All three big networks lifted their prices this year, Telstra for the second time in under twelve months, and a cheap SIM from a smaller brand can now cost a third of a Telstra plan. Price is only half the story in a country this size. Which network sits behind the brand, whether your phone can still reach Triple Zero, and what happens to your signal west of the Great Dividing Range can matter more than an extra 20GB. This guide sorts the market by the situation you are in (pensioner, grey nomad, family, heavy streamer, new arrival calling home, or someone who just wants to stop overpaying) and points you to the plan type that wins in each.
Seven Quick Answers Before You Switch
These are the questions people ask right before they port their number. Each gets the short version here, with the detail and the exceptions further down.
Only if you spend real time outside the cities. Telstra’s full network covers about 2.14 million square kilometres, far more than anyone else, and Opensignal again rated it best for coverage. In the suburbs, Optus and Vodafone users recorded faster average 5G downloads.
Brands on the Optus and Vodafone networks get the same coverage as Optus and Vodafone. Telstra is different: Boost Mobile is the only other brand with the full Telstra network, while ALDI, Belong, Everyday Mobile and most others use the smaller Telstra Wholesale footprint.
Intro offers from TPG, Moose Mobile, OnePass and Lebara have been running from $9 to $17.50 for the first months, and SpinTel listed 25GB at $12. Ongoing prices for 25–35GB usually settle at $23–$30, so judge the plan on what you pay after the promo ends.
Telstra now takes 10% off most Upfront postpaid plans for Pensioner Concession, Health Care and DVA Gold cardholders, and Vodafone gives seniors card holders 10% off postpaid plan fees. A $25–$30 plan from a smaller brand still usually costs less than either.
Felix Mobile is the closest thing, with no monthly data cap but a speed limit (40Mbps on its standard unlimited plan, 80Mbps on Unlimited+). Most other “unlimited” plans give a fixed full-speed allowance and then slow you right down.
On Telstra, yes, with a compatible phone. Satellite Messaging is included on Telstra Upfront plans, and select apps such as WhatsApp and Google Maps were added in July. It cannot call or text Triple Zero, and Optus and Vodafone had not launched an equivalent at our last check.
For low or steady users, often yes. Lyca Mobile’s year-long offers have included 360GB from $150 for the first year, rising to $240. The catch is paying up front and being locked in if a better monthly deal appears in March.
Three Networks Behind Dozens of Brands
Australia has well over twenty mobile brands, but only three companies own the towers. Once you know whose network a cheap brand rides on, you know most of what matters about its coverage.
When we lined the plan pages up side by side, the Telstra split was the detail most shoppers would miss. Optus- and Vodafone-based brands get the same coverage footprint as their host network. Telstra keeps part of its network for itself, so most Telstra-based brands run on what the industry calls the Telstra Wholesale network. In square kilometres the difference is large: about 1.4 million for Wholesale against 2.14 million for the full network. In people covered it is small, since most of the missing area is sparsely populated. That is why ALDI Mobile or Belong can be perfect in Ballarat and frustrating on a station property west of Longreach.
Boost Mobile is the exception. It is the only brand outside Telstra itself with access to the full Telstra network, which makes it the go-to for people who want Telstra’s regional reach on prepaid. It usually costs more per gigabyte than the wholesale brands, and many of its plans have speed caps.
Vodafone’s regional story also changed this year. A network-sharing deal with Optus went live on 30 January, letting Vodafone customers use more than 2,500 additional Optus sites in regional Australia, which narrowed the coverage gap between the two. If you dismissed Vodafone-based brands years ago for regional travel, it is worth checking the current map again.
