Optus Optus owns the second-largest network. Coverage in Australian cities and suburbs is comparable to Telstra, but the network thins out faster once you leave major highways. Prices are meaningfully lower than Telstra equivalents.
Pros
The upsides
98.5% population coverage[5]
Optus officially covers 98.5% of the Australian population — comparable to Telstra in metro and suburban Australia.
Strong metro 5G — ~80.5% population[6]
Third-party network trackers put Optus 5G at approximately 80.5% of the population, with expansion continuing across regional centres.
Broad MVNO ecosystem on full Optus data[7]
Amaysim, Coles Mobile, Catch Connect and other Optus MVNOs deliver full retail-speed Optus data — no wholesale-tier throttling.
Independent ACCC infrastructure verification[8]
Optus's tower and site footprint is documented in the ACCC Mobile Infrastructure Report 2025.
Cons
Trade-offs to know
5G footprint smaller than population coverage[6]
Optus does not publish a single primary-source 5G population percentage; third-party trackers estimate it at ~80.5%, meaningfully behind its 4G footprint.
Our take
If you live in or around a capital city and want great data for less money, an Optus-network MVNO like Amaysim or Coles Mobile is often the smart-money pick.[7]