Telstra Mobile Review: Everything you need to know

Review was updated on 9 Mar 2021

Telstra is probably the first name that comes to mind when we think of mobile connection in Australia. The market leaders have been around for decades and have literally shaped modern telecommunications in Australia, helping us connect effortlessly whether we’re at home or on the move.

Telstra Mobile Review

Often, with great quality comes a big price tag. Telstra’s extensive coverage and comprehensive range of plans that come with a bunch of great extras are the most expensive in the telco market. It can be described as top of the range in mobile services that come with the works – amazing data speeds and a reliable network, making the extra cost worth it. There are over 18 million users activated on Telstra’s mobile plans across Australia, showing the value and the reach of Australia’s best-known telco.

Telstra’s mobile services are one of the most excellent in the country. And while you might pay a little more, those who value guaranteed quality don’t mind. Why would they when all plans come with unlimited talk and text and generous bonuses on top of the included data inclusions?

Plus there’s loads of exciting perks that are only exclusive to Telstra customers. Telstra’s network coverage spans 2.4 million square kilometres across Australia, particularly in regional areas, and has time and again proven to be a service provider that offers reliability and high quality service. At CompareTV we love a deep dive – and we’ve dived deeper than most. Read on to see if it’s worth adding another streaming service to your life.

What is Telstra Mobile?

Put simply, Telstra is the biggest and best-known for a reason. Telstra these days offers a lot of the same services as the other big boys like Vodafone and Optus, however, their lightning-fast data streaming and extensive coverage remains unchallenged.

Even though Telstra customer pays a premium for some of their elite offerings, the value they get out of their plans is well worth every penny. By signing up to Telstra Mobile, you’ll also get access to Telstra’s other services. In fact, nobody bundles better than Telstra – a fact many Telstra customers are well aware of!

What mobile plans are available?

Telstra has a comprehensive variety of mobile plans. It lives up to its reputation as a “full service” provider because it has everything from contracted plans with a new handset to SIM only postpaid and prepaid options.

Due to the number of plans available on Telstra, the options available on each of these plans can be both overwhelming and confusing. Telstra prepaid plans have 28-day expiry, 7-day and long term expiry options while postpaid plans have since gone month to month. To simplify these options, we have gone into a little more detail on the different types of plans

Does Telstra offer SIM only Pre-Paid plans?

If you already have a phone that you’re perfectly happy with and only need a SIM card to operate it, then Telstra’s SIM only plans will suit you. They are priced reasonably, offer generous amounts of data and come with unlimited talk and text.

Telstra mobile has many prepaid plans available to choose from. The decision to pick the plan that suits you is determinant on the way you use your phone. Whether you are a heavy data user who wants a lengthy top up expiry period or are travelling and need a small amount of data that is valid for the few days of your travel period, Telstra has a plan that will fit your need like a glove.

Telstra’s Pre-Paid Mobile plans start at $10 per 7 days for 2GB of data, ideal for short term visitors, and go up to $300 per year, for a whopping 150GB of data. In addition to unlimited calling and texts to standard Australian numbers, these plans also allow for international call minutes to selected countries namely Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, UK, USA, and Vietnam.

Telstra’s Pre-Paid Mobile Casual plans have a variety of long-expiry plans that costs from $20 per recharge. The cheapest recharge has a validity period of 45 days with capped data, calls and texts, plus international call minutes and texts while the highest-end plan costs $100 with 12 months expiry.

Does Telstra have Post-Paid Mobile plans?

If you’re after a new phone and a new plan, Telstra has all the latest phones available on 24-month repayment plans. There might be a handset fee associated with some phones, but typically the higher the plan you opt for, the lesser you will pay on top.

Telstra’s SIM only postpaid plans start with the $55 plan packing 40GB. For an additional $10 on the plan fee, that data increases to 80GB. For the higher-end plans, you can choose between $85 and $115 plans with 120GB and 180GB allowances, respectively.

What’s Telstra Upfront Mobile?

For new customers, Telstra has recently introduced their Upfront Mobile plans, designed for more convenience for those who want to avoid receiving bills each month. When you choose to settle your chosen plan upfront, you arrange automatic upfront monthly payments so you can say goodbye to email or paper bills.

There are also perks that come with this setup, including data sharing, unlimited SMS & MMS from Australia to all destinations, as well as 30 minutes of international calls. Other features included in the traditional postpaid plans are still available with the exception