What Each Kind of Plan Costs Right Now
Prices below are in Australian dollars, include GST, and are for a SIM only with your own phone. Many smaller brands advertise an intro price that rises after a few months, so we show the ongoing price wherever it was published.
| Brand | Network | Price we saw | Data | Catch to check | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra Upfront | Full Telstra | From $74/mo | 50GB on the entry plan | Two price rises in under a year | Regional coverage, satellite texting |
| Optus Choice Plus | Optus | From $60/mo | 60GB on the entry plan | Up $5 from 18 May | City speed, phone bundles |
| Vodafone postpaid | Vodafone | From $58/mo | 65GB on the entry plan | Up $5 in July | Cheapest big-three postpaid |
| Boost Mobile | Full Telstra | From $28 per 28 days | 8GB at that price | Speed caps on many plans | Telstra reach on prepaid |
| ALDI Mobile | Telstra Wholesale | $34 per 30 days | 45GB | Smaller Telstra footprint | Simple prepaid, good value |
| Belong | Telstra Wholesale | $49/mo | 100GB (bonus data for the first year) | Smaller Telstra footprint | Heavy users on Telstra towers |
| Moose, Kogan, Lebara | Vodafone | $23–$30 ongoing | 25–35GB | Intro price rises later | Low-cost city use |
| Felix Mobile | Vodafone | $40–$50/mo | Unlimited, speed-capped | 40Mbps or 80Mbps cap | Hotspot and streaming heavy users |
| Lyca Mobile 365-day | Vodafone | $150 first year, then $240 | 360GB per year | Paid up front | Set-and-forget users |
The price rises that set today’s numbers
All three networks raised prices in a six-week window last autumn. Vodafone lifted most prepaid recharges by $5 from 15 April. Telstra raised most postpaid plans by $4 and prepaid by up to $5 from 5 May, retired its cheapest Starter plan for new customers, and set its entry postpaid plan at $74 for 50GB and its cheapest mainline prepaid recharge at $44 for 20GB. Optus added $5 to its Choice Plus plans from 18 May, with extra data, making its entry plan $60 for 60GB. Vodafone then raised postpaid by $5 in July, so its cheapest plan is now $58 for 65GB. Telstra’s budget brands Belong and Boost made smaller adjustments of their own.
For Telstra and Optus customers, this was the second rise in under twelve months. Telstra’s own plan terms note that an Upfront plan’s price and inclusions can change, which is worth remembering if you chose Telstra expecting a stable bill. If you are on a month-to-month SIM-only plan, the simplest response to a rise is to compare and leave; there is no contract holding you.
A full year on each kind of plan
Watch the recharge length on prepaid. A plan that renews every 28 days costs you thirteen recharges a year, not twelve, so a $30-per-28-days plan is really about $391 a year. Lebara, for example, shifted some recharges from 30-day to 28-day expiry in April. When comparing a 28-day plan against a monthly one, multiply by 13 rather than 12.
What Changes in Your State or Territory
Coverage and speed rankings shift from city to city, and dramatically once you leave them. Use your location or tap your state to see what the independent data says about your capital and what to watch outside it.
Tap your state above, or use your location, to see local speed leaders and coverage tips.
Match the Plan to Your Situation
The right plan for a uni student in Fitzroy is the wrong plan for a couple towing a caravan through the Kimberley. Find the paragraph that sounds like your life and start there.
You are almost certainly overpaying on a big-three plan. Most people in this group use under 10GB a month, which a $20–$25 SIM-only plan from a smaller brand covers comfortably. Intro deals have pushed the first few months even lower: TPG listed 25GB at $12.50 for its first recharges, and SpinTel advertised 25GB at $12. Look past the intro to the ongoing price, and check your phone’s data usage screen for the last three months before choosing a size. If you barely use the phone at all, a long-expiry plan means one payment a year instead of twelve reminders.
There are two discounts worth knowing, and a cheaper route around both. Since 1 July, Telstra takes 10% off its Upfront postpaid plans (excluding the Access and Starter plans) for holders of a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or DVA Gold Card, and applies it automatically once your card is verified. On the $74 entry plan that brings the bill to about $66.60. Vodafone gives seniors card holders 10% off its postpaid plan fees, not off handset repayments. Telstra also launched an Upfront Mobile Access plan in May for customers who need a lower-cost option, with no concession card required, though it has capped speeds and limited hotspot use.
