Southern Phone Review: Everything you need to know


Summary

Our Verdict

Southern Phone Mobile


With plenty of experience at servicing the farthest-flung areas of the country, Southern Phone offers flexible and well-priced plans

 
Overall 87%
Plans
Extras
Value

Review was updated on 26 Feb 2021

The development of the mobile industry in recent years has shown first-hand the benefits competition can bring to customers. Most of these benefits however are for customers in the city, while Aussies in rural and regional areas can be left behind. Southern Phone Mobile could be the solution.

Southern Phone Mobile Review

Southern Phone was created in the knowledge that while Australia’s cities are benefiting from some serious tech investment – as well as plenty of new competition – the same can’t be said for non-urban areas. Competition generally works out well for customers, and that has certainly been the case in a mobile industry which has seen prices drop and value rise significantly in recent years.

If you happen to live in a rural area of this huge country, however, the story hasn’t been quite as positive, with options much more limited and expensive. Southern Phone looks to change that, offering a range of services aimed at people across the entire country, not just in the major cities. Southern Phone’s mobile deals offer unmatched coverage and high quality streaming at very reasonable prices. So should you hitch your colours to the Southern Phone wagon? Is it right for you? We’ve gone through their offerings to find out everything you need to know about Southern Phone. Read on to find out what we’ve discovered.

What’s In this Review

What is Southern Phone?

Southern Phone was formed back 2002 after the government at the time set up a scheme called Networking the Nation. A quarter-billion-dollar fund designed to help grow telecommunications in regional areas, it allowed Southern Phone to get started with a unique charter.

Nowadays, they are an established telco company that offers a wide range of service all around the country, and their ability to offer competitive prices in regional areas makes them a popular choice for those living in rural Australia.

What mobile plans are available?

Southern Phone Mobile gives you the ability to choose between a month-to-month contract or a 12-month plan, meaning you can select a plan that suits your needs. Want the flexibility to leave when you want without any extra fees? Or are you happy to commit for a year long period, and make the most of the extra value that comes with a 12-month contract? Either way, Southern Phone Mobile has you covered.

This year, Southern Phone chose to retire the 12-month plans to focus on providing flexible, month-to-month options to their customers, leaving only four SIM-only plans with no lock-in contract.

Does Southern Phone offer SIM Only Mobile Plans?

Southern Phone Mobile’s range of SIM only plans is comprehensive and reliable since they’re on the Optus 3G/4G network.

At the entry-level end of the spectrum are Small plan, which offer unlimited calls and texts and 2.5GB of data. At the other end of the scale, you can get a huge 60GB of data to go with unlimited calls and texts at $45/month.

Last audited 8th of May 2023

What about Unlimited Calls and Texts?

With Southern Phone Mobile, you never have to worry about exceeding your call or text allowance again. Each and every one of their plans – be it big or small – offers unlimited calls and texts to Australian mobiles and landlines. Combined with whatever data inclusion you opt for and for as little as $12.99/month, this represents great value. Select mobile plans also include international call credits ranging from $50 to $500.

Southern Phone features

While Southern Phone Mobile has some great SIM-only deals, they’re also one of the few providers out there who still offer handset-included plans. From budget phones which tend to be more on the entry-level (like the Nokia 2720 flip phone) to the full range of Samsung Galaxy smartphones, Southern Phone has them on offer. They’re also all available either via an outright fee, or through smaller monthly payments.

Which Network Does Southern Phone use?

Southern Phone’s service uses the Optus 3G/4G network, which covers 98.5% of the Australian population, so you’ll likely be covered wherever you may be. If, for whatever reason, you have a particular affinity for one network over the other, the choice is there for you to sign up with one of their plans.

What are Southern Phone Mobile’s Best Features?

  • Runs on the Optus 3G/4G network
  • Choose from month-to-month plans
  • Unlimited national calls & texts across all plans
  • Newly increased data allowances
  • International call credits on select plans
  • Mobile plan and home phone bundling available

How to Contact Southern Phone Mobile

You can contact the Southern Phone Mobile customer service team on the following number – 13 14 64 from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. You can also head to their web site to chat online when it’s most convenient to you, or grab their app for iOS and Android for a huge range of account utilities and a direct link to customer service.

Southern Phone logo

Southern Phone Mobile will be happy to help you with:

  • Looking to join Southern Phone Mobile
  • New account enquiries
  • Technical support
  • Plan changes
  • All other Southern Phone services

Southern Phone Summary

Southern Phone Mobile ensures that everybody in the country can get a dependable mobile service – but they’ve also got great deals for people in urban areas. Southern Phone Mobile looks after everyone. Though catering specifically to rural populations, the range of great plans Southern Phone offers on Australia’s two biggest networks mean that anyone, whether part of the urban or rural population, can benefit from signing up.

The Good

  • Incredibly cheap entry level plans.
  • Runs on the Optus network.

The Gotchas

  • Low data allowance on cheaper plans.
  • Plan options are now down to only four.

What people are asking about Southern Phone

Who Owns Southern Phone?

Throughout its history, Southern Phone has been a company owned by local councils of many of the communities it operates in. In December 2019, it was purchased by AGL Energy and is now a 100% owned subsidiary of that company.

Which Network Does Southern Phone Use?

Aside from using the NBN for its broadband services, Southern Phone uses the Optus 4G Plus network for all its mobile phone voice and data services.

How Do I Contact Southern Phone?

If you’ve got access to the internet handy, you can pop onto Southern Phone’s web site (or use their free smartphone app) and live chat with one of their support team, or send a detailed message and get a response back via email. If you’d rather speak to a human, you can call them on 13 14 64 from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

How Do I Know if Southern Phone Internet is Down?

If you’re having connection issues with your internet, the first thing to do is to power off your modem, wait 30 seconds, turn it back on then wait a minute or two. If you’re still not connected, get in touch with Southern Phone’s tech support people on 13 14 64 (8am to 8pm) and they’ll be able to check your connection from their end, as well as letting you know if there’s a more widespread outage of any kind.