Author Topic: Australian mobile plan guide!  (Read 76183 times)

dungoofed

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #50 on: October 02, 2015, 02:04:37 AM »
Nice on the Amaysim front, although I thought the offer was only for new services :)

OzBargains is your friend ;)


alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #51 on: October 07, 2015, 07:46:32 AM »
I've added TPG, removed Yatango (as they are now under administration, their future is uncertain), updated Boost to now offering 4G services, and made some tweaks to reflect new plans (Amaysim, SpinTel and Telechoice for one).

Astatine

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #52 on: October 07, 2015, 03:58:33 PM »
I'm about to do a spendypants thing of upgrading to an iPhone 6 but want to stay on the Telstra network (their coverage and reliability is an essential for me due to various medical issues). Does the Aussie hive mind know if one can BYO iPhone 6 on the 4G network to Telstra? I want a plan, not prepaid SIM. I was thinking of buying a phone outright from JB Hi Fi and then signing up with a data/call plan with Telstra.

I know I can go to the Telstra shop and ask but have limited stamina/want to avoid crowds while going through chemo.




alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #53 on: October 08, 2015, 06:23:40 AM »
I'm about to do a spendypants thing of upgrading to an iPhone 6 but want to stay on the Telstra network (their coverage and reliability is an essential for me due to various medical issues). Does the Aussie hive mind know if one can BYO iPhone 6 on the 4G network to Telstra? I want a plan, not prepaid SIM. I was thinking of buying a phone outright from JB Hi Fi and then signing up with a data/call plan with Telstra.

I know I can go to the Telstra shop and ask but have limited stamina/want to avoid crowds while going through chemo.

You certainly can!

You should be able to buy an iPhone 6 outright from many major retailers (JB, Officeworks, Dick Smith, Apple Store, etc), even online. A 6S you may struggle with though due to demand.

Once you get that, you can switch to a SIM-only plan through Telstra (it might also be able to be done over the phone or online). They offer a range of 'Casual SIM-only' plans without a contract, as per below:

https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/plans-and-rates

Currently they have a double data deal on their $50 plan, although the site says it's only for new customers.

Best of luck!

Astatine

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #54 on: October 08, 2015, 06:30:40 AM »
I'm about to do a spendypants thing of upgrading to an iPhone 6 but want to stay on the Telstra network (their coverage and reliability is an essential for me due to various medical issues). Does the Aussie hive mind know if one can BYO iPhone 6 on the 4G network to Telstra? I want a plan, not prepaid SIM. I was thinking of buying a phone outright from JB Hi Fi and then signing up with a data/call plan with Telstra.

I know I can go to the Telstra shop and ask but have limited stamina/want to avoid crowds while going through chemo.

You certainly can!

You should be able to buy an iPhone 6 outright from many major retailers (JB, Officeworks, Dick Smith, Apple Store, etc), even online. A 6S you may struggle with though due to demand.

Once you get that, you can switch to a SIM-only plan through Telstra (it might also be able to be done over the phone or online). They offer a range of 'Casual SIM-only' plans without a contract, as per below:

https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/plans-and-rates

Currently they have a double data deal on their $50 plan, although the site says it's only for new customers.

Best of luck!

Fantastic! Thanks so much. I'm not a new customer unfortunately but good to know I can BYO iPhone

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #55 on: October 08, 2015, 06:56:14 AM »
I'm about to do a spendypants thing of upgrading to an iPhone 6 but want to stay on the Telstra network (their coverage and reliability is an essential for me due to various medical issues). Does the Aussie hive mind know if one can BYO iPhone 6 on the 4G network to Telstra? I want a plan, not prepaid SIM. I was thinking of buying a phone outright from JB Hi Fi and then signing up with a data/call plan with Telstra.

I know I can go to the Telstra shop and ask but have limited stamina/want to avoid crowds while going through chemo.

You certainly can!

You should be able to buy an iPhone 6 outright from many major retailers (JB, Officeworks, Dick Smith, Apple Store, etc), even online. A 6S you may struggle with though due to demand.

