8 reasons to love portable internet

8 great reasons to get on board

1. The freedom to work anywhere

Enjoy the flexibility of working from home? With a data-only plan, you can connect instantly to the internet. Our SIM is laptop compatible so you simply open, connect and enjoy portable internet whenever you’re in an area with our network coverage. You can also connect via a USB modem to your laptop or portable internet if you have multiple devices, allowing you to video call, share files and collaborate online. 

2. Make your 7:59am commute more enjoyable

Good morning public transport, hello Upfront Data Plan. Use a data SIM (which comes in both physical SIM and eSIM formats) in your tablet, so when you’re commuting, you can connect to streaming services and watch your favourite TV show as the stations whiz by, without having to hotspot and use your mobile data. 

3. Home internet in a hurry? Sorted!  

If you've just moved house, are in temporary accommodation or renting, portable internet lets you jump online immediately - as long as you’re in an area with our network coverage. All you need is a data SIM with a month-to-month Upfront Data Plan and mobile broadband modem. Change up your data allowance each month to match your usage and take the portable internet with you when you move.

If your living circumstances change, you might decide a fixed internet connection is better. Just cancel your data plan anytime. 

Stop the share house lag with your own internet connection

When everyone’s working from home on the same internet connection, things can get… tense. If you’d rather have your own connection, without having to share it with the household, a portable modem or hotspot like the NightHawk M6 or the Telstra 5G Hotspot will reduce stress and give you independence.

A data plan could also help you maintain a consistent internet connection around the home if your fixed connection is patchy, or if there’s an outage.

4. Connect your kids, too

Digital experiences form the backbone of school learning. Connectivity allows kids to collaborate with their peers and teachers while eLearning helps develop their digital literacy across different devices. A data plan with your child’s tablet keeps their learning uninterrupted with a reliable connection. 

5. Travel plans and data plans are perfect companions

The beauty of portable internet? You can take your Wi-Fi network on holidays too. 

If you’re staying in a motel and want to watch a movie, hook up your hotspot and stream via the TV. Bonus: hotspot devices are so compact and lightweight, they’ll barely register in your carry-on luggage.

Whether you’re at the beach, in a tent or on the road - a data plan and a portable internet device will make your kids’ journey a whole lot more entertaining. As long as you're in an area with our network coverage, they're laughing. 
 
Portable internet devices like Telstra 5G Hotspot or NightHawk M6 create Wi-Fi hotspots (like your smartphone, only better) so you can connect up to 30 devices in one hit, including tablets, speakers and computers.  

6. Get gaming at the speed of 5G

Gamers love nothing better than a blazing fast connection. That’s where a Telstra 5G Hotspot or NightHawk M6 with a 30GB or 75GB 5G-ready data plan comes in handy. Featuring dual-band Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi 6 technology, both 5G portable modems allow more Wi-Fi enabled devices to be connected and stream simultaneously, with minimal impact on speed or reliability. With increased capacity, you get faster speeds for high-end video streaming on your smartphone, tablet or computer. 

5G is now rolling out in selected areas on selected plans.

7. Say goodbye to dodgy public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi is open to everyone, which can make it less secure. Portable internet is a much safer alternative because it uses encrypted Wi-Fi to create a secure connection for your Wi-Fi enabled devices. Using a data plan also helps keep you safer in public places with less risk of your data being compromised.

8. No more data dependence

Do you burn through your monthly data allowance on your mobile plan? Why not treat yourself to extra data? With a Telstra 5G Hotspot  on an Upfront Data Plan, you can connect up to 64 Wi-Fi enabled devices, to keep you streaming, gaming and surfing do at uncapped speeds.

Let’s talk terminology

Having the flexibility to connect on the go with multiple devices has never been more important. Let's break down the lingo. 

• Data SIM or eSIM is paired with an Upfront Data Plan. Both physical SIMs and eSIMs deliver a reliable internet connection on your compatible mobile devices (tablet, smartphone, iPad, laptop or portable modem). 
• Upfront Data Plan a data-only plan you pay for month-to-month, that’s tailored to how you like to use the internet. Ranging from 10GB to 75GB. Also called a data plan. 
• Portable internet a wireless internet connection delivered via a mobile network. You need a mobile Wi-Fi device to use it. 
• Hotspot a physical connection to the internet. Like using your phone's hotspot but built for better performance.
• Portable internet device allows you to connect to portable Wi-Fi using a SIM card or eSIM. A SIM-ready laptop, tablet or iPad, a portable modem or a dongle (translation: USB modem) are most common. You can BYO your own device or get a portable internet device with an Upfront Data Plan.

Still confused about terminology? Learn more here about the internet's tech jargon.