload speed in Sydney.
I had an average download speed of 264 Mbps and a median download speed of 147.23 Mbps with Optus: it passed the 4K video streaming test in Sydney.
The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Sydney – Optus had an average upload speed of 30.98 Mbps and a median upload speed of 25.55 Mbps.
Optus' slowest download speed was at Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo – one of Sydney's eastern suburbs (5.54 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
This was way too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).
Optus was only faster than Vodafone Australia (2.11 Mbps on 4G/LTE).
When we also look at the travel eSIMs I tested, only Holafly, on the Vodafone Australia 4G/LTE network, was slightly slower (5 Mbps).
Optus' slowest upload speed was at the Ribs & Burgers restaurant in Chippendale – one of Sydney's inner suburbs (4.55 Mbps on 5G NR).
This was way too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).
Even then, Optus had the fastest upload speed, as every other SIM card and (travel) eSIM I tested struggled to perform at this restaurant.
My Overall Experience with Optus – Is It Any Good?
I would recommend Optus, and it would be one of my top recommendation for anyone wanting to buy an Australian SIM card.
Being expanded