Once you get that, you can switch to a SIM-only plan through Telstra (it might also be able to be done over the phone or online). They offer a range of 'Casual SIM-only' plans without a contract, as per below:

https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/plans-and-rates

Currently they have a double data deal on their $50 plan, although the site says it's only for new customers.

Best of luck!

Fantastic! Thanks so much. I'm not a new customer unfortunately but good to know I can BYO iPhone

You're welcome.

Still worth a try, maybe chat to the Telstra people. Worst case, you might be able to port to Optus prepaid and then port back to Telstra as a 'new' customer :)

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #56 on: November 11, 2015, 05:09:24 AM »
A couple of new MVNOs have popped up on the scene.

Coles have introduced their own prepaid service on the Optus network, and Kogan Mobile has returned, this time on the Vodafone network (and this time Kogan aren't using a third-party wholesaler).

There's an awful lot of new plans and changes too. I'll update the guide when I can be bothered :)

dungoofed

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #57 on: November 11, 2015, 05:20:50 AM »
Two new cheap Amaysim "unlimited" plans too, and their 5Gb unlimited plan now includes 300 min international.

And there was something in the news about TPG/Vodafone yesterday, just waiting for the dust to settle.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #58 on: November 11, 2015, 07:14:58 PM »
Two new cheap Amaysim "unlimited" plans too, and their 5Gb unlimited plan now includes 300 min international.

And there was something in the news about TPG/Vodafone yesterday, just waiting for the dust to settle.
Yeah that's a pretty good deal, as are their lower plans for those who don't use much data. Amaysim's excess data rates are high at 7.2c/MB, but I'm sure with prepaid it matters less (or with an Android phone where you can set a limit on the data).

Also if one can have a mobile plan with unlimited calls and text messages (and 1GB data) for $24.90 a month, it seems silly to pay $30 just in line rental for a landline :)

I'm just waiting for carriers here to shape excess data rather than charge per MB or GB, like many of the American ones do and ADSL/cable plans tend to do.

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #59 on: November 11, 2015, 07:50:32 PM »
Thanks alsoknownasDean for your fantastic guide!
I've realised I should be able to spend $20 instead of $40 per month for my Boost sim, I didn't realise the $20 included unlimited SMS, which is what I mainly send.
Also, I'll be checking with hubby when his plan ends to get him in a much cheaper prepaid Optus subsidiary sim.
Cheers!

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #60 on: November 18, 2015, 05:51:25 AM »
Thanks alsoknownasDean for your fantastic guide!
I've realised I should be able to spend $20 instead of $40 per month for my Boost sim, I didn't realise the $20 included unlimited SMS, which is what I mainly send.
Also, I'll be checking with hubby when his plan ends to get him in a much cheaper prepaid Optus subsidiary sim.
Cheers!

You're welcome :)

Oh, if anyone's keen on giving Amaysim a try, they've got a deal where one of the UNLIMITED plans (up to the 5GB one) is $5 for the first month. They have another offer where it's $10 for three months, if you use the promo code '3MONTHS', and it applies to the 1GB, 2GB and 5GB unlimited plans.

1GB https://www.amaysim.com.au/mobile-plans/unlimited-1gb?cid=disp-rocket-rm-ul2-3mth&utm_source=rocket&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=phd-bau

2GB https://www.amaysim.com.au/mobile-plans/unlimited-2gb?cid=disp-rocket-rm-ul2-3mth&utm_source=rocket&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=phd-bau

5GB https://www.amaysim.com.au/mobile-plans/unlimited-5gb?cid=disp-rocket-rm-ul2-3mth&utm_source=rocket&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=phd-bau
« Last Edit: November 18, 2015, 07:01:59 AM by alsoknownasDean »

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #61 on: November 24, 2015, 07:01:44 AM »
Additional MVNOs include:

MeU Mobile (Telstra): A few plans available, most don't include unlimited calls but have plenty of data.
Dodo (Optus 4G): They have a reasonable looking low-use PAYG and some plans, including a $17.90 per month plan.
Exetel (Optus 4G): They have three plans that seem to offer a fair bit for the money.
Vaya (Optus 4G): They've got several different plans starting at $18 per month.

