June 2020 NOTE: This is now abandoned and is very out of date. Check finder.com.au or WhistleOut for more up to date and comprehensive comparisons of mobile service. Buy what you need and what works for you, and don't spend stupid amounts on high end phones.Righto, in the spirit of I.P. Daley's communications superguide, I figured it's right time to make an Australian version (of sorts), indicating some of the many mobile options available down under. :)
Available networksThere are three carriers who operate in Australia. These are Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra tends to have the largest coverage footprint, but their prices tend to be higher than the others.
Choosing which network is most suitable for you depends partly on your device (which 3G/4G bands it supports, and if it is currently locked to any carrier), and what works best in your area. As YMMV, I'll be providing a list of MVNO options for all three carriers. I'm not providing recommendations for any carriers, just pointing out what's available. I'm not to be held responsible if anything happens :)
An exhaustive list of all available MVNOs is at the following link:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=939554&p=10TelstraTelstra is the biggest retail carrier in Australia, and has the largest network (covering 99.3% of the population). The coverage map for Telstra is below.
http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/coverage-networks/our-coverage/For those wishing to bring a phone to a Telstra MVNO, here's the network frequencies Telstra use:
2G: No longer in use. Closed on 1 December 2016.
3G: 850MHz (with 2100MHz in busier areas)
4G (LTE): The main two frequencies in use are 1800MHz (band 3) and 700MHz (band 28, APT700), and they have recently started building out 2600MHz (band 7) and 900MHz (band 8) for IoT devices, but Telstra also have some spectrum in the 2100MHz band currently used by 3G that could be refarmed to 4G.
A number of MVNOs resell the Telstra network, however, the network coverage available to resellers is different to that of Telstra itself (with one exception). A coverage map for Telstra Wholesale (which covers closer to 98% of the population) is below:
https://www.mobilemaps.net.au/4G/Some MVNOs that resell Telstra are the following:
Carrier:
Aldi MobileNetwork: Telstra Wholesale 4G
Prepaid or Postpaid: Prepaid
PAYG available: Yes, 12c/min, 12c/SMS, 5c/MB, 365 day credit expiry
Unlimited call/SMS plans available: Yes, from $15, per 30 days.
International roaming available: Yes, not all countries. No roaming packs available.
Aldi however is not present in all states, so customers in TAS and NT may need to look elsewhere. The long expiry and Telstra network makes them a good choice for lighter users.
Carrier:
TelechoiceNetwork: Telstra Wholesale 4G
Prepaid or Postpaid: Postpaid
PAYG available: No.
International roaming available: Yes, not all countries. No roaming packs available.
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $30 and up ($29 on 12/24 month contracts), calendar month.
Additional data available on unlimited plans if you sign up for 12/24 months. Handsets also available.
Carrier:
LycamobileNetwork: Telstra Wholesale 4G
PAYG available: Yes, 12c/min (landlines) & 19c/min (mobiles), 15c SMS, 7c/MB data, unknown expiry
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $10, 28 day expiry.
Data packs available: Yes
Carrier:
CMobileNetwork: Telstra Wholesale 4G (Blue Plans only)
PAYG Plan available: None on Blue plans
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $24.90, calendar month postpaid.
Data packs available: Unsure
This carrier offers plans on both Telstra (Blue) and Vodafone (Red) networks.
Carrier:
Woolworths MobileNetwork: Telstra Wholesale 4G
PAYG Plan available: No
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, $20 recharge, 30 day expiry
Data packs available: Yes
Carrier:
BoostNetwork: Telstra 4G (coverage is similar to Telstra retail, but IIRC speeds are capped at 100mbps)
PAYG Plan available: No
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available Yes, from $10 recharge, from 7 day expiry.
Data packs available: No
Other MVNOs include Belong and Southern Phone. Telstra have their own prepaid or SIM-only postpaid offerings as well. These are generally competitive with inclusions, and naturally use the full Telstra network. One example is Telstra's Prepaid Extra.
OptusOptus has the second largest network in Australia (with 98.5% population coverage, including 95.9% 4G coverage), their coverage maps are located below:
http://www.optus.com.au/network/mobile/coverage?SID=con:postmob:netcov:othr:tnav::coverFor those wishing to bring a phone to an Optus MVNO, here's the network frequencies used:
2G: Closed nationwide as of August 2017.
3G: In cities, 900MHz and 2100MHz, in the rural areas, 900MHz only.
4G (LTE): Numerous frequencies are used, including 1800MHz (band 3), 700MHz (band 28 APT700), 2300MHz TDD-LTE (band 40, metropolitan areas only), 2600MHz (band 7, regional areas only) and 2100MHz (band 1, some cities only)
Optus has been active in the MVNO market for a long time, and many MVNOs resell the Optus network, including 4G access.
