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Have you ever wondered how ‘business’ mobile plans differ from ‘personal’ plans? 

Well, quite often for small businesses, the only significant difference is the name, according to our research.

We compared a number of business plans with equivalent consumer plans, and found some curious anomalies. In a couple of cases, for example, the fine print for ‘business’ mobile plans indicated they could only be used for personal use.

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At Optus, its $40 consumer plan provides unlimited standard national calls, unlimited SMS and MMS within Australia and to certain countries, and up to 300 voice minutes to those selected countries. Plus 7GB of data. 

And the $40 business plan? As far as we can see, the inclusions and terms are pretty much the same. The consumer plan rules out ‘non-ordinary’ or ‘commercial purpose use’ but bizarrely the critical information summary for the business plan makes the same exclusion.

So we turned to the Optus Fair Go policy for clarification.

“If you are a residential customer our services are for your personal use only,” the policy said.

“If you are a business customer, including a small to medium business customer, our services are for your use in the ordinary course of business.

“You may not use the service in a manner which is ‘unreasonable’ or ‘unacceptable’.”

That seems to mean that you aren't allowed to make or take business calls on a personal plan, or personal calls (“should I buy some milk on the way home?”) on a business plan.

An Optus spokesperson explained: “Our consumer plans are designed for personal use while our business plans are for use in the ordinary course of business plus some personal use where needed.

“We understand there will be certain circumstances where a customer needs to use their service outside its primary intended purpose. In these cases, we offer a level of flexibility for customers to make a judgement on what is reasonable and acceptable use of their service based on their contract.”

So the good news is that the way most of us use one plan for business and personal purposes is acceptable, providing the selected plan reflects the main use.

It might not be obvious from the everyday use of the terms, but Optus (and probably other carriers) distinguishes between ‘business’ and ‘commercial’ use. The company confirmed that ‘commercial use' refers to levels of voice or data use normally seen only in call centres, or to mobile data used to access enterprise-style services rather than those associated with micro to medium businesses.

And although the inclusions and price may be the same for consumer and business plans, “Our SMB plans offer a number of benefits for business customers including billing made out to your registered ABN for tax purposes, access to business specialists in over 120 of our retail stores, premium support from our dedicated SMB team when you bundle two or more services, and invitations to exclusive business events,” said the Optus spokesperson.

The Optus Fair Go policy does goes on to give several examples of unreasonable use, most of which seem quite reasonable, such as not allowing automatic diallers, resale and bulk messaging. But the prohibition on using a ‘mobile voice’ SIM card in a non ‘mobile voice’ device seems odd. What difference does it make to the carrier whether you tether a tablet to the phone or temporarily move the SIM from a phone to a tablet?

The reason, according to the Optus spokesperson, is that requiring separate SIMs “allows us to optimise their service for the device, the network and billing purposes”. Optus does allow data pooling between plans, but you’re up for at least $10 a month per additional device, though that does include 1GB of shareable data.

Over at Vodafone, it’s pretty much the same situation when it comes to distinctions between personal and business customers.

The $60 personal plan provides unlimited standard national calls, unlimited standard national and overseas SMSes, 120 standard international minutes to selected countries and 6GB of data (a special offer running at the time of writing boosts that to 12GB).

The $60 business plan has the same inclusions.

But the personal plan is for “personal use by approved customers only” while the business plan is for “personal use by approved customers with an ABN/ACN only”.

We asked Vodafone to explain how a business plan can be for personal use only, but received no reply more than a week later. The only interpretations we can suggest are either that it essentially the same as Optus's business/commercial dichotomy but using different words, or that you can’t use that plan on a phone that’s used by more than one person (for example, the phone carried by whichever member of a team is on call over a particular weekend).

Telstra's personal and business plans are slightly different. For example, $50 a month gets personal customers ‘$1000 worth of calls’, unlimited SMS and 2.5GB of data, while business customers pay $55 for ‘$1200 worth of calls’, unlimited SMS and 5GB of data.

Bear in mind Telstra’s call values are calculated on what we consider to be an inflated tariff of $1 per minute. By comparison, even a $19 Virgin Mobile prepaid recharge can have a rate as low as 15c per minute.

A Telstra spokesperson* said that customers must have an ACN or ABN to qualify for a business plan, but business customers can opt for consumer plans if they consider the price and inclusions are a better fit.

"For example, we provide our small business customers with more voice value, because we know they make calls more frequently than our consumer customers," the spokesperson said, adding that the business plans also allow for free calls between mobiles on the same account.

Other benefits of the Go Business Mobile plans include a free data SIM for use with a tablet or dongle, with both devices sharing the same pot of data, and the ability to put cloud services such as Office 365, Symantec Endpoint Protection and Deputy rostering and workforce management onto the same bill.

Data sharing across multiple services is available on Telstra's consumer and business plans.

Mobile virtual network operators – the companies that provide mobile services based on third-party networks such as Telstra, Optus or Vodafone – generally make a clear distinction between personal and business usage.

For example, the conditions for amaysim's Unlimited plans flatly state they are “available to individual customers only (not companies or businesses), who use their mobile phone for personal use only. If we determine that you are using Unlimited 3GB other than for personal use or if we determine that you are using the Plan in a way that does or may, in our opinion, adversely affect the network, we reserve the right (at our option) to transfer you to the amaysim As You Go Plan, or to immediately suspend or cancel your access to the Service”.

We asked amaysim what it considers ‘personal use’ to be, and its compliance and service operations manager Chad Heininger responded: “We see personal use as individuals using their amaysim service primarily for private use in a way not connected with carrying out a business activity. As per our Fair Go Policy, our customers are unable to use our service for ‘business purposes’ as this falls outside of personal use. We aren’t specific about what constitutes as business use, because we trust our customers to use their judgment and play by the rules. For example, we would not expect our customers to use our service to support a large business or organisation as this clearly would be for ‘business purposes’. We also expect our customers to use our service in a reasonable and acceptable manner.”

It sounds to us that there's a certain amount of wriggle room – if your small-business ‘business use’ is similar to that of a personal customer in terms of the number of calls and texts, how would Amaysim tell the difference, and why would it be bothered? That said, we're not encouraging anyone to breach the T&Cs.

While large organisations can receive volume pricing, the benefits of business plans for small businesses are hard to quantify. In fact, the differences between many personal and business plans in terms of inclusions and costs are so insignificant that we can’t help feeling that the distinction is mostly arbitrary.

However, that also means there’s rarely any downside to opting for a business plan rather than the corresponding personal version.

So if a phone is going to be used primarily for business purposes, you might as well opt for a business plan and be fully compliant with the plan’s terms and conditions. It’s likely to cost much the same – and it reduces the admittedly slight risk that your service will be terminated because you went outside the T&Cs. 

* Note: This article was updated on 21 April 2016 due to Telstra responding to our request for more information after the article's publication.

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Business phone plans

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In this guide

What is a business phone plan?

Is it worth getting a business mobile plan, how do i compare business phone plans, what is the best business mobile plan in australia, telstra business mobile plans, optus business mobile plans, vodafone business phone plans.

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Business phone plans are designed for businesses to give to their employees, so they can keep in touch with clients and co-workers.