JLR

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #62 on: December 01, 2015, 07:41:55 PM »
Optus have changed the conditions of my 'plan' (non-contract, after promising in September they wouldn't), so we are switching to amaysim. Will let you know how we go.

dungoofed

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #63 on: December 01, 2015, 07:55:32 PM »
Optus have changed the conditions of my 'plan' (non-contract, after promising in September they wouldn't), so we are switching to amaysim. Will let you know how we go.

Interesting thread here on Ozbargain:

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/221470

TL;DR: Amaysim are offering a ridonkadonk deal if you port from TPG.... BUT... they may honour it if you're porting from somewhere else (though their official stance is that they wont).

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #64 on: December 03, 2015, 07:03:46 AM »
Coles are selling Amaysim Unlimited 2GB starter packs for $5, if it helps.

Each of the big three carriers has introduced new SIM-only plan offers for the Christmas period. Mostly catered towards heavier users though, and many as part of contracts.

Prepaid starter kits are coming with bonus data too.

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alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #65 on: December 18, 2015, 05:56:11 PM »
One option for some (although it requires a bit of work) is to stock up on prepaid starter kits when they are discounted, and change to different carriers each month. The carriers often sell starter kits dirt cheap as a way to get more prepaid customers on their network.

If you're able to get $30 starter kits for $5-10, one could stock up with ones for multiple carriers and switch between different prepaid carriers with a collection of cheap starter kits (porting over the number) when the credit runs out.

I'm on Optus postpaid at present, but I have to admit I'm considering going back to prepaid (maybe Telstra if I get signal at work).

That said, is that Mustachian or just introducing a lot of extra complication to save a few dollars?

Astatine

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #66 on: December 18, 2015, 07:01:16 PM »
That said, is that Mustachian or just introducing a lot of extra complication to save a few dollars?

It depends on how much work it is and how much spare time and energy you have to do it. It wouldn't be worth it for me because I HATE paperwork and dealing with telcos and the amount saved wouldn't be worth it for the hit to my quality of life. But, if you have a lot of free time and energy and don't hate dealing with bureaucracy, then it would be Mustachian IMO.

JLR

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #67 on: December 20, 2015, 12:06:18 AM »
That said, is that Mustachian or just introducing a lot of extra complication to save a few dollars?

I like your thinking. It would be ok if you were happy to change your number each month, but I know how much of a pain I found it when our number was changed over from Optus to Amaysim. They said it would happen in the next few days from when we contacted them with our request, but no specific time frame. It happened to go through on a day when we were both out of town. I had just received a message from my husband to say he was finished at his meeting. I replied that I would come to pick him up. Then both our phones stopped working. Luckily, when he didn't hear from me again he came looking for me where I had dropped him of that morning. Our phones started working again 10 hours later.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #68 on: December 20, 2015, 12:33:50 AM »
That said, is that Mustachian or just introducing a lot of extra complication to save a few dollars?

I like your thinking. It would be ok if you were happy to change your number each month, but I know how much of a pain I found it when our number was changed over from Optus to Amaysim. They said it would happen in the next few days from when we contacted them with our request, but no specific time frame. It happened to go through on a day when we were both out of town. I had just received a message from my husband to say he was finished at his meeting. I replied that I would come to pick him up. Then both our phones stopped working. Luckily, when he didn't hear from me again he came looking for me where I had dropped him of that morning. Our phones started working again 10 hours later.
Apparently switching between MVNOs on the same network is more complicated than switching between different networks. Going to Vodafone or Telstra might have been easier.

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Daley

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #69 on: December 20, 2015, 07:46:50 AM »
That said, is that Mustachian or just introducing a lot of extra complication to save a few dollars?

Dean, you probably already know my answer to this question, but I'm going to give it anyway.

No.

Every time you port your number, you risk losing that number and you risk brief outages. As minute as the physical waste may be on a greater scale, each SIM switch still consumes resources and generates trash. If enough people abuse the promo offers and drive high enough churn, corporations will eventually do away with the offers entirely. You are ultimately jumping through hoops playing games just to save a few bucks on plans where you could already be saving that money and more simply through self discipline and using smaller plans while staying with the best carrier that provides coverage for your needs and being willing to pay what it is worth.

