Compare Mobile Plans & Providers

With the explosive growth of mobile technology, Australians now have more choice than ever when it comes to choosing a mobile provider. You can text and call almost anywhere with a strong enough signal. However, it still pays to know that you are getting the best connection available for the best price. But it’s not just calls and SMS. Smartphones, tablets, and even laptops can all connect to mobile towers across the country. Not to mention wireless broadband dongles that connect all your devices to the mobile network. With 4G connections available in every major city, there has never been a better time to take your internet with you.

However, such a range of choice brings with it a level of complexity. The vast range of options can make it hard to find the mobile plans that suit your needs. Do you want to make voice calls? Send text messages via SMS? How many minutes and messages? Do you want the freedom that comes with having an unlimited plan, letting you make calls and send messages at will? OR would you prefer to cap these amounts in order to save money? Then there’s the matter of mobile data. Are you content with receiving a small amount each month to check emails and do a bit of light browsing? Or would you prefer to upgrade your plan to receive more mobile data? There are even mobile plans that now offer unlimited data – a first in Australia. But is this worth the cost?

Taking all of these factors into account can be tough. While you may know your own mobile habits, finding a plan that fits them well can still be a struggle. Researching each provider for their best deals can take time. On the other hand, your habits may change as new options and plans become available. With this in mind, it’s easy to see how it can be hard to know that you are getting the best deal on your mobile plans – no matter how you’re using them. The question is, how did we arrive at the point where mobile phone plans became so complicated? How did we go from a time where each household had one phone number that you could look up in a directory, to the country having more mobile phone accounts that there are people? And what can we do to help streamline our choices when it comes to picking a mobile plan that suits our needs?

In the process of selecting a mobile plan (or plans) that suit your needs, it pays to keep a few factors in mind. While it may be tempting to go for the cheapest plan to save money or an unlimited plan to get a no-worries mobile experience, the middle ground is where you may find the most value.

As an example, say you have an old-school dumbphone, a tablet that does WiFi, and an older laptop that doesn’t have a slot for a SIM card. If you make a lot of calls, it may be tempting to just go for a plan that offers unlimited calls and text, while foregoing data altogether. However, you could choose to get two plans – one for the phone and one for a wireless dongle that connects your devices to the internet while you’re out and about. Another example might be that you are working full-time, spend a good portion of your day either at work or travelling between home and the office. It may be tempting to just get a mobile plan that offers a reasonable amount of calls and texts, with a few gigabytes of data on top each month. However, if you also have a family at home (or are really close with your housemates) then you might want to explore the value offered in a bundle that gives you a home phone, broadband and mobile on a single plan. This not only gives you access to more modern essentials at home, but it could end up saving you money in the long run. If you’re a Senior looking for a mobile plan on a fixed income, flexibility and cost might be your biggest concern.

No two people are exactly alike, and your mobile needs might not be the same as others. Your circumstances and how you use your mobile phone may call for a quick examination of what’s on offer with each provider.

The best way to judge the value of a mobile plan is via a first-hand experience. As it happens, a lot of plans offer either a 30-day opt-out period or month-to-month contracts that let you shop around. Whether you want plain calls and text and just want to check out the reception in your area, or you want to see how the perks on offer really stack up, you’re sure to find a plan that meets your needs.

With this in mind, here’s a quick selection of the kinds of mobile bundles you can expect to see. All you need to do is pick the plan that’s the right fit for you!