If you're running a business with multiple employees that need work numbers, it makes sense to look at getting a business mobile plan to make it easier for organisational or tax purposes.

They have different inclusions to personal mobile plans because people tend to use their phones differently for business than they would for recreation.

Business plans are also designed for lots of employees to share inclusions.

They also often have better access to support , because the consequences of a business phone being down are much harsher than that of a personal phone.

• Keep in mind: SME's and larger enterprises reap the most rewards with a business mobile plan. Business phone plans won't really benefit sole traders (depending on how you handle tax).

Depending on the size of your business, a mobile plan specifically designed for work may or may not benefit your organisation.

• Designed specifically for business. Many also allow you to tailor the plans specifically to suit your business needs. For example, if you need international call inclusions to keep in touch with international clients, or have multiple employees who can share a data pool.
• Lots of options available. Businesses come in so many different flavours – a cheese factory and game development studio would have vastly different calling and data needs, so providers have plenty of options to make sure you get the right plan.
• Extra value. Because most businesses are signing up for a bunch of mobile plans at once, providers will often kick in extra perks like international call inclusions, or discounts.
• Cost and contracts. These plans tend to be more expensive than regular mobile plans and often have long contracts. Think carefully about whether a business plan or a regular account with multiple personal plans is better for you.

Note for sole traders:

You don't need to have a business phone plan to be able to claim your phone on tax . You can claim the portion you use for business on a regular, personal phone plan. This will be the most cost-effective choice for most sole traders who only have 1 phone.

There are a lot of options in the business mobile world, and your needs will be different from other businesses. Here are some things to consider besides the cost of your plan.

Business support

This is the main thing business plans offer over personal ones. If this is something that's important to you, make sure you're being offered tech support and personalised service in the way you prefer.

Network coverage

Telstra covers the most places in Australia, so if your business will take your employees out into rural and regional areas, a plan on the Telstra network may be worth the extra dollars it costs.

Flexibility

What you need this quarter might not be the same as what you need next quarter. In many businesses, being able to reduce costs quickly can be vital. While all providers will let you add plans and upgrade to more expensive ones with more inclusions, make sure the one you choose will also let you move down to a cheaper plan and even remove plans in case of tough times.

Do you already have devices you can give to your employees? The major providers will often have device bundles available to sign up to which can be convenient, but could you get a better discount on bulk phones elsewhere?

How much data do you really need? Consider whether a large data pool shared amongst employees is a good option, or if you'd rather each employee has their own set amount of data each month.

As each business is so wildly different from the next, it's impossible to pick a mobile plan that will best suit every business.

Many businesses may prefer to sign up to a larger, more established provider, but that's not to say you won't get excellent service and cheaper prices from smaller providers too.

We've broken down the main offerings from the 3 largest business mobile providers in Australia to give you a taste of what's on offer.

Telstra's business phone plans operate in the same sizes as its general consumer plans, with Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large plans. All include:

• Data, from 40GB–180GB
• Data sharing between plans on the 1 account
• Unlimited standard national calls and texts
• Medium and above plans include the 5G network
• No excess data charges in Australia
• The option to add a phone to each plan for an added monthly cost spread over 24–36 months
• Good to know: To get the right mix of plans for your business, Telstra encourages you to book an appointment with one of the company's dedicated small business experts.

You can see Telstra's business plans here

• Compare Clear

Optus offers a huge range of plans to suit every kind of business with 1–300 plans able to be put on the same account and share data.

• Good to know: Companies that require 10+ SIMs are encouraged to talk to an account manager to tailor data allowances, monthly rates and device inclusions to suit their business.

Here are the details of the plans available to every business without negotiation:

• Plans start from $50 month-to-month or $47.50 on a 24-month plan or $45 on a 36-month plan – prices get cheaper the more SIMs you're after
• 50GB of data, which accumulates and pools with other phones on the same account
• Unlimited standard talk and text
• Unlimited international talk and text to selected countries
• Multiple service discount for total number of Business Mobile Plus services on the 1 plan, starting at 10% for 2, and up to 34% for 12+
• Option to add $10 roaming packs for business trips

For businesses that need 6+ plans with devices, there are Tech Fund plans. These plans include:

• Device credits from $300–$1,800, depending on the plan and length of contract
• Up to 10GB of included international roaming data each month
• Data ranging from 6GB–200GB (which is pooled)
• The option to blend different plans on the 1 account (such as cheaper plans with no roaming for local sales reps, and plans with 10GB roaming inclusions for regional managers)

You can see Optus business plans here

Vodafone offers the most affordable plans of the big 3 telcos, along with including some added features.

• Good to know: If your employees need to travel overseas, the $5 a day roaming add on will allow them to keep the same number without breaking the budget.

Vodafone has 3 types of business plans:

• Team plans. These allow data sharing between employees, and you can add a phone onto the individual plans. This is for when you have fewer than 10 services on the 1 account.
• SIM only Business Flex mobile plans. Best for teams of 10+, which includes the use of a personal account manager.
• Tech Fund Business Flex plans. These include credit towards buying handsets, as well as the use of a personal account manager.

You can see Vodafone's business plans here

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Alice Clarke

Alice Clarke is an award-winning freelance journalist, producer and presenter, as well as co-curator of the PAX Aus Together Lounge. In her 15 years as a journalist she’s appeared in The Age, Herald Sun Finder, Gizmodo, Kotaku, the ABC, Stevivor, Cracked, Curve and many other publications. See full profile

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Australia’s Best-Rated Business Mobile Plan Providers

See Our Ratings Methodology .

Most Satisfied Customers | Vodafone

Vodafone is our winner for the 2023 mobile plan provider ratings, with an impressive five-star score across most categories, including customer satisfaction, value for money, client service, billing and plan flexibility, while it scored four stars for network coverage.

How we rate business mobile plan providers

Our ratings compare mobile phone plan providers offering business plans, based on customer satisfaction as rated by Australians.

How many Australians do we survey for our ratings?

Canstar Blue surveyed 580 Australians with a current business mobile plan service for their feedback on mobile plan providers they’ve been signed up to. Respondents had to have a current mobile phone plan for a business and that business pays the bills.

• The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics .

What criteria are used to rate business mobile plan providers?

Survey respondents are asked to rate their satisfaction with their business mobile phone plan provider from zero to 10 , with zero meaning extremely dissatisfied and 10 meaning extremely satisfied. Business mobile plan provider satisfaction is rated on the following criteria:

• Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with a mobile plan provider as an individual score, NOT the combined total of all criteria.
• Value for money: the price paid for the mobile phone plan was reasonable for the service experienced.
• Network coverage: the mobile network offered good and reliable coverage.
• Client service: the mobile plan provider offered good service and support, and was easy to get in touch with.
• Billing: the mobile plan billing was clear and easy to understand and pay.
• Plan flexibility: the mobile plan provider offered a reasonable amount of plan flexibility.

How do we determine the winner?

The winning brand is the brand that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating . All the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are then combined and averaged to determine the overall winner.

• Overall satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
• The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and therefore win the award. If a clear leading brand still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.

Which business mobile plan providers do we rate?