This constant network jockeying is not being frugal and wise with your time and resources, it is behaving like a cheap, stingy tightwad. There is a difference.

Anyone who feels as though they have to perpetually game the system just to save a few bucks hasn't actually learned the true meaning of financial freedom and independence.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #70 on: December 22, 2015, 05:54:07 AM »
That said, is that Mustachian or just introducing a lot of extra complication to save a few dollars?

Dean, you probably already know my answer to this question, but I'm going to give it anyway.

No.

Every time you port your number, you risk losing that number and you risk brief outages. As minute as the physical waste may be on a greater scale, each SIM switch still consumes resources and generates trash. If enough people abuse the promo offers and drive high enough churn, corporations will eventually do away with the offers entirely. You are ultimately jumping through hoops playing games just to save a few bucks on plans where you could already be saving that money and more simply through self discipline and using smaller plans while staying with the best carrier that provides coverage for your needs and being willing to pay what it is worth.

This constant network jockeying is not being frugal and wise with your time and resources, it is behaving like a cheap, stingy tightwad. There is a difference.

Anyone who feels as though they have to perpetually game the system just to save a few bucks hasn't actually learned the true meaning of financial freedom and independence.

Thanks Daley :)

I could knock another ten bucks off my service by changing carriers (they're doing some insane deals at the moment, but they're for new customers only), but I could knock that same ten bucks off by reducing my usage slightly and downgrading the plan one notch.

I'm surprised that the big three telcos would make any money at all from some of their SIM-only deals. Unlimited calls/text messages, some international minutes included and 10GB of data for $40AUD ($29USD) a month, anyone?

Oh I might include a new section in the guide :)
« Last Edit: December 22, 2015, 05:57:19 AM by alsoknownasDean »

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #71 on: December 22, 2015, 06:20:30 AM »
Q: I barely make traditional phone calls or text messages, what with VoIP and over the top text services such as iMessage. Are there any plans which don't include calls, so I'm not paying for something I'm not using?

A: It depends on how much data you use. If you use a gigabyte or two a month, sure, if it's more than maybe 3-4GB a month, then keep an eye on the unlimited calls plans anyway, they're basically thrown in for free at that price point.

I'll assume in this case that calls and text messages are still able to be made at pay as you go rates (so I won't be suggesting pure mobile broadband plans).

Telstra: If you're happy with the wholesale network, you've got the CMobile Blue plans or the Aldi data packs (Aldi offers 4G). If you need full Telstra coverage, your choices are prepaid Simplicity or Long Life with data packs, or just going for prepaid Freedom Plus.

Optus: Check out Amaysim's pay as you go service and add a data pack. Call rates are fairly cheap, and you can buy a 10GB data pack that lasts 365 days (among others).

Vodafone: CMobile have a couple of data-only plans that charge calls as you go, and you can add data to a Lebara PAYG plan. Alternatively, you can use Vodafone prepaid, and add data plans as needed. Vodafone data packs with a 28 day expiry range from $5 for 500MB to $15 for 2GB, and they have other 2GB data packs with a shorter expiry ($7 for 2GB with a 7 day expiry and $3 for 2GB with a 1 day expiry). Although, if you're a light user, Vodafone charges 2c/MB for their PAYG data (although not on their 365 day offer, that's $2/MB).

The other option if you have a dual-SIM phone is to have a mobile broadband SIM in one slot and a cheap PAYG phone SIM in the other. This may or may not be allowed by your carrier (they may restrict the SIMs to modems/tablets), and as most dual-SIM phones have one slot operating on 3G/4G and the other in 2G, it won't work anymore when the 2G networks are all turned off. Extra complication and all of that.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2016, 06:36:33 AM by alsoknownasDean »

dungoofed

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #72 on: December 22, 2015, 03:07:50 PM »
Great addition. With Wi-Fi at home we're using less than 200mb/month via the network most months.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #73 on: February 05, 2016, 05:11:59 PM »
If you're prepared to sign a contract for a year or two, there's some pretty good SIM-only deals with the big carriers. $40 for 5GB on Telstra, $30 for 2.5GB on Vodafone, $40 for 7GB on Optus.