For most pensioners in towns and cities, though, a $25–$34 plan from ALDI, Boost or a Vodafone-based brand costs less than any discounted big-three plan. The one exception is coverage: if your home or the road to your children’s place is in Telstra-only country, Telstra or Boost is worth the extra. Before you switch, text 3 to 3498 so your provider can confirm your current phone can still call Triple Zero.
Coverage is the whole decision here. Telstra’s full network is the largest in the country, and Opensignal gave Telstra its Coverage Experience award again, scoring it 9.6 out of 10 against 8.5 for Optus and 8.0 for Vodafone. Boost Mobile is the only prepaid brand with that same full network. ALDI, Belong and Everyday Mobile use the smaller wholesale footprint, which is fine in most towns but thins out on remote highways.
Telstra is also the only carrier with satellite texting commercially live. Satellite Messaging, run through SpaceX’s Starlink, is included on Telstra Upfront plans for compatible phones, and Telstra added low-bandwidth access to apps such as WhatsApp, Messenger and Google Maps in July. Telstra says it cannot be used to call or text Triple Zero, so it is a convenience, not a safety device. For true emergencies in remote areas, a personal locator beacon or a phone with its own satellite SOS feature is still the safer backup.
Look at speed caps as closely as data caps. Felix Mobile is the only plan we found with no monthly data limit; its standard unlimited plan caps speeds at 40Mbps and the newer Unlimited+ plan at 80Mbps, on Vodafone’s network. That is plenty for HD streaming and video calls, but slower than the 160–200Mbps average 5G downloads Opensignal measured on the big networks. If you want full speed, a large fixed allowance such as Belong’s 100GB plan, which carried bonus data for the first twelve months, on Telstra Wholesale is the other route. Heavy hotspot users should read each plan’s tethering rules, since some budget plans limit hotspot data.
International calls are where the small brands quietly beat the big ones. Plans from TPG and Lyca Mobile have bundled unlimited calls to dozens of countries for well under $40 a month, while the big three typically include a small number of international minutes or charge for a calling pack (Telstra lists packs from $10 a month after the 30 included minutes on its Essential plan). Prepaid plans need no credit check, which matters if you have just arrived. One warning for new arrivals: if you bring a phone bought overseas, check it before you buy a SIM. Since the 3G shutdown, Australian carriers must block phones that cannot call Triple Zero on 4G, and imported models are among the most likely to be affected.
Repayment terms keep getting longer. Telstra sells phones on 12-, 24- or 36-month repayment plans, and Vodafone launched what was described as Australia’s first 48-month mobile option in October. A longer term lowers the monthly figure but ties you to the phone for four years, during which you may want to change plans or carriers. If you leave early, the remaining device balance is normally payable. The test we use: add up every repayment plus the plan over the full term, then compare it with buying the phone outright and pairing it with a $25–$35 SIM-only plan.
Prepaid keeps the bill fixed and the surprises away. A small-data plan between $12 and $25 is usually enough for messaging and maps, and prepaid cannot run up excess charges the way a postpaid account can. OnePass Mobile, on the Optus network, has been listing 22GB at $12.50 for the first six recharges and $25 after that. Turn on the phone’s own screen-time and content controls, and choose a brand on the network that works best at school and on the bus route, not just at home.
Treat it as your cue to shop. With every big network raising prices this year, staying put rarely means keeping a good deal. If you are on a month-to-month SIM-only plan, you can port your number to a new provider usually within a day, and the old account closes automatically. If you have a phone on repayments, ask your current provider whether a cheaper plan works with your device balance, or pay out the balance and move. If you are in financial hardship, tell your provider directly; telcos are required to offer hardship assistance, and Optus, Telstra and Vodafone all say they have support options.
Pay for roaming only on the days you need it. The big networks sell daily roaming passes, and several smaller brands offer roaming add-ons, but for a two-week trip a travel eSIM bought for your destination is often cheaper and avoids any bill shock when you get home. If your phone supports two SIMs, keep your Australian number active for bank security codes and switch data to the travel eSIM. Before you leave, check whether your plan charges for incoming calls while roaming, and turn off data roaming on the Australian line if you are not using a pass. Frequent travellers should compare plans that bundle roaming every month against the cost of buying passes trip by trip.