To qualify in the ratings results, providers must have received a minimum of 30 responses to be included. Therefore, not all mobile phone plan providers offering business services will be compared in this survey. Providers rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customers ratings .

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Best business mobile plan providers

1. vodafone, ratings result.

Vodafone came out on top for the second year in a row, scoring five stars for overall satisfaction. It also scored five stars for value for money, client service, billing and plan flexibility, while it scored four stars for network coverage.

Editor’s notes

Vodafone offers the option of SIM-only plans or plans that can be bundled with a device. All that you need to do is supply your ABN/ACN on sign up, or link it to an existing Vodafone mobile plan account, with additional business plans also able be added.

Telstra took out second place with four stars for overall satisfaction, value for money, client service, billing and plan flexibility, while it scored five stars for network coverage.

Telstra offers a range of SIM-only plans or plans with a phone, with the option to bundle services onto the one plan. Its plans and device selection are essentially the same offerings as what you’ll get if you sign up to a non-business plan. If you bundle a phone with a plan, you’ll choose from a 12, 24 or 36-month device repayment period.

Ratings results

Rounding out our ratings in third is Optus with three stars for overall satisfaction and billing, while it scored four stars in the remaining categories — value for money, network coverage, client service and plan flexibility.

Optus offer a range of options for its business phone plans. While you can pick a similar selection of SIM-only plans and devices to its non-business phone plans, Optus does offer McAfee protection on up to 20 devices on its Business Choice Plus plans. Optus also offers a ‘team plan’ which includes four SIM plans with data to share and flexibility, along with the option to add on additional SIMs for an extra cost per SIM.

Other business phone plan providers

Apart from the above-mentioned providers, there are several other telcos also offering phone plans for businesses, although many of these providers might only offer SIM-only plans and no handsets for bundling. These telcos include:

• Aussie Broadband
• Southern Phone

Choosing a phone plan provider

Access to a phone and/or phone plan for work can be an essential part of a business. Of those surveyed, 27% provide employees with a mobile phone for work use and 33% upgrade handsets every one to two years.

Despite several providers offering mobile phone services to businesses, 50% of respondents have always been with the same business phone service provider. A big reason for this could be that almost a third of respondents (31%) believe the provider offers good value, while 26% believe their provider offers the best coverage or is the only provider with coverage in the area.

When choosing a provider for your business mobile phone services, there can be a lot to consider. 17% of survey respondents claimed that they don’t find the time to compare other offers and switch providers, so it might seem like a lot to think about on top of operating a business.

However, when you break it down to a few points, comparing business mobile phone plans might be more simple than you think.

Phone with a plan or SIM-only

The first thing to consider is whether you’ll need phones bundled with a phone plan — such as an iPhone or Samsung phone — or if you simply need the phone plan on its own. If you need handsets with a plan, your provider choices will mostly be limited to the big three telcos (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone).

If you just need the SIM cards with a phone plan, then you have a wider range of options to choose from.

Additional extras

Some providers will offer business-related extras such as the ability to bundle multiple services, data sharing across plans, device security software and more. If these extras are important to you, you can then compare providers to see what is available and which telco will offer the best value for you.

How much mobile data you need for your plans is pretty important. Consider what your team will be using their phone plans for — such as working on the go, accessing emails, video conferencing, making calls, etc — will help determine whether you need a plan with lots of data or not. If phones will be used primarily for making and receiving calls and accessing emails, a smaller amount of data, or a data-sharing plan, might work best. Otherwise you’ll need bigger data plans for working on the go and video conferencing.

Mobile coverage

Of course, for some workers, a phone plan can be essential when travelling for work. If your team frequently needs to travel, especially to regional and remote areas, ensuring your choice of provider has good mobile network coverage in that area is essential.

While the Telstra, Optus and Vodafone networks all offer coverage to the majority of the country, it’s worth checking the mobile coverage map before signing up to a provider to ensure that the areas your team will be working from are covered by the mobile network.

About our telco experts

Emma bradstock: senior telco specialist.

Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for the last 4 years, with a dedication to providing Aussies with all the information they need to make better purchasing decisions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University and has a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media.

Samantha Howse: Consumer Research Specialist

Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.

Frequently asked questions

About this research.

Canstar Blue surveyed 2,022 Australian small business owners and key decision makers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group whose business currently pays for a mobile phone plan that is used for business purposes– in this case, 580 people.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.

Past ratings

Here are past winners of Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers – Business Phone Plans Providers ratings:

• 2022: Vodafone
• 2021: Optus
• 2020: Vodafone
• 2019: Vodafone
• 2018: Optus
• 2017: Vodafone
• 2016: Optus
• 2015: Optus

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^By clicking on a shop online, compare now, buy online, more details, go to site or check latest prices button, you may leave Canstar Blue and be taken to a referral partner to compare. Canstar Blue may be paid for this referral. You agree that Canstar Blue’s  terms and conditions  apply to this referral. If you click on a brand that is not a referral partner, you will be taken to a brand page on Canstar Blue.

Canstar Blue may earn a fee for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship may vary between providers. Generally, sponsorship fees are payable in addition to referral fees. Sponsored products are clearly disclosed as such on website pages. They may appear in a number of areas of the website such as in comparison tables, on hub pages and in articles. Sponsored products may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The table position of a Sponsored product does not indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. The table position of a Sponsored product does not change when a consumer changes the sort order of the table. For more information please see  How Are We Funded .

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How does australia's biggest telco fare against the competition.

Tom's Guide Verdict

As Australia's largest provider, it should come as no surprise that Telstra's mobile coverage is unmatched. Apart from boasting the country's largest 5G network, Telstra also offers great options for those after huge amounts of data. That said, Telstra is easily the priciest major telco in Australia, and its entry-level plans aren't great value.

Most reliable network

Widest coverage

Plenty of options

Comparatively expensive

Weak value on cheaper plans

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As Australia's leading telecommunications provider, Telstra undoubtedly offers the most reliable mobile network in the country, not to mention the widest coverage, with its 5G network now reaching 85% of Aussies.

Telstra also provides a number of wide-ranging mobile plan options, from options which include a handset, to pre-paid and post-paid SIM-only choices for those who already have a device.

And while off-shore customer service has long been a thorn in the side of the average Telstra customer, we were pleased to discover that this has improved over the last couple of years — as of mid-2022, Telstra's support team now mostly consists of remote workers within Australia , making it easier for Aussies to communicate their issues over the phone.

That said, Telstra's premium service comes at a significant cost, with plans that are generally more expensive than the competition — particularly at the entry level. 

For the price, you do get the most consistent download speeds of any 5G mobile network in Australia (although Optus has taken OpenSignal's 5G Download Speed award for the last 4 years straight), along with huge amounts of data on the higher-priced plans.

It's also worth noting that while an internal error saw Telstra accidentally leak the personal data of some customers in the past , the company has never been the victim of a cyberattack — a claim that its biggest rival, Optus, cannot make after suffering a massive data breach in 2022.

Telstra mobile plans and pricing

• Telstra SIM Only plans significantly more expensive than competitors
• No lock-in contracts for Telstra Upfront plans

When it comes to pricing, there's no denying that Telstra's plans are among the most expensive you can sign up for in Australia. Of course, value for money is subjective, and some may consider Telstra's high prices worth paying for the best coverage in Australia.