Vodafone also now has free roaming to New Zealand.

I'm now on Amaysim, I wanted to go cheaper than the $50 I was paying Optus, and decided to give Telstra another shot (their prepaid offers are pretty good). Turns out Telstra service at my workplace is just as shitty as it was 18 months ago, so back to the Optus network I went. Naturally just after I left Optus came to the table with the $40 for 7GB deal, but I'm happy with staying on prepaid.

I'm on the $39.90 5GB unlimited offer, but my data use has dropped after ditching Facebook for the month. I might look into going to the $29.90 2GB plan for next month if I keep off Facebook. Currently I'm at 180MB after five days, so I should comfortably fit within the 2GB plan :)

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #74 on: April 01, 2016, 07:37:33 PM »
Updated including new prices and the shift to 28 day expiry by the major carriers (and Amaysim). I should probably add Virgin Mobile as a carrier too.

Given the public issues with Telstra as of late, I'd suggest that anyone who really needs to be constantly in contact via a mobile service consider carrying two phones on different networks. I'm not sure if even 000 was working properly when the Telstra network shat itself the other week.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2016, 07:40:54 PM by alsoknownasDean »

dungoofed

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #75 on: April 01, 2016, 11:59:45 PM »
$24.90 (with 1.5GB data)

I wanted to switch to this Amaysim plan, which looks nice and low-cost, but what I didn't like is that there are no $24.95 vouchers from Coles.

For the other plans when your 28 days (grrr) is up then you don't have to charge immediately. You can wait until it suits you or you know you'll need data or to make phone calls and then apply one of your charge credit vouchers.

Because there are no $24.95 vouchers you have to buy a voucher that is worth more than $24.95. Then when the 28 days is up and you get moved to the the Pay As You Go plan you start to eat through the remainder of the credit, no choice in the matter. There might be a way to do it but the Amaysim rep tried to explain it to me and it was so convoluted and I had no hope of pulling it off every month.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #76 on: April 02, 2016, 01:49:00 AM »
$24.90 (with 1.5GB data)

I wanted to switch to this Amaysim plan, which looks nice and low-cost, but what I didn't like is that there are no $24.95 vouchers from Coles.

For the other plans when your 28 days (grrr) is up then you don't have to charge immediately. You can wait until it suits you or you know you'll need data or to make phone calls and then apply one of your charge credit vouchers.

Because there are no $24.95 vouchers you have to buy a voucher that is worth more than $24.95. Then when the 28 days is up and you get moved to the the Pay As You Go plan you start to eat through the remainder of the credit, no choice in the matter. There might be a way to do it but the Amaysim rep tried to explain it to me and it was so convoluted and I had no hope of pulling it off every month.

It'll be difficult if you're buying all of your recharges from Coles (although you may be able to buy a $10 and a $15 voucher). I have to admit I have mine set to automatically recharge/purchase the new plan using the credit card.

https://www.amaysim.com.au/recharge.html

If you're open to recharging online using a credit card, presumably you could buy a $10 recharge and a $15 recharge, and then buy the Unlimited plan using that credit. Although I'm not sure if you can buy an Unlimited plan with As You Go credit.

Here's some more info on recharging the unlimited plan:

https://www.amaysim.com.au/help-support/plans-pricing/how-do-i-recharge-unlimited-small.html

Alternatively if you're only using your phone every other day, maybe something like the Optus My Prepaid Daily (if it hasn't been canned) could suffice.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2016, 01:51:56 AM by alsoknownasDean »

dungoofed

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #77 on: April 02, 2016, 02:47:18 AM »
Thanks alsoknownasDean, yeah I'll have a bit of a think about what I'm going to do. Seriously a confusopoly that they're all running here, changing the plans all the time so that it's harder to compare. Your mobile phone guide is a godsend for sorting through the crap.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #78 on: April 02, 2016, 03:28:19 AM »
Thanks alsoknownasDean, yeah I'll have a bit of a think about what I'm going to do. Seriously a confusopoly that they're all running here, changing the plans all the time so that it's harder to compare. Your mobile phone guide is a godsend for sorting through the crap.

