5 Obscure Telcos That Are Actually Worth Joining

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When you’re looking for a new phone plan, you probably only think about the ‘Big Three’: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. However, they are far from your only options. Here are five killer plans from telcos you’ve probably never heard of.

There’s plenty of small providers – Mobile Virtual Network Operators, or MVNOS – who resell access to the same phone networks, but often at a cheaper price. Since MVNOs typically have lower overheads, smaller marketing budgets, and don’t often range handsets, they’re able to offer the same basic products as the big brand telcos for less.

Since everyone loves saving money, here’s five of our favourite SIM-only plans from some of Australia’s smaller providers.

SpinTel

If you don’t need a truckload of data and don’t want to sign a contract, this offer from SpinTel is a great option. $19.95 per month gets you 5GB of data and unlimited talk and text. And for a limited time, SpinTel will waive its $10 activation fee.

SpinTel is powered by the Optus 4G network.

Belong

Got friends or family overseas? Belong’s $30 plan comes with generous international inclusions, with unlimited talk and text to 36 select countries. These include Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK, and the USA, to name just a few.

You’ll also get 5GB of data each month, and unlimited talk and text.

Belong is powered by the Telstra 4G network.

Think Mobile

After oodles of data for a reasonable price? Think Mobile is serving up 20GB for $30 per month, complete with unlimited talk and text. You will however have to commit to a 12-month contract to get this deal.

Think Mobile is powered by the Vodafone 4G network.

TPG

Okay, TPG isn’t ‘obscure’ but the company is better known for its broadband services which just about justifies the inclusion. (Don’t @ me, TPG.) If you’re a bit of a commitment-phobe, you may want to consider the offering above. $15 per month will get you 10GB and unlimited talk and text for your first six months – provided you’re a new customer. If you make it through your six months, you’ll be billed $29.99 per month thereafter. However, since TPG’s plans are all prepaid, you can leave whenever you want.

TPG is powered by the Vodafone 4G network.

Vaya

Need more data? Vaya will do 30GB for $44 per month, which is one of the largest allowances available when it comes to no-contract SIM-only plans. The plan is pretty simple otherwise, but does come with the requisite unlimited talk and text.

Vaya is powered by the Optus 4G network.


Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website. He’s now had far too many phone plan related dreams.

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