Telstra offers its own take on SIM-only plans, dubbed 'Upfront' plans, which are named as such because they are charged ahead of time as opposed to after the fact. Thankfully, there are no lock-in contracts for any of the Upfront plans, and users can switch to another Telstra plan once a month if they find their needs have changed.

Telstra's Upfront plans start at AU$62 p/m for its Basic plan, which offers 50GB of monthly data with download speeds capped at 250Mbps. Next, Telstra's Essential plan grants users 180GB of monthly data at uncapped speeds for AU$72 p/m. 

Call us crazy, but we'd argue that there's an unreasonable gulf between the Basic and Essential plan in terms of value — the fact that only 10 bucks separates plans with 50GB of data at capped speeds and 180GB of data at uncapped speeds is honestly mind-boggling.

Rounding things out, Telstra's third and final Upfront plan offers 300GB of monthly data at uncapped speeds for AU$95 p/m. Included with each Upfront plan are unlimited calls and texts to standard Australian numbers, 30 minutes of calls to standard international numbers and unlimited texts to standard international numbers.

For the sake of comparison, Telstra's nearest competitor, Optus, offers significantly better value with its SIM-only plans — its AU$59 p/m Medium Optus Choice Plus Plan  is already AU$3 cheaper than Telstra's entry-level Basic offering, only with twice the monthly data (100GB) and with uncapped 5G download speeds.

Alternatively, Telstra also offers a range of pre-paid SIM starter kits for new customers, starting from AU$12 for 3GB of data and a 7-day expiry. 

We can't see any Australian residents choosing this option, so we'll skip ahead to the AU$35 starter kit, which has a 28-day expiry period and offers 35GB of monthly data for the first 3 months. After this, the limit drops down to 15GB.

Next, you have a AU$45 starter kit which provides 50GB of monthly data for the first 3 months, after which it drops to 25GB. From here on, Telstra's SIM starter kits are for 6 and 12-month expiry periods.

Please note, while all of Telstra's pre-paid SIM starter kits offer access to the telco's 4G and 5G networks, download speeds are capped to 150Mbps.

Telstra mobile plans: price and data comparison

Telstra mobile coverage.

• Telstra has the widest reach of the three major telcos
• Optus still holds award for fastest 5G download speeds

As we mentioned earlier, Telstra has the largest reach in Australia when it comes to coverage, with its 5G network now reaching around 87% of Australians as of February 2024 . 

That's an impressive number, and we have to assume it's still a substantial lead over Optus and Vodafone — both of which haven't yet divulged percentage figures for their Aussie 5G coverage.

But while Telstra's 5G network has the best coverage, it can't claim to be the fastest in Australia — that honour goes to Optus, which has won OpenSignal's 5G Download Speed award for the last four years in a row.

Of course, those speeds were achieved under very specific circumstances and don't necessarily reflect real-world usage for most Aussies. In fact, OpenSignal still acknowledges Telstra as the "outright winner" when it comes to 5G reach and overall reliability.

When it comes to the reach of its older 3G and 4G networks, Telstra again takes the crown for widest coverage, claiming to reach 99.6% of the Australian population. Optus isn't far behind however, and states its 3G and 4G networks cover 98.5% of the population. Things get a bit fuzzier when it comes to Vodafone. The latter claims its networks reach 96% of the 'metropolitan' population, which is quite different from Telstra and Optus's statements, which imply the Australian population as a whole.

Telstra mobile plans: Extras, perks and offers

• Telstra Plus members earn points to spend in Telstra Rewards store
• Telstra Personal customers get bonus streaming offers

All Telstra customers have the option of signing up to Telstra Plus — a rewards program that's free to join if you have a Telstra ID account and are paying for an eligible Telstra mobile or internet service.

Telstra Plus membership comes in four tiers depending on your annual spend with the telco. The entry-level tier is Member, which gets benefits like discounted tickets to movies, concerts and sporting events. Next is Silver, which gets the same, along with extra customer service attention in the My Telstra app, and 25% off points used to buy content on Telstra TV. Gold goes one step further, adding VIP customer service in the My Telstra app and Gold early access to concert pre-sales. Finally, there is the Business tier, which is reserved for businesses and offers similar value to the Member tier.

Every dollar spent on one of Telstra's eligible services also gets you Telstra Points, which can be spent in the Telstra Rewards Store. These points can be used to redeem anything from a USB charging cable, to a new iPhone. Of course, you'll need to spend upwards of 500,000 points to get your hands on the latter.

Additionally, Telstra Personal customers (excluding pre-paid) also get a range of entertainment offers, including 4 months of Spotify Premium, 2 months of Binge, 3 months of Flash, 14-days of Kayo and a month of Foxtel Now — so long as you sign up via Telstra.

Telstra mobile plans: customer service and community reviews

• Support team now almost entirely based within Australia
• Mostly negative online reviews from customers

As we mentioned earlier, Telstra's customer service received a massive upgrade in quality starting around mid-2022, with the telco drastically reducing its use of off-shore call centres in favour of a new local support team. 

When Telstra customers phone customer service now, they'll more than likely end up speaking to a support agent based locally in Australia, rather than someone overseas — a move which should minimise communication barriers.

Alternatively, customers who'd rather solve their account or service-related issues in person also have the option of visiting a Telstra retail store for face-to-face support. Telstra's retail network consists of around 270 stores across Australia, including independent licensees (in 2021, Telstra announced it would be shaking up its retail store network, with major changes expected by 2025).

Of course, not all Telstra customers are happy — the telco has received overwhelmingly negative online reviews from customers on sites like Product Review and Trustpilot , earning a score of 1.4 stars out of 5 on the former, and 1.3 stars out of 5 on the latter. 

Before you get your pitchfork out, it's worth noting that Optus and Vodafone have both received similar scores on the same sites. All those ratings are likely skewed by the fact that many customers only bother reviewing a service when they've had a bad experience, resulting in a score that's biased towards the negative, and doesn't necessarily reflect the opinion of most customers.

Furthermore, the consumer advocacy group Choice awarded Telstra as the Best SIM + handset phone plan provider in Australia last year.

Telstra mobile plans: Bottom line

Is a Telstra mobile plan worth your money? There's no denying that Telstra offers the most premium service of the three major telcos in Australia, boasting not only the largest 5G network, but also the most reliable and wide-reaching coverage. It also provides a sense of safety and dependability when it comes to your private data, as Telstra's cybersecurity has never been breached.

On top of this, Telstra has recently taken steps to radically improve its customer service, which has to be commended. Telstra Plus customers also get access to some nice benefits, including event discounts and points which can be redeemed on a variety of goodies.

But does the quality of its service justify its high pricing? All of Telstra's Upfront plans are far more expensive than equivalent offerings from other telcos, offering less monthly data for more money in every instance — particularly at the entry level. It's also worth noting that not everyone will care about the perks and extras that come with a Telstra Plus membership.

If you value reliability above all else, a Telstra mobile plan is likely your best option. However, if you're after value for money, you'll be better off choosing a plan from a Telstra network reseller , or alternatively opting for an Optus mobile plan .