Thanks a lot for that. :)

Yeah they're changing the offers all the time, especially for prepaid. Signing up to postpaid at least means that the plan is unlikely to change for a while.

I've added Kogan Mobile (using Vodafone) to the list. I've not used their service, but given they're purchasing their services directly from Vodafone instead of via a reseller (like their first attempt a few years ago), you'd assume they're less likely to go belly-up than before. They have a $16.95 plan that's suited to light data users.

I'm now on the Amaysim UNLIMITED 3GB plan for $29.90. It works out well for my usage levels, and the Optus network works best for my needs. I could get it down to $20 a month or less if I restricted my data usage and was happy to switch to a carrier on another network, but I'm happy with the 'set and forget' nature of my current plan.

Now I'd better get off this bloody computer, my study's not going to do itself. :)

Daley

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #79 on: April 02, 2016, 09:37:11 PM »
Updated including new prices and the shift to 28 day expiry by the major carriers (and Amaysim).

I'm curious about the new prices (as I don't remember the old), especially on the new 28 day billing cycle. I suspect your carriers just pulled a fast one enabling a stealth price increase while making the plans look "cheaper" by effectively adding a thirteenth month into the annual billing cycle.

365/30=12.17
365/28=13.04

What a difference two days make. Here's hoping this isn't a trend that catches on elsewhere.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #80 on: April 02, 2016, 10:16:05 PM »
Updated including new prices and the shift to 28 day expiry by the major carriers (and Amaysim).

I'm curious about the new prices (as I don't remember the old), especially on the new 28 day billing cycle. I suspect your carriers just pulled a fast one enabling a stealth price increase while making the plans look "cheaper" by effectively adding a thirteenth month into the annual billing cycle.

365/30=12.17
365/28=13.04

What a difference two days make. Here's hoping this isn't a trend that catches on elsewhere.

It's pretty much a price increase by stealth, although some carriers have upgraded the inclusions as well (especially data).

In the case of Amaysim, the data allocations have been increased for each plan by up to 50% (and they've added international calls as well). I personally benefit from the changes as the next plan down is now plenty for my usage.

It doesn't seem to happen on the postpaid end (most postpaid plans still seem to be by the calendar month), but in the prepaid market, the data allowances seem to be increasing and the expiry dates shortening.

I guess all we can do is do the maths and go with the most suitable plan for one's usage patterns.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2016, 10:17:42 PM by alsoknownasDean »

Astatine

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #81 on: April 02, 2016, 10:26:21 PM »
Thanks for the updates. Do you have any hard info on 000 availability when Telstra went down? That's very alarming if true.

Primm

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #82 on: April 02, 2016, 10:28:25 PM »
Thanks for the updates. Do you have any hard info on 000 availability when Telstra went down? That's very alarming if true.

I didn't try and call obviously, but when my Boost mobile on the Telstra network was down I still had the "emergency use only" notation on the top of my screen. I don't know if that indicates for sure that 000/112 was in fact available on my phone, but I certainly hope so.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #83 on: April 02, 2016, 10:39:07 PM »
Thanks for the updates. Do you have any hard info on 000 availability when Telstra went down? That's very alarming if true.

I didn't try and call obviously, but when my Boost mobile on the Telstra network was down I still had the "emergency use only" notation on the top of my screen. I don't know if that indicates for sure that 000/112 was in fact available on my phone, but I certainly hope so.

According to this article (for the first outage), calls to emergency services were still available:

http://www.news.com.au/technology/telstra-suffers-network-outage/news-story/7b0c2c35b180f237e231bc88c90c2fb4

I guess it might depend on what happens with the outage. If it shows no Telstra service at all and 'emergency use only', then emergency calls should theoretically go through one of the other two networks. If it shows that there is Telstra service but calls aren't going through due to congestion, I'm not sure (although I suspect there is something built into the network to give emergency service calls priority in these situations).