Some Optus MVNOs include the following:
Carrier:
amaysimNetwork: Optus 4G
PAYG plan available: Yes, 15c/min, 15c/SMS, 15.4c/MB, 365 day credit expiry
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $10, 28 day expiry
Data packs available: Yes
Carrier:
Coles MobileNetwork: Optus 4G
PAYG plan available: No.
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $20, 35 day expiry
Data packs available: No
Carrier:
Jeenee Network: Optus 4G, 3G for higher quota plans
PAYG plan available: No
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $9.90, calendar month.
Data packs available: Yes
Carrier:
SpintelNetwork: Optus 4G, 3G for higher quota plans
PAYG plan available: No
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $23.95, calendar month
Data packs available: No
Spintel offer an option where data can either be switched off upon reaching the quota and extra data purchased for $12/GB, or data is automatically credited at $10/GB.
Carrier:
iiNet or
InternodeNetwork: Optus 4G
PAYG plan available: No
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $29.95, calendar month
Data packs available: No.
Carrier:
OVONetwork: Optus 4G
PAYG plan available: No
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $24.95, per 30 days
Data packs available: No.
OVO have a few interesting new plans, including some with included streaming of niche sports and a number of lower end plans targetted at kids (although check the CIS in case calls in excess of the cap are charged). Their $9.95 plan with 1GB of data, '$200' of calls and unlimited SMS has to be the cheapest unlimited SMS plan around.
Optus themselves also have some quite interesting offers. There's a number of SIM-only postpaid plans and a range of prepaid offers. They now offer data-free music streaming on their My Prepaid Ultimate offer.
Other Optus MVNOs include Virgin, Vaya, Yomojo, Southern Phone and Moose Mobile.
VodafoneVodafone has a slightly smaller network than the others (with 96% population coverage). Their coverage maps are below.
http://www.vodafone.com.au/aboutvodafone/network/checker?lid=v:footer:support:coverage-checkerFor those wishing to bring a phone to a Vodafone MVNO, here's the network frequencies used:
2G: 900MHz (possibly 1800MHz as well, but unlikely nowadays). This will be closed by 31 March 2018.
3G: In cities, 900MHz and 2100MHz, in the rural areas, 900MHz only. Vodafone used to use 850MHz for 3G, but that's been allocated to 4G.
4G (LTE): Vodafone's network runs on the 1800MHz band (band 3) and 850MHz (band 5). I believe that there is a 2100MHz network in areas as well.
Some MVNOs using the Vodafone network are the following:
Carrier:
LebaraNetwork: Vodafone 4G
PAYG plan available: Yes, 15c/min (+29c flagfall), 15c SMS, 2c/MB data, 365 day expiry
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $14.90, 30 day expiry
Data packs available: Yes.
Lebara have an emphasis on cheap international calls, and often have good international calling rates.
Carrier:
CMobileNetwork: Vodafone 4G (Red Plans only)
PAYG Plan available: Yes, Red plans only
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $16.90, calendar month
Data packs available: Yes
This carrier offers plans on both Telstra (Blue) and Vodafone (Red) networks. Prices above are for the Red plans.
Carrier:
Think MobileNetwork: Vodafone 4G (Swift or Ultimate Plans only)
PAYG Plan available: No
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Ultimate plan, from $25, calendar month
Data packs available: Yes
This carrier offers plans on both Telstra (Classic) and Vodafone (Swift) networks. These plans are for the Vodafone offering.
Carrier:
TPG Network: Vodafone 4G
PAYG Plan available: No, but their $1 50MB plan is effectively a PAYG plan.
Unlimited calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $19.99, calendar month
Data packs available: No
Carrier:
Kogan MobileNetwork: Vodafone 4G
PAYG Plan available: No
Unlimited Calls/SMS plans available: Yes, from $16.90, 30 day expiry. Discounts available for purchasing 90/365 day plans.
One big advantage of Kogan's plans is the ability to buy 90 or 365 days in advance at a discounted rate (and these packs are often discounted further). Roaming is not available.
Vodafone themselves have their SIM-only plans and their prepaid offers. In the postpaid space, all of their plans include unlimited calls/SMS, and the higher plans include international calls as well. They have prepaid Combo caps that are similar to the plans in value (a bit more data but a slightly shorter expiry), and the PAYG Plus option is worthwhile for light users. Note that their prepaid services lack auto-recharge.
Things to watch out forRoaming: A number of carriers do not offer international roaming.