• Best Australian phone plans with international roaming

Stephen Lambrechts is the Managing Editor of Tom's Guide AU and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming for the last 15 years. Before Tom's Guide, he spent several years as a Senior Journalist at TechRadar, had a brief stint as Editor in Chief at Official Xbox Magazine Australia, and has written for such publications as APC, TechLife Australia, T3, FilmInk, AskMen, Daily Telegraph and IGN. He's an expert when it comes to smartphones, TVs, gaming and streaming. In his spare time, he enjoys watching obscure horror movies on physical media, keeping an eye on the latest retro sneaker releases and listening to vinyl. Occasionally, he also indulges in other non-hipster stuff, like hiking.

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The best business phone plans: Reliable 5G for work

When I started writing for ZDNet 15 years ago , mobile phones were being used by 74% of the US population, but only 14% of those people were using these basic phones to access the internet. The latest data shows that 97% of Americans own a mobile phone, with 85% of those being smartphones that access the internet multiple times a day.

Smartphones and wireless cellular services are now essential for businesses to compete in today's market and broad coverage is an expectation. After T-Mobile's recent acquisition of Sprint, the US market is dominated by Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Each of these carriers offers various plan options for businesses of all sizes.

5G continues to roll out across the US, but reliable LTE service is still essential to getting work done. The pricing for business service is competitive, and as someone who has been in the industry for decades, it is amazing to see the reasonable pricing for such fast service that reaches across the nation.

Verizon phone plans for businesses

Verizon Wireless has the most subscribers in the US and is popular with businesses. Three Business Unlimited plans make it easy to find the perfect option for your business. All three  Business Unlimited plans  from Verizon include unlimited talk, text, and data. Support for 5G, mobile hotspot, and tablet use differentiate the three plans. Pricing is also for five or more lines, targeted for business and not for family usage.

Business Unlimited Start

$30 per line per month.

While there are no limits on minutes, texts, or data, in times of congestion data may be slower with this Start plan. Nationwide 5G, low-band spectrum 5G, is supported with the Start plan and a compatible smartphone.

Tablet, smartwatch, and hotspot options are available for additional costs on the Business Unlimited Start plan. The price also includes $5 per month savings for paper-free billing and auto pay.

Pros  

• Nationwide 5G coverage
• Able to add additional devices (watches, tablets) to the account
• No support for mmWave, high-band, 5G
• Data speeds slowed down during times of congestion

Business Unlimited Plus

$40 per line per month.

For $10 more per line per month, Verizon adds 100GB of premium network access, 5G UWB (mmWave) support, and unlimited mobile hotspot service. In addition, Verizon's Business Mobile Secure is included at no additional cost. This enhanced security bundle includes lookout mobile endpoint secure, mobile device management, Wi-Fi protection, and tech support.

• Nationwide 5G coverage, including mmWave spectrum
• Enhanced security bundle included
• Unlimited mobile hotspot service
• 100GB limit during high usage time periods

Business Unlimited Pro

$50 per line per month.

The highest level Verizon Business Unlimited plan provides twice the amount of premium network access, 120GB, along with 50% off on Business Unlimited Pro tablet plans.

This plan may be perfect for businesses using connected tablets out in the field and smartphones that are using data throughout the day away from Wi-Fi service.

• Nationwide 5G coverage with mmWave support
• 50% cost savings on tablet plans
• $50 price per line higher than other tiers

T-Mobile phone plans for businesses

After the purchase of Sprint, T-Mobile is now the second largest (in terms of subscriber count) carrier in the US. While T-Mobile has long been known for its consumer-friendly cellular plans, it also has one of the most extensive  libraries of business offerings  for small companies, large companies, and government agencies. Its new  Business Unlimited plans  are presented below, but other options require  direct discussions  between businesses and T-Mobile.

Business Unlimited Select

$25 to $60 per line per month.

Business Unlimited Select plans are designed for small business customers who need 1 to 12 lines of service. A one line plan is the most expensive, at $60 per month. Two lines are priced at $45 per line per month, four lines are $30 per line per month, and six or more lines are just $25 per line per month.

These plans include 5G network support, 5GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data, as well as unlimited calling/texting/data in Mexico and Canada.

• Very affordable small business plan
• Unlimited service in Mexico and Canada
• Unlimited streaming is limited to SD content
• Included data in Canada and Mexico is 128kbps speed

Business Unlimited Advanced

$30 to $70 per line per month.

If the employees of your small business travel by airplane and need Microsoft apps, then you should consider the T-Mobile Business Unlimited Advanced plan. This service plan includes 40GB of high-speed hotspot data, Microsoft 365, one hour of Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi, and 5GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico.

• Affordable per line price point
• Microsoft 365 productivity service included
• One hour of in-flight Wi-Fi service
• 40GB of high-speed hotspot
• 100GB of premium data

Business Unlimited Ultimate

$40 to $85 per line per month.

For small businesses that want it all at reasonable per line prices, the new Business Unlimited Ultimate plan is for you. In addition to the unlimited talk, text, and data (with 5G included) small businesses also get unlimited premium data, 100GB of mobile hotspot, and Microsoft 365.

Streaming content is provided with unlimited 4K UHD quality, WiFi on your flight is unlimited, and data in 210 countries is twice as fast (256kbps) as the other T-Mobile small business plans.

• Unlimited premium data
• Unlimited WiFi on your flight
• Microsoft 365 services included
• 5GB of high speed data in Canada and Mexico

AT&T phone plans for businesses

After T-Mobile added Sprint subscribers to its total subscriber base, AT&T dropped to third in total subscriber count. However, AT&T is also well established as an enterprise service provider with  four enterprise options  available to customers. AT&T also serves as the backbone for the  FirstNet network  optimized for first responders.

Unlimited Your Way for Business

Starting at $30 per month.

The Unlimited Your Way for Business plans allow up to 10 devices per plan group and are designed for small to medium-sized businesses. The more lines you add, up to 10 lines, the less expensive the starting price is for AT&T Business Unlimited Starter, Business Unlimited Performance, and Business Unlimited Elite. For 10 lines, the starting price is $30, $35, and $40 per line per month, respectively. For just a single line, these prices are $65, $75, and $85 per line per month, respectively.

Hotspot data allotments, priority data transmission, and higher definition streaming are features that improve as you move from the Starter tier to the Elite tier of service. Select the number of lines on the Unlimited Your Way website to view pricing for your company.

• Price per line decreases with additional lines
• Multiple tiers of service are offered
• Limited to 10 lines of service
• Priority data transmission restrictions
• Hotspot data limits

AT&T Mobility Select - Pooled

Starting at $35 per month.

Unlimited calls and text messages in the US, unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada, and unlimited texting from the US to more than 120 countries are included in the  AT&T Mobility Select - Pooled  plan service. Data is served up to each employee from a single shared pool for each business account.

Plans start at $35 per month, but potential customers need to contact AT&T to discuss specific details and plan pricing.

• Affordable plan pricing
• Unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada
• Shared pool requires management to allocate

AT&T Mobile Share Plus for Business

Starting at $50 per month.

