The Best Telstra Network Providers That Aren’t Telstra

If you had to pick just one word to describe Telstra, it would probably be “expensive”. Big T might often be considered Australia’s best mobile network, but that privilege costs you a pretty penny. However, there are also plenty of smaller providers powered by Telstra, which can get you the coverage you crave without breaking the bank.

Here are some of our favourite Telstra-powered SIM-only plans that you can get right now from providers that aren’t Telstra.

You might not think of the fresh food people when it comes to phone plans, but Woolworths Mobile is an excellent value Telstra-powered provider. $40 per month will get you 40GB on a 12-month contract if you sign up before November 17. You’ll also get 10GB of bonus data every three months. Woolies’ postpaid plans have data banking, so you’re able to keep any unused data for a later date.

If you’d prefer a contract-free plan, it’s worth considering Boost Mobile. The telco’s $40 recharge gets you 30GB, plus a bonus 15GB on your first three recharges if you sign up before October 28. These are 28-day recharges, however, so you will need to top up 13 times per year.

Belong is another solid contract-free option. $40 per month gets you 30GB, as well as unlimited international talk and text to over 30 selected countries. Belong plans all come with data rollover, which means you can save any unused data for a later date. If you manage to build up a stash, you can always drop down to Belong’s $10 plan until you burn through your data bank.

You could also check out ALDI, who will do 18GB on a 30-day prepaid recharge for $25 (and $5 upfront). It’s one of the best value prepaid options on the Telstra network.

Boost is a solid option at the lower end of the pricing spectrum: $20 gets you 5GB on a 28-day recharge. This plan also gets you unlimited international talk and text to 20 selected destinations, and 100 standard minutes to another 35 destinations.

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