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If you already own an outdoor unit, renewing is the only recurring thing you have to do. Here is how, what it costs right now, and what to check when the connection is slow rather than expired.

What you need before you start

Just the phone number on the SIM inside the outdoor unit. That is the number the plan is billed against — not your personal line, unless they happen to be the same. If you do not know it, it is on the paperwork from installation, or on a sticker on the unit itself.

Current unlimited ODU prices

Read from our live plan list on the day this was published. Faster tiers exist on both networks; the ODU page always shows what is current.

How to renew

1. Open the ODU renewal page.
2. Pick your network and plan.
3. Enter the phone number on the ODU's SIM.
4. Pay from your wallet. It activates within seconds in most cases.

You can also renew directly with MTN or Airtel through their apps or a service centre. Same outcome, more steps, and a service centre trip if something needs a human. If a renewal through us fails, the money returns to your wallet automatically — you are not left paying for a renewal that did not land.

"Unlimited" is not unlimited

Both networks sell these plans as unlimited, and both operate fair-usage policies. Cross the threshold for your plan and your speed is reduced for the rest of the cycle; the connection does not stop, it just stops being fast. A normal household streaming, calling and browsing will usually never notice. If you are pulling several hundred gigabytes a month, expect a slower tail end of the cycle and renew on time rather than after it lapses.

Slow ODU? Check this before anything else

Most outdoor units ship with network mode set to Auto, which lets the router hop between 4G and 5G whenever the signal wavers. That switching causes packet loss and latency, and produces the exact complaint people report: browsing feels fine but downloads crawl.

Log into the router's admin page — the address and default password are usually printed on the unit — find the network mode setting, and lock it to 5G only if your signal supports it, or 4G only if 5G is marginal where you are. Locking to a band the unit can hold beats letting it flip between two.

Also worth checking: the unit's physical aim. It is an antenna. Moving it a metre, or clearing what sits between it and the mast, can change the result more than any setting.

Questions people ask

Do I need an account to renew?
Yes, a free one. It holds your renewal history and receipts, and it is where a refund goes if a renewal fails.

Can I renew before my current plan expires?
Yes. Renewing on time is safer than letting it lapse and reconnecting.

Can I use the ODU SIM in a phone?
Technically it is a SIM, but ODU plans are tied to the router tariff and generally will not behave normally in a handset. Leave it in the unit.

Which is cheaper, MTN or Airtel?
At 50Mbps, Airtel is currently the cheaper monthly renewal. The full comparison, including hardware cost, is in MTN ODU vs Airtel ODU.

Related

• MTN ODU vs Airtel ODU: which to actually buy
• Is MTN FibreX available in my area?
• Renew your 5G ODU now

Full disclosure: ABS Vendor sells FibreX and 5G ODU renewals, so we are not a neutral party. We have tried to write what is actually true rather than what sells, including the parts where the answer is "this product is not for you".