That's probably something that Telstra would need to clarify. :)
« Last Edit: April 02, 2016, 10:48:40 PM by alsoknownasDean »

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #84 on: April 22, 2016, 07:36:56 PM »
Aldi Mobile are about to introduce new plans (from 28 April) and 4G service.

https://aldimobile.com.au/newplans

They look to be very good value. 750mins, unlimited texts and 1.5GB data for $20 (for 30 days) sounds like excellent value.

This is on Telstra's (wholesale) 4G network, not 4GX (which IIRC is their fancy term for 4G LTE with carrier aggregation).

Pretty good deals, but I'm sticking with Amaysim as Optus coverage works best for me. I might point out the Aldi plans to my parents though.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2016, 07:42:16 PM by alsoknownasDean »

JLR

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #85 on: April 23, 2016, 08:58:09 PM »
Just wanted pipe up and thank you for all of your work, alsoknownasDean. I check this thread about once a month to see if we can get a better deal, and really appreciate you putting it together for us.

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #86 on: April 25, 2016, 12:22:36 AM »
My latest trick with Telstra Prepaid has been to put a simplicity sim in my iPad.

I recharge $30/month on my phone and creditme2u that over to the iPad's simplicity sim in $10 Telstra money chunks. $20 of Telstra money gets a 700MB data pack for 30 days and each transfer of credit extends the expiry meaning if I time it correctly, I'll never need to spend money recharging the iPad.

I don't use a whole lot of data on the iPad so 700MB is perfect. Over time, the credit should start to build up as well which means I'll be able to grab $49 3GB packs now and a again, e.g. for travelling.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #87 on: April 29, 2016, 05:09:41 AM »
Just wanted pipe up and thank you for all of your work, alsoknownasDean. I check this thread about once a month to see if we can get a better deal, and really appreciate you putting it together for us.

You're welcome. Glad someone's making use of it :)

My latest trick with Telstra Prepaid has been to put a simplicity sim in my iPad.

I recharge $30/month on my phone and creditme2u that over to the iPad's simplicity sim in $10 Telstra money chunks. $20 of Telstra money gets a 700MB data pack for 30 days and each transfer of credit extends the expiry meaning if I time it correctly, I'll never need to spend money recharging the iPad.

I don't use a whole lot of data on the iPad so 700MB is perfect. Over time, the credit should start to build up as well which means I'll be able to grab $49 3GB packs now and a again, e.g. for travelling.

Nice idea! I've still got a SIM in my old iPad that Optus keeps slugging me ten bucks a month for. Maybe I should look at other options. Maybe one of the $50 annual recharges.

The biggest changes to the prepaid scene lately are that many Telstra resellers (Aldi, Telechoice, Woolworths) now have 4G service. I've also noticed that Optus is about to offer data-free music streaming on prepaid. As a reforming Spotify addict, this is very tempting, even if I get less data for my dollar compared to Amaysim.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #88 on: May 26, 2016, 06:35:11 AM »
I've rewritten the guide.

Now many Telstra and Vodafone MVNOs have 4G access.

I'll have to add a section relating to international calls/roaming and maybe add a few more carriers (are Dodo and Vaya worth adding to the list?). When I can be bothered.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #89 on: July 02, 2016, 12:38:23 AM »
Can't be bothered updating it with more details, but at the moment Lebara now have 4G (and a $29.90 5GB plan) and Vodafone have a very interesting new 365 day prepaid deal (20c per min/SMS, 2c/MB).

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #90 on: August 26, 2016, 07:09:31 PM »
Soon I'll update this one.

Main changes are:

The big three are getting pretty aggressive with their data offerings in the SIM-only market (especially if one wants a year's contract). Optus is offering 10GB for $40pm (including unlimited music streaming), and Vodafone and Telstra each offer plenty of data too. Telstra have updated their prepaid plan a bit too.