The AT&T Mobile Share Plus for Business plan supports from one to 25 smartphone lines with various monthly data caps, ranging from 3GB to 120GB per phone. Pricing per phone starts at $50 per month for 3GB and goes up to $615 for one phone with 120GB of data.

Shareable data, rollover data, unlimited talk and text, mobile hotspot service, and international talk, text, and data are provided with these plans.

• Support for up to 25 lines of service
• Rollover data support
• Mobile hotspot service included
• Data caps allocated by service option

AT&T Business 4GB

Unlimited talk, text, and 4GB of data per line are provided with the AT&T Business 4GB  plan. Hotspot data and standard mobile security services are also provided with the plan. Pricing for smartphones starts at $50 per month, but further pricing requires consultation with an AT&T representative.

AT&T Business 4GB is available for tablets for $20 per month and for wearables for $10 per month. AT&T advertises this plan as best for small businesses.

• Unlimited talk and text
• Controlled pricing per each phone
• Service options for tablets and wearables
• 4GB data limit per each line

MVNO options for businesses

While the three major carriers offer focused business plans, there are also a few MVNOs that offer attractive per line plans that may work well for small businesses. MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) are companies that use establish wireless carrier infrastructure to provide no or minimal contract options for customers. The MVNOs do not openly advertise which wireless carrier infrastructure they are using, but as soon as you insert a SIM into your phone, you can see which carrier is connected to which MVNO. MVNOs are optimized for consumers looking for phone service with no contracts and prepaid options, but these same elements may help small businesses control costs and adjust to market demands.

US Mobile for business

$9 per line and $2 per gb per month.

Most MVNOs offer attractive per line prices with each account limited to five or six lines. US Mobile is one MVNO that actually provides shared data plans for companies of any size. Enter the number of lines you need and the amount of shared data to view your total monthly payment. 

A couple of examples include 50 lines with 100GB of data for $674 per month or 30 lines with 50GB of data for $385 per month. We had the opportunity to test out the two available US Mobile SIM cards and found the service to be fast and reliable.

• Specific service offering for businesses
• Scalable to your business size and line needs
• Competitive $9 per line base fee
• Verizon and T-Mobile serve as network providers
• Data price per GB may be higher than unlimited plans

Mint Mobile

$30 per month per line.

Mint Mobile is one of the most popular MVNOs thanks in large part to advertising by one of its owners, Ryan Reynolds. While there are no specific business plans, three/six/twelve month plans for individual phones are available starting as low as $30 per month for unlimited talk, text, and data.

T-Mobile provides the network for Mint Mobile's service so you will need GSM handsets for the service.

• Unlimited talk, text, and data plan options
• Flexibility for less expensive data limit plans
• No specific business service plans
• Limited to T-Mobile coverage area
• Three available contract period options

Cricket Wireless

Starting at $25 per line per month.

Cricket Wireless is an established MVNO, service provided by AT&T, that has retail stores around the country so you can get support and establish service in person if you desire. One to five lines can be setup for each account with measured data or unlimited data. Mobile hotspot data can also be added to each line.

4G LTE and 5G data is provided, along with international support, cloud storage, and more.

• Established, trusted MVNO
• Physical retail stores around the country
• Unlimited and measured data plan options
• No long term contract required
• Service coverage area limited to AT&T network
• Five line limit per account

What steps should a new business take to establish wireless service?

While this buying guide provides current pricing and service options from the three primary US wireless carriers and MVNOs, specific pricing for your business requires a conversation with the carrier to fully define your company needs, available service discounts, and contract lengths.

One of the first things to figure out is where you will need service geographically in the US as all three carriers have slightly different coverage maps. Your geographic operating area may remove one, or more, carriers from your viable candidate list. 

The next step is to determine how many lines of service you will need and then the data needs of those lines. Calling and text messages are unlimited in all cases, but data speed and amount of data will drive your costs.

Most carriers also offer additional incentives and services, such as hotspot, in-flight coverage, Microsoft 365, and more. Make sure to account for the value of these incentives in your decision-making process.

What are the disadvantages of a MVNO?

Most MVNOs are focused on the consumer market so business plan offerings for more than six lines of service are rare. Pricing can be very competitive and with no contracts these MVNOs may be attractive to businesses just getting started that do not want to lock in long-term contracts.

Account management may require more time from businesses given the consumer focus of MVNOs. MVNOs are also subject to the infrastructure provided by the big three US carriers, but there are several established MVNOs with solid reputation and a record of high-quality service and support.

What is the best business phone plan?

We analyzed reliability, coverage, and price to compile a list of the best phone plans for your business which includes: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

Does the choice of my smartphone model limit wireless service?

In the past, the US wireless market was split into GSM and CDMA service technologies with two carriers supporting each of these technologies. Modern smartphones support LTE and 5G service without CDMA technology your choice of smartphone is not as limited.

The most popular smartphones in the US, Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones, support all wireless technologies in the US wireless market so there are no limits on using these phones with any US carrier. If you purchase these phones directly from Samsung and Apple, then you can choose to purchase unlocked models.

Some phones are sold in a locked state so they can only be used on one specific carrier. This may be changing soon and there are processes to unlock your phone from your carrier if you decide to switch carriers. There used to be incentives for purchasing locked phones, but in today's world purchasing unlocked phones gives you the most flexibility for choosing your service provider.

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Telstra says slashing almost a tenth of its workforce will help save $350 million. Why is the business under pressure?

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On Tuesday, Telstra announced it will be cutting up to 2,800 jobs as part of a major restructure.

Of these layoffs, 377 will take effect immediately from within the Telstra Enterprise business unit. Most of the remaining cuts will be announced in detail soon and finalised by the end of the year.

The announcement followed a review of the company’s enterprise division, which services large business and government clients.

Providing voice calls and other network services to these clients has historically been an important part of Telstra’s business. But recently, low-cost internet-based competitors have been whittling away at this revenue.

Speaking at a press conference, Telstra CEO Vicki Brady said while the company continues to see solid growth across its mobile network, it now faces a changing business landscape:

Our industry and the world we are operating in are changing. We have new and different competitors. We have rapid advances in technologies happening. Our customer needs continue to evolve and we have ongoing inflationary and cost pressures.

But it’s possible these job cuts are also part of a strategy to boost Telstra’s flagging share price, which fell to a low of A$3.57 the day of the announcement.

This was down from its 52-week high of $4.46 and well below its ten-year high of $6.61 in February 2015.

How did we get here?

In February, Telstra reported a 66.7% drop in EBITDA – an important measure of earnings – for its fixed-enterprise business unit.

Telstra said this fall-off was the result of a continued decline in income from call charges, business connectivity, network applications and services.

It’s possible the slowing Australian economy may have exacerbated the decline, impacting businesses’ spending on telecommunications products and services.

Telstra has been under pressure to find savings under its ambitious “ T25 ” target to achieve a $500 million reduction in net costs by the end of financial year 2024–25.

Telstra expects this major restructure to incur a one-off cost of between $200 million to $250 million over this period.

The company also said it would focus on reducing other cost categories, including non-labour-related costs. One such cost is energy usage, a major expense for telcos .

Now, the company expects to achieve $350 million of its cost reduction target by the 2025 deadline.

