Airtel 5G ODU Review: I Paid for 50 Mbps and Got 4 to 15 Mbps in Soka, Ibadan

The Airtel 5G ODU router mounted on a water tank stand outside a house in Ibadan.

By AfroRated, 26 Oct 2026.

Our verdict: 2.0 out of 5

Easy to buy and truly unlimited, but I paid for 50 Mbps and mostly got 4 to 15 Mbps on 4G, with a lot of fiddling to keep it working.

Loved

  • Cheap to start: ₦25,000 through the Airtel app
  • Truly unlimited: over 50 GB a month with no cap I could see
  • The battery kept it on for about 7 hours in a power cut
  • Installed in under an hour, 2 days after the SIM was registered

Let down

  • Never close to the 50 Mbps I paid for: 4 to 15 Mbps most of the time
  • I never got 5G where I live, only 4G
  • It kept picking a strong signal that wouldn't load anything
  • I had to change technical settings by hand to keep it browsing
  • It sometimes stopped browsing until I complained to Airtel on X

I bought the Airtel 5G ODU myself and paid for it with my own money. Airtel did not pay for this review or give me the router, and AfroRated earns nothing from this article.

What is the Airtel 5G ODU?

ODU means "outdoor unit". Instead of a small router that sits inside your room, the ODU is mounted outside, on a wall, a pole or a tank stand, where it can catch a stronger mobile signal. It then shares that internet with your phones, laptops and TV over Wi-Fi.

Airtel calls it the SmartConnect 5G ODU. According to Airtel and the launch coverage:

  • it uses 5G where Airtel has 5G, and falls back to 4G where it doesn't;
  • up to 64 devices can connect at once;
  • it has a battery that Airtel says lasts about 5 to 6 hours during a power cut;
  • it comes with parental and usage controls.

### How much does the Airtel 5G ODU cost in Nigeria?
At launch, Airtel advertised an entry price of ₦25,000. That included the router, a SIM, installation and the first 30 days of unlimited data at up to 50 Mbps. Some buyers now report a separate installation fee of about ₦15,000, making the start-up cost about ₦40,000, so check the price on the day you buy.

On Jiji and Jumia the same router is listed for anything from about ₦25,000 to over ₦80,000. Many of these are resellers, so:

buy through the Airtel app or an Airtel shop where you can;

  • ask exactly what the price includes (installation, SIM, first month of data);
  • never pay a reseller for "unlimited forever" deals.*

What I paid: ₦25,000 through the Airtel app. An Airtel customer service agent came to my house to register the SIM, and 2 days later the installer came with the router and the installation kit.

### Airtel 5G ODU data plans
The plans are unlimited and priced by speed (October 2026, check with Airtel before you pay):

  • Unlimited 50: up to 50 Mbps, ₦25,000 per 30 days
  • Unlimited 100: up to 100 Mbps, ₦45,000 per 30 days

Is it really unlimited? Yes. I used over 50 GB in a month, mostly at busy times, and never hit a cap. You can see how much you've used on the router's settings page. Some sellers mention a "fair use" limit after which speed is reduced for the rest of the month, so ask Airtel for the figure for your plan.

How to renew: I add credit to my own Airtel number in the Airtel app, then pay for the router's plan from that balance, because the two are linked in the app.

Does Airtel 5G work in my area?
This is the most important question, because the ODU is only as good as the Airtel signal where you live. Where there is no 5G, it works on 4G, which is much slower.

My area: Soka, Ibadan. I never got 5G here. The router worked on 4G the whole time, and that is why my speeds were so far below the 50 Mbps I paid for.

Before you buy:

Ask Airtel (shop, app or customer care) to check 5G coverage for your exact address, not just your city.
Ask neighbours who use Airtel how their data is indoors and outdoors.
Ask the installer to test the signal where the unit will be mounted, if you can.
How installation works

  • Booking: I ordered it in the Airtel app.
  • SIM registration: an Airtel agent came to my house to register the SIM.
  • Installation: 2 days later the installer came with the router and the kit, looked for the best spot, and mounted it on my water tank stand. It took under an hour.
  • Wi-Fi name and password: I opened 192.168.1.1 in a browser and logged in with the details printed on the back of the router, then set my own Wi-Fi name and password.
  • Tip: while you're on that page, change the router's admin password too, not only the Wi-Fi password. Anyone who can read the back of the router knows the default one.