A five-minute checklist before you switch
We found that most switching problems come from skipping one of a handful of small steps, so it is worth running through them in order. First, text 3 to 3498 and confirm your phone can reach Triple Zero on 4G; there is no point buying a SIM for a phone the network will block. Second, open the new provider’s coverage map and type in your home, your workplace and the one place you always lose signal, then compare it with your current carrier’s map using the same standardised categories. Third, check that your phone is unlocked if you bought it from a carrier, and pay out or note any remaining device balance before you leave.
Fourth, read the price after the intro offer and the recharge length, because a 28-day plan means thirteen payments a year. Fifth, start the move from the new provider, not the old one. When you port your number, the new provider transfers it and your old service ends automatically, so do not cancel your old account first or you can lose the number. Keep the old SIM in a drawer for a week in case something goes wrong, and screenshot the order confirmation. If anything stalls for more than a couple of days, raise it with the new provider in writing, and go to the TIO if it is not fixed.
Coverage and Speed: What Independent Testing Found
Each network quotes a different award. Opensignal, which measures real phones in everyday use, is one of the few neutral scorekeepers. Its most recent Australian report covered January to March.
The pattern is clear and has held for several reports. Optus won the most awards, eight in all, including outright wins for 4G and 5G download speed and for video and gaming experience; its users averaged 199.9Mbps on 5G, about 28Mbps ahead of Telstra. Vodafone took six awards, including the fastest upload speeds, the best Consistent Quality score and a shared win for reliability, and its users were connected to 5G 85.7% of the time, more than on either rival. Telstra kept both coverage awards outright and posted the biggest year-on-year gain in reliability.
City by city the leaderboard reshuffles, which is why the state finder above matters. Optus users in Melbourne and Sydney recorded 5G downloads above 250Mbps, while Vodafone led 5G download in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra, and Telstra led on the Gold Coast. None of these speeds will feel different when you scroll social media; you would only notice them downloading large files or on a crowded network.
Two coverage changes make comparisons easier. The ACMA required the networks to publish standardised 4G and 5G coverage maps by 30 June, sorting places into good, moderate, basic or no coverage, so maps from different carriers can now be compared like for like. And from 1 October, Telstra, Optus and TPG can switch on temporary disaster roaming during a declared emergency, letting your phone hop onto a surviving rival network for calls, texts and limited data. The carriers decide when and where it is activated, and it only helps if another network’s tower is still standing.
Triple Zero, Blocked Phones and the New Coverage Law
The plan you pick matters less if your phone cannot reach emergency services. Several rule changes since the 3G shutdown affect what you should check before you switch.
Blocked phones. When the 3G networks closed in late October 2024, the ACMA’s emergency call rules required providers to identify phones that cannot reach Triple Zero over 4G and stop serving them altogether, meaning no calls, texts or data. That catches 3G-only phones, older 4G phones that used 3G for calls, and some 4G phones that make normal calls but relied on 3G for emergency calls. The ACMA says older models and phones bought overseas are most at risk. Text 3 to 3498 for free and your provider will reply with your phone’s status. A software update sometimes fixes the problem; otherwise the phone needs replacing. Do not call 000 to test it.
Network failures. In September 2025 an Optus fault left some customers unable to reach Triple Zero for about 13 hours, with roughly 600 calls failing across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory and several deaths linked to the outage. The government’s review of Triple Zero rules proposed higher maximum penalties, stronger requirements for emergency calls to fall back to other networks, and public outage registers. Phones in Australia can already try to reach 000 through any available network, which is one reason a working, compatible handset matters more than your choice of brand.
The new outdoor coverage law. Parliament passed the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation in mid-October. It requires Telstra, Optus and TPG to provide baseline outdoor voice and text coverage across the country, including roughly five million square kilometres that towers do not reach, using a mix of towers and direct-to-phone satellites. The default start date is 1 December 2027, it covers voice and SMS only (not data), and the minister has considerable discretion over the details. Carriers argued the satellite technology and compatible phones may not be ready that soon, so treat the date as a target, not a promise.
