MR7500 (M7 Ultra Telstra) not connecting to 5G on Optus – Solution / Fix

Hello everyone,

I wanted to share a full update on this issue in case it helps others, as I was facing the exact same problem.

Device:

Netgear Nighthawk M7 Ultra (MR7500 – Telstra firmware)

Firmware:

NTGX75_10.04.09.00

GUI: M7_Telstra_v07.01.47.00

Issue:

The device was only connecting to 4G / 4G+ on Optus, even though:

• The SIM works on 5G instantly in a mobile phone
• I was in a full Optus 5G coverage area
• Network mode was set to Auto (LTE + 5G NSA)

What I tested

1. Sent the device to Telstra under warranty
2. They confirmed:

• Device is NOT network locked
• No firmware restriction on 5G
• Hardware is working correctly

1. Contacted Netgear
2. They confirmed:

• No global/unbranded firmware available
• No firmware-based 5G restriction
• Advised to contact the carrier

Actual Root Cause

The issue was NOT firmware or hardware.

It turned out to be a carrier-side provisioning issue (Optus backend).

What fixed it

After contacting Optus support:

• Basic troubleshooting (APN, reboot, network reset) did NOT fix it
• The issue was escalated to technical support

They performed a backend reprovisioning / profile refresh, which likely included:

• Reapplying 5G entitlement to the SIM
• Refreshing subscriber profile in HLR/HSS
• Re-registering the device on the network

Immediately after that:

✔ Device connected to 5G (NSA / sub-6)

✔ 5G signal appeared instantly

Important Finding

After performing a factory reset on the modem, the issue came back again (stuck on 4G).

This suggests:

➡ On fresh network attach, the carrier does NOT always correctly provision 5G for this device

➡ A manual backend refresh is required again

Final Solution

If you are facing this issue:

👉 Contact your carrier (Optus / others) and ask for:

“5G reprovisioning / backend refresh on my service or SIM”

Final Conclusion

• ❌ NOT a firmware lock issue
• ❌ NOT a hardware issue
• ❌ NOT an APN issue

✔ It is a network provisioning issue on the carrier side

Since the fix, the device has been working perfectly on Optus 5G with stable performance.

Hope this helps others facing the same problem.

Thanks.