The Best Mobile SIM Alternatives To Telstra, Optus And Vodafone

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The data wars have seemingly reached a cease-fire. At the start of this year, providers were in a veritable arms race over data inclusions with a spate of killer deals. Unfortunately, recent plan changes on Optus, Telstra and Vodafone have seen data prices go up, rather than down.

If you’re looking for a SIM-only plan with a decent allowance on the big three, you’ll have to spend at least $39 per month for 10GB. That’s a far cry from the 40GB for $40 Optus was offering just weeks ago, or Vodafone’s recent 30GB for $35 promo SIM.

But if you’re happy to look further than the big brands, there’s still plenty of bargains to bag. Here are five options worth considering.

amaysim

amaysim recently refreshed its range of plans with some great options, but the clear standout is the telco’s new $30 recharge, which gets you 30GB on a 28-day expiry. You’ll also get unlimited standard international calls to 10 countries. If you’re after a no-contract plan around the $30 mark, it’s hard to do better. amaysim is also powered by the Optus network.

Belong

Telstra’s budget brand Belong tends to undercut its mainline offers in a pretty big way. For example, $25 per month gets you 10GB on a no-contract Belong plan, whereas you’d pay $49 per month for 15GB on Telstra proper.

Belong plans all come with data rollover, which means you can save any unused data for a later date. If you manage to stockpile a good chunk of data and want to save money, you can always drop down to Belong’s $10 plan until you burn through your data bank.

Woolworths Mobile

If you’re after more data, Woolies has you covered. You can currently get 40GB for $40 per month on a 12-month contract, with an additional 10GB of bonus data every three months if you sign up before August 25. Woolworths Mobile also offers data banking, allowing you to store up to 100GB of unused data for a rainy day. Woolworths Mobile is powered by the Telstra network.

Jeenee Mobile

Jeenee Mobile has one of the best value plans around right now, full stop. $19.90 per month gets you 15GB of unlimited talk and text on a 12-month contract, as long as you sign-up before the end of August. However, you will have to pay a setup fee of $12.37 to get started. Jeenee Mobile is powered by the Optus network.

Exetel


If you’re just after a cheap plan, Exetel is great choice. $8.99 per month gets you 2GB on a no-contract plan. For comparison, Optus currently wants $40 per month for just 3GB if you’re not happy to commit to at least a year. Exetel is powered by the Optus network.

Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.

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