Speed: what I actually got
I pay for the 50 Mbps plan. These are typical results from speed tests at home:

  • Morning (9am): 10 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up
  • Afternoon, the busy time (3pm): 4 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up
  • Late night (11:30pm): 15 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up At best, during the day it held steady at about 8 Mbps. Late at night it was faster, but it never once reached the 50 Mbps I pay for.

In everyday use, at most 3 of us used it at once for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Netflix and YouTube. It managed, but the slow afternoons were the hardest part.

The settings that made it usable (for technical readers)
I work in tech, so I went into the router's settings to find out why it was so slow.

What I found: It picks the strongest signal, not the one that works. In my area, one channel (channel 8) always shows the strongest signal, so the router keeps choosing it. But most of the time it barely loads anything.
Locking the band helped. I locked the router to band 7 and removed the other bands. Only then did it browse reliably.
Changing the channel helped too. Channels 1 and 11 worked best for me. I sometimes had to keep switching between channels (3, 11 and others) to get a usable speed.
If you aren't comfortable changing router settings, ask Airtel's installer or customer care to help. Write down the original settings before changing anything, so you can go back, or u can just reset

It sometimes stopped browsing completely. A few times the router showed a signal but nothing would load. I reported it to Airtel's customer service on X, and more than once it started browsing again soon after they replied. I can't say why that happens, only that it did.

Power cuts: does the battery last?
Airtel says the battery lasts about 5 to 6 hours. In my home it lasted about 7 hours during a power cut, which is the router's best feature for me.

Airtel 5G ODU vs MTN 5G router: what happened when I switched
After months of fiddling with the Airtel router, I tried MTN's 5G router. I went to an MTN office to buy it. Someone was supposed to come and install it, but I collected it myself and simply put it by my window, almost the same spot as the Airtel one.

It was way, way better. MTN gives me much higher speeds all the time, with no settings to change. In over 3 weeks I've had only about 2 short drops, of 5 to 10 minutes each. That is when I understood the real difference between 4G and 5G: with MTN I get 5G in Soka, and with Airtel I never did.

Your result depends on your address, so compare both networks where you live. Quick guide:

Airtel 5G ODU: mounted outside, unlimited plans priced by speed. Good where Airtel 5G is strong.
MTN 5G router: the same idea on MTN's network. In my home in Ibadan it was the clear winner.
Starlink: satellite internet that works almost anywhere, even with no mobile signal, but the kit and the monthly fee cost more. Best where mobile networks don't reach well.
What people are saying about Airtel
How is Airtel's network and customer service where you live? Read real reviews from people across Nigeria on AfroRated, or add your own:

What people say about Airtel

Frequently asked questions
Is the Airtel 5G ODU really unlimited? In my experience, yes: I used over 50 GB a month without being cut off.

Why is my Airtel ODU so slow? Most likely you are on 4G, not 5G. Check coverage for your address, and if you are comfortable with settings, try locking the band and changing the channel as described above.

How do I log in to the Airtel ODU router? Open 192.168.1.1 in a browser and use the login details printed on the back of the router.

How long does the battery last in a power cut? Airtel says 5 to 6 hours. Mine lasted about 7 hours.

How long does installation take? For me: the SIM was registered at home, the installer came 2 days later, and mounting took under an hour.

Is the Airtel 5G ODU worth it? Only if Airtel gives you real 5G at your address. Where I live it stayed on 4G, I never got close to the speed I paid for, and I had to keep changing settings to keep it working. MTN's 5G router was far better for me, so check both networks before you pay.

Who should buy it

People who can confirm strong Airtel 5G at their exact address before paying. If Airtel only gives 4G where you live, compare MTN's 5G router first: in my home, MTN was far faster with no fiddling.

Airtel 5G ODU Review: I Paid for 50 Mbps and Got 4 to 15 Mbps in Soka, Ibadan · All articles · Test scores never change any business's AfroRating.