When Your Provider Will Not Fix It
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is free and independent, and providers must take part. Research it commissioned found only 9% of Australians knew it existed.
The TIO received 53,834 complaints in the last financial year, down 6.5%, with mobile still the largest category at 24,880. That fall is less reassuring than it sounds. “No or delayed action by the provider” topped the list at more than 33,000 complaints, mobile dropout complaints rose 22.6%, and claims for compensation jumped sharply. Research commissioned by the TIO found that 55% of Australians had a telco problem in a year, nearly half of them never complained, and many of those said they did not think complaining would help. The Ombudsman has called for minimum reliability standards and baseline compensation when providers fall short.
The process is straightforward. Raise the problem with your provider first and keep the reference number, the date and the name of anyone you spoke to. If it is not resolved, lodge a complaint with the TIO online or by phone; it costs nothing and providers must respond. For questions about the rules themselves, such as the Triple Zero device requirements or coverage maps, the ACMA is the regulator.
Final Verdict: Who Should Choose What
You live and work in a capital city or large regional centre, own your phone outright and mostly need data for everyday use. You get the same towers the big brands use for $20–$35 a month, and Opensignal’s results show both networks are fast in the cities. Compare the ongoing price, not the intro offer.
You live, work or travel regionally, especially in the outback, north Queensland, Tasmania’s west or WA’s north. The full Telstra network is the widest in the country, Boost is the only cheaper way onto it, and Telstra is the only carrier with satellite texting live today. A Telstra-Wholesale brand such as ALDI or Belong is a sensible middle ground if your regular routes show good coverage on its map.
You want a phone on repayments with in-store support, you use bundled perks you would otherwise pay for, or a concession discount brings the bill close to the alternatives. Even then, check whether you would be better off buying the phone outright and using a cheaper SIM.
Questions people still ask
Which mobile network has the best coverage in Australia?
Telstra. Its full network covers about 2.14 million square kilometres, and Opensignal again gave it both coverage awards. Optus and Vodafone users recorded faster average speeds in its latest report, so city dwellers may not need Telstra’s reach.
Do ALDI Mobile and Belong get full Telstra coverage?
No. They use the Telstra Wholesale network, which covers about 1.4 million square kilometres. Boost Mobile is the only brand outside Telstra with access to the full Telstra network.
Are there mobile plan discounts for pensioners in Australia?
Telstra gives Pensioner Concession, Health Care and DVA Gold cardholders 10% off most Upfront postpaid plans, and Vodafone gives seniors card holders 10% off postpaid plan fees. Plans from smaller brands are often cheaper than either, with no card needed.
How do I know if my phone can call Triple Zero?
Text 3 to 3498 for free and your provider will reply with your phone’s status. Older 4G phones and phones bought overseas are most at risk of being blocked. Never call 000 to test your phone.
Is there a truly unlimited data plan in Australia?
Felix Mobile is the closest, with no monthly data cap but speeds capped at 40Mbps on its standard unlimited plan or 80Mbps on Unlimited+. Most other unlimited plans slow you down after a set allowance.
Can I use satellite texting in Australia?
Telstra customers on Upfront plans can, with a compatible phone, when outdoors and beyond mobile coverage. It cannot be used to call or text Triple Zero. Optus and Vodafone had not launched a commercial equivalent at our last check.
How this page was checked. We compared published plan prices and terms, carrier announcements, ACMA and government guidance, TIO reports and Opensignal’s network report in October. Prices are in Australian dollars, include GST, and are for SIM-only plans; intro offers change often and many revert to a higher price after a set number of months. Your provider’s checkout page is the final word.
This page is independent and is not affiliated with any provider. It is general consumer information, not financial or legal advice. In an emergency, call 000.
Key sources: Australian Communications and Media Authority · Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts · Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman · ACCAN · Opensignal Australia Mobile Network Experience report · Telstra, Optus and Vodafone plan and program pages