Prepaid expiry periods. Many major carriers (and MVNOs) are shifting their prepaid offers from a 30 day expiry to a 28 day expiry. Over the course of the year that means there's 13 billing periods. I'd suggest to do the maths and work out if it still works out for you :)
Please note that this list is not exhaustive, there's plenty of carriers out there :)
Q&AsThis one's a work in process, where plans are suggested for different usage scenarios:
Q: I have a feature phone that is rarely used, and I only make calls and send text messages on it. What is the best choice for me?A: This depends on which network your phone supports, and what works best in your area. As a result, I'll provide advice for each of the three networks.
Telstra: If the reduced coverage of the Telstra resellers suits you, then the Aldi PAYG plan looks like the best bet. 12c/min calls and 12c SMS (and 5c/MB data, but that won't matter in your case). Alternatively, if you require Telstra retail coverage, then your choice is the Telstra Long Life option, but the call rates are expensive. Apparently charging up on the Long Life offer and then switching to Simplicity lets you combine the Long Life expiry with the Simplicity call rates, but YMMV.
Optus: The Amaysim PAYG option is slightly more expensive than the Aldi option above. Credit lasts for 365 days. Alternatively Optus offer a long expiry plan with between 186-365 day expiry, but the call rates are slightly higher than Amaysim. Maybe also Truphone as suggested by I.P. Daley :)
Vodafone: Vodafone's PAYG Plus option is worth considering as it has a 365 day credit expiry (with recharges from $10). CMobile's Red PAYG plan has cheaper calls, and the Lebara Standard Plan may suit if you make a lot of international calls. TPG's PAYG plan is also worth considering, especially as it includes a small amount of data.
Q: I use my phone reasonably regularly, regularly calling and texting people, and I have a smartphone and use a small amount of data. I'm after something a bit cheaper.A: As per the first scenario, this depends on your device and what network has best coverage in your area. I'll provide three scenarios, using the moderate scenario with a smartphone of a few hundred minutes of voice and text messages, and 1.5-3GB of data per month (sorry Daley). According to
this, the average Aussie now uses
2GB of data per month (as of 2015), so this level sounds appropriate. The typical price of most of these plans at this usage level is in the $20-30 per month range.
https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/Guides/Mobile-broadband-usage-guideTelstra: For those who are happy on the Wholesale network, Aldi might be worth considering. Their 'L' plan costs $25 and includes unlimited calls and text messages, and 3GB of data, or Woolworths' prepaid plan (4GB). For those who need the full network, check out Boost's $30 UNLTD+ prepaid or Telstra's Prepaid Extra (although both have 28 day expiry periods).
Optus: Options abound at the $30 (and less) price point. Amaysim have their unlimited plan which includes unlimited calls/unlimited SMS/2.5GB for $20 (28 day expiry), or 5GB ($30). There's also the Jeenee Unlimited and Pennywise plans. The iiNet/Internode $19.99 or $29.99 plans might also be worth considering, or Vaya's plans. Let's not forget Optus themselves who for $30 (28 day expiry) offer unlimited calls/unlimited SMS/3GB of data, or a SIM-only plan which has unlimited calls/SMS and 1.5GB for $35. Coles Mobile have a $20 unlimited calls/SMS plan with 3GB of data with a 35 day expiry.
Of those plans I'd probably suggest either Amaysim's unlimited offers, Coles Mobile, or Optus themselves.
Vodafone: Have a look at either TPG's 4GB plan or Kogan Mobile's Medium offer. Vodafone's $30 Prepaid Combo recharge unlimited Australian calls, unlimited text and 3GB of data for $30 with a 28 day expiry). Even Vodafone's unusual MyMix prepaid recharges are worth looking into.
Q: I've got a smartphone, and it's my only phone. I make a lot of calls, send lots of messages, and use a fair bit of data. What's the best 'all you can eat' phone plan with lots of data? (at least 5GB)A: Many carriers on all three network offer plans with unlimited calls and SMS messages now. These include:
Telstra: For the Telstra network, Boost's UNLTD plan is a good option for $40 for 5GB (with an additional 1GB of data each weekend). Aldi has a similar plan for $35 with 6GB data, but the reduced coverage of the wholesale network. For unlimited calls through Telstra, Telstra's BYO plans start at $70. Also check Telstra's Prepaid Freedom Plus.
Optus: Optus have the My Prepaid Ultimate (or SIM-only plans) that offer varying data quotas at various pricepoints. Alternatives are the Amaysim UNLIMITED plans ($40 and up), Jeenee's plans (take note that their highest data plans are 3G only) or Vaya ($36 for 10GB), Yomojo or SpinTel's plans.
Vodafone: The choices would be either TPG (their $39.99 plan), Kogan, Lebara's monthly plans, or the Vodafone plans/prepaid Combo.