Telstra hasn’t directly tied this latest round of cuts to the broader adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). But the company has been exploring ways of using the technology.

Telstra announced in February it was moving forward with AI technologies it had developed in-house, following pilot trials with frontline team members.

The company was at pains to point out that these particular technologies aim to assist existing human staff, for example, by summarising interactions with customers or better searching for information from internal databases.

Down the line, however, further adoption of AI could eventually impact employee numbers as Telstra and other telecommunications companies aim to ramp up and exploit cost-cutting uses of the technology.

Mobile tells a stronger story

Telstra’s core mobile business has meanwhile performed strongly, with subscriber numbers growing steadily over the last year.

The company’s latest announcement included a significant change to the terms of its postpaid mobile plans.

Prices of these plans have historically been automatically indexed to the consumer price index each financial year. That will no longer happen, bringing postpaid mobile plans into line with most of Telstra’s other products. There will be no increase this July.

Brady said the move would give the company greater flexibility:

This approach reflects there are a range of factors that go into any pricing decision, and will provide greater flexibility to adjust prices at different times and across different plans based on their value propositions and customer needs.

The change does mean consumers might see relief from large automatic price increases when the consumer price index is high.

But it will likely cause concern among consumer groups. There will now be uncertainty on the exact timing of price changes for postpaid mobile plans, and their size and direction will be largely up to Telstra.

Telstra’s future direction remains unclear

There are other pressures looming for Telstra.

Before the next election, the government is expected to announce the outcome of a review into the universal service obligation (USO), a consumer protection that guarantees Australians “reasonable access to fixed telephone and payphone services”.

Telstra is Australia’s nominated USO provider, and this delivery contract has been a key driver of its dominant position in regional and remote areas. But there’s no guarantee it will be renewed with Telstra in 2032.

Telstra says its restructuring aims to put the company in better financial shape. But the announcement does not offer strong guidance on how Telstra plans to grow its business in coming years.

Telstra is facing increasing competition in a maturing market and its growth appears to be based primarily on expanding its customer base rather than introducing new products and services.

In the short term, Telstra continues to struggle to reduce costs at a time of what it calls “higher-than-expected inflation” and high energy costs.

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Home » Mobile

Telstra vs Optus Mobile: 5G, plans, coverage and value

We pit Australia’s two largest mobile network operators against each other.

• Telstra vs Optus: Quick verdict
• Telstra vs Optus: Which has the best coverage

Does Telstra or Optus have cheaper plans?

Telstra vs optus: which has the highest data mobile plan, telstra vs optus: which has the best customer service, telstra vs optus: phone plans.

• Telstra vs Optus: International roaming

Telstra vs Optus: Prepaid plans

Telstra vs optus faqs.

In the broadband arena, Telstra and Optus aren’t all that different. On the other hand, there’s a huge difference in value when it comes to the mobile and phone plans available from Australia's two biggest providers. BYO customers have a large suite of options from both providers but for our money, Optus offers better value when buying either a SIM-only plan or a new phone on a plan.

As for coverage, it’s a no-brainer. Telstra is the undefeated coverage champion in Australia and shows no signs of slowing down with the rollout of 5G. That said, Optus has been hot on Telstra’s heels over the years and can offer better value on a data-per-dollar basis.

Telstra and Optus are like the Godzilla and King Kong of Australian telcos. They've clashed plenty of times over the years, but it's easy to wonder if the two have more in common than they do apart.

If you're struggling to choose between Telstra and Optus, we can't blame you. However, we can offer some advice. Let's start with the pros and cons plus a round-up of the postpaid plans from each of the two providers, side-by-side:

Telstra vs Optus: Which has the best coverage?

There’s no question about it, Telstra is and always has been the leading Australian telco for mobile network coverage.

With 99.5% of the Australian population by Telstra’s 4G network and a dedication to delivering coverage in some of the most remote parts of Australia with its Blue Tick initiative , Telstra has always been the most reliable in terms of coverage. That’s why so many people in rural areas have been happy to pay the premium.

To be completely fair, Optus network still covers a whopping 98.5% of the Australian population. That doesn’t sound like much of a difference but when we’re talking about over 25 million Australians, it’s quite a large difference.

To get a sense of how the coverage of Telstra compares to that of its biggest rival, use the provider dropdown in the mobile coverage map below to compare the two.

Telstra vs Optus: 5G coverage

While the earliest and messiest days of the 5G network rollout are likely behind us, Telstra's first mover advantage remains more or less intact. A quick glance at the 5G coverage map below shows that Telstra has superior 5G coverage in most major cities and many regional areas. Telstra's 5G network now covers over 85% of the Australian population.

Optus has a decent 5G footprint too, now covering over 1.4 million homes. But if you use the dropdown in the map below to switch between the two providers, you'll see that Telstra has a significantly higher density of coverage in metropolitan areas.

Telstra vs Optus: MVNO coverage

When it comes to the MVNOs, Telstra and Optus do differ when it comes to much of their network they're willing to share.

Telstra customers have access to the carrier's entire network footprint, which covers 99.5% of the Australian population. Meanwhile, Telstra MVNOs like ALDI mobile use the Telstra Wholesale Network.

This skimmed-down version of Telstra's network reaches just 98.8% of the Australian population. That might not sound like a huge difference, but if you're in a rural area it can count for a lot. The one exception here is Boost Mobile , which does have access to the full Telstra network.

For a comparison of how Telstra's MVNO partners compare to its own in-house plans, check out the widget below.

In contrast, MVNOs on the Optus network have access to the exact same coverage footprint as Optus' own customers. This is great for consumers as it means they can look for the best deal without having to worry.

Check out the widget below for a round-up showing how Optus compares to Optus MVNOs using the same infrastructure when it comes to SIM-only and prepaid plans with at least 20GB of data.

Telstra vs Optus vs Vodafone coverage

Want to know how Vodafone stacks up against the big guns in terms of coverage? Visit our dedicated Telstra vs Optus vs Vodafone coverage guide for the full lowdown.

When it comes to these titanic telcos, working with a limited budget can be tough.

Cheap isn’t exactly the word you associate with either provider. For the sake of this match-up, let’s take a look at the cheapest SIM-only plans offered by both providers and what they include. It's worth noting that Telstra moved to an upfront payment system for its BYO SIM plans in 2021. Most of the inclusions remain the same, with a few small upgrades, but all Telstra SIM-only plans are now charged at the start of the month, rather than the end of your billing period.

The cheapest Optus SIM plan currently available will get you 30GB of data, unlimited standard calls and text. If you're using a compatible handset, you'll also get 5G everywhere that the Optus network offers it.

The cheapest Telstra SIM plan will get you 50GB of data, unlimited standard calls and text. It has 5G connectivity, but limited to speeds of 250Mbps. On paper, Telstra's next-generation network is capable of speeds as many as four times that figure. However, if you'll have to live within those limits if you want to take advantage of the biggest 5G network on a budget.

That said, the cheapest SIM-only plans are rarely the best value from any mobile provider. That’s just as true here as anywhere else. Both Telstra and Optus offer much better value SIM-only plans if you’re happy to pay even a fraction more.