Amaysim's as you go credit now has a 365 day expiry, but they've given the Flexi plan the flick. Vaya offers some cheap deals (unlimited calls and messages with 1GB of data for $16 a month has to be among the cheapest on the market). Aldi have tweaked their higher end plans a bit, Boost and Coles Mobile have changed their plans, as have TPG.

Of course part of me thinks 'well maybe I should go for the Optus plan, I get so much more data for only another five-ten bucks a month'. That's tempered by my realisation that I don't use all of the data I have as it is.

The way things are going with data inclusions, I might not bother signing up to ADSL at my next place. I don't use a heap of data anyway.

Also, I noticed that this thread has had 13000 views. How the hell did that happen?
« Last Edit: August 27, 2016, 02:32:24 AM by alsoknownasDean »

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #91 on: October 14, 2016, 07:21:32 PM »
I've been busy, so this has been neglected a bit.

Main update is that Vodafone have announced that they're killing their 2G network by 30 September next year.

Jeenee have a couple of plans with massive data quotas (20-30GB) that are 3G only for $45-50.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #92 on: October 31, 2016, 07:41:16 PM »
I've done some small updates.

One new kid on the block is Ovo. They use the Optus 4G network and offer a lot of data for the money. It'll be interesting to see if the large data offerings are sustainable :)

15000 views. I wonder if someone is linking to this? :)

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #93 on: October 31, 2016, 08:01:16 PM »
thanks for the update!

I am unfortunately stuck with telstra due to where I work, but more competition is always a good thing

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #94 on: November 05, 2016, 06:00:44 PM »
thanks for the update!

I am unfortunately stuck with telstra due to where I work, but more competition is always a good thing

There's a good chance that Boost should work, but Telstra's prepaid offers aren't that bad really (considering the coverage).

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #95 on: November 05, 2016, 06:05:14 PM »
Yomojo is offering some pretty good plans at the moment. Like $20 for 2gb + unlmtd calls and text. Plus you get first 3 months for $20.
What I personally do, is switch networks from offer to offer. It's not as time consuming as some want to think it is and saves me a packet

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #96 on: February 06, 2017, 02:05:03 AM »
Well I haven't been looking after this for a while, mainly because there's been very little in the way of changes.

Aldi are offering a 1 year pack for $249 (apparently only in store), Jeenee (and Spintel) have some crazy high data 3G only plans now, TPG have reintroduced their $1 50MB plan, I've added OVO to the guide (although some of their large data offers didn't appear to be sustainable) and aside from that, there's not been much change.

The funny thing is that I'm 'maintaining' a list of MVNOs, but I'm actually currently using a major carrier (I bought a new prepaid phone locked to Vodafone, and thought I might as well use it for a while on VF as they've probably subsidised the handset, it's only fair).

There's heaps of interesting decent phones in the prepaid market. Maybe it's not worth going for the $1000 superphone if a $200 smartphone (or even a <$100 prepaid burner) will do the trick.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #97 on: February 06, 2017, 02:15:36 AM »
There's heaps of interesting decent phones in the prepaid market. Maybe it's not worth going for the $1000 superphone if a $200 smartphone (or even a <$100 prepaid burner) will do the trick.

Fancy sharing links / model details for decent smartphones sub $500?

marty998

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #98 on: February 06, 2017, 02:17:46 AM »
I don't know if it makes a difference, but the Allphones retailer has gone into administration.

(On topic, I am on the amaysim $24.90 plan... auto recharge on credit card every 28 days. 1.5GB data).


marty998

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Re: Australian mobile plan guide!
« Reply #99 on: February 06, 2017, 02:20:36 AM »
There's heaps of interesting decent phones in the prepaid market. Maybe it's not worth going for the $1000 superphone if a $200 smartphone (or even a <$100 prepaid burner) will do the trick.

Fancy sharing links / model details for decent smartphones sub $500?

You may not like the phone I have... it's a white Samsung J1. They say it's a good smartphone for kids. I think that's crap. Kids would love a souped up phone with all the bells and whistles. It's the luddites like me that need the starter phones.

This one was $179 at Officeworks online store last year. I was umming and ahhing whether to get it for $139 from Kogan, but I didn't really trust the big fella who runs that site :)