Likewise,  there's even better value to be had (though only SpinTel , Southern Phone and Aussie Broadband offer 5G plans) if you're happy to go with a lesser-known provider on the Telstra or Optus network.

Telstra vs Vodafone mobile match-up

We pit Australia’s biggest mobile network (Telstra) against its third biggest (Vodafone).

Optus offers up to 360GB per month on its most expensive phone plan. It's a very pricey plan, but it does come with unlimited standard international calls and text to 35 selected destinations, and discounted access to Optus Sport subscription . You'll pay $6.99 per month instead of the $24.99 per month you're billed if you're not an Optus customer. 

Like Telstra, Optus no longer has excess data charges, switching to a more manageable endless data solution where your speeds are capped at 1.5Mbps when you exceed your monthly allowance. So even if you do go over your data with either provider, you won't get any unnecessary bill shock .

Telstra currently offers 180GB mobile data on its most expensive plan. It costs you a pretty penny but it also gets you unlimited standard calls and text plus a bagful of bonuses like free streaming subscriptions.

Of course, pricing, data and perks aren't the only considerations when tossing up between mobile providers. You also want to know any issues you may have will be sorted out quickly and easily, so customer service is an important factor to think about.

Australian telcos don't have the best reputation for customer service and satisfaction, and Telstra and Optus are actually two of the worst offenders. According to user-generated reviews website Product Review, Telstra has a meagre 1.4-star rating, while Optus has an even lower 1.3-star rating.

Based on those numbers alone, Telstra  just  comes out on top, but neither provider gets a full tick of approval from us for customer service.

It is of course remembering that user reviews aren't always the best way to judge a telco - most people aren't going to go out of the way to rave to write an online review unless they've had a particularly bad experience.

Telstra and Optus both offer the option to pay your phone off over 12, 24, or 36 months. 

Of course, the longer you contract for, the cheaper your monthly handset repayments will be. You'll end up paying roughly the same for your handset across all options but longer contracts and lower monthly payments will work for some, whereas others would rather pay more per month if it means shortening the contract period.

For this comparison, we've selected the Samsung Galaxy S23 5G 128GB 24-month contract.

With this particular plan and handset combination, Optus offers the lower starting price on a plan with 30GB per month, but a little extra will get you 20GB per month with Telstra. 

When it comes to overall value for other handsets, like the latest iPhone , Optus often pops up in our monthly picks for the best mobile phone plans in Australia.

It's also worth noting that you're only contracted to pay off the handset repayments. The plans themselves are technically month-to-month, so if you cancel there aren't any exorbitant cancellation fees, you just need to pay off the handset. That's why the total minimum cost for each plan seems so low, you're only obligated to pay for one month of service and the full cost of the handset.

For a better sense of how these plans compare to the rest of the market, let's take a look at some more popular Samsung Galaxy S23 128GB handset combinations from every other provider that offers that the device.

Optus vs Vodafone mobile match-up

We pit Australia’s second biggest mobile network (Optus) against its third biggest (Vodafone).

Telstra vs Optus: International roaming plans compared

Optus prepaid flex plus plan pricing.

Optus' prepaid Flex Plus plans start at $12 per week and go up to $320 per year. The idea here is that you can better scale and match the cost of your mobile data to your needs.

The big difference between Telstra and Optus prepaid plans is the way that international calls are handled.

Consumers who opt for a Flex Plus prepaid plan with 28-day expiry with international calls get unlimited calls to 20 countries. If you're keen to call a destination that isn't on that list or go with a prepaid plan that doesn't include international calls, then Optus sells a $5 add-on that gets you up to 300 minutes standard international talk to 50 selected destinations.

Telstra prepaid starter kit pricing

Telstra currently offers a wide range of prepaid plans, which go from as cheap as $12 to as much as $320.

New Telstra customers get to choose between seven different starter kits. Each of these plans comes with a boatload of bonus data up-front. However, that allowance will start to shrink following your third recharge. Check out the widget below for a no-nonsense breakdown of Telstra prepaid plans.

Returning existing Telstra customers have just as many options to choose from when it comes to prepaid recharge plans. There's a slight difference between the price you'll be paying for a starter kit versus the cost of recharging each month, as well as the inclusions that either gets you. In any case, check out the widget below for the full round-up of Telstra prepaid recharge plans .

Telstra prepaid recharge pricing

The one difference between these two categories of Telstra prepaid plans, aside from the amount of data included, is the number of international calls you get. For a full breakdown of how international inclusions vary across the Telstra prepaid plan range, check out the table below.

Telstra prepaid long expiry pricing

For those seeking a low-cost and long expiry option, there's the Telstra Prepaid Mobile Casual plan. This corner of the roster might not be enough for data hungry Aussies looking to make the most of the latest iPhone. Still, it might be a good option for younger (or older) consumers looking to rely on a feature phone like the Nokia 225 4G.

Hopping on board the bandwagon here will cost you a budget-friendly $35. The plan you get for that thrifty sum includes got six-month expiry but only 350MB of data, 80 minutes of talk, and 100 texts. That's not much to work with, but there are a few different options when it comes to topping up your data allowance as you go along.

As with the rest of the Telstra prepaid roster, the international inclusions for the prepaid casual plan change depending on how much you want to pay when it comes time to recharge. Check out the table below for a breakdown of the international inclusions for each of the plans listed in the widget above.

Telstra vs Optus: who has the best prepaid plans?

Like Telstra, Optus' best-value prepaid plans also tend to be reserved for new and online-only customers. Still, the widget below should give you a better idea of how the two providers compare when it comes to prepaid plans offering at least 30GB of data per month.

All that considered though, Telstra and Optus are rarely the best options when it comes to prepaid plans. There are plenty of cheaper providers that use the Optus and Telstra networks to power their own prepaid mobile services.

If you like the idea of saving some cash while keeping the same level of coverage, MVNOs are an option well worth considering. Here are the most popular prepaid plans on the Telstra and Optus networks this week that aren't available from either big provider.

Is Telstra better than Optus?

While Telstra has Optus beat when it comes to coverage, the different in network speeds isn't huge. If you care more about how much data you have to play with each month than how fast you get it, then there's a case to be made that Optus offers better value.

Is Telstra faster than Optus?

The speed of your mobile internet relies on a multitude of factors, including coverage, whether or not your plan includes 5G access, and even the make and model of your phone. Under controlled conditions, however, our friends at WhistleOut found that, when it comes to 5G speeds, Telstra tends to outperform Optus. That said, both regularly reach speeds in excess of 200Mbps, which should be more than enough for most users.

Who is the best mobile provider in Australia?

While we'd rate Telstra above Optus when it comes to network coverage and speed, it's hard to overlook the fact that you are paying a premium for those Telstra-specific perks.

Just because one provider has a bigger and better network doesn't necessarily make them the best mobile provider for every consumer out there. Depending on your circumstances or needs, the cost-savings afforded by Optus or another provider might make for a much better fit than the high price that Telstra's mobile plans command. As always, it's best to do your research before you decide.

Is Telstra more popular than Optus?

While popularity is a vague metric, Telstra does command a larger share of the Australian market than Optus does. That number might not reflect how Aussies feel about either telco, but it does suggest that Telstra is the more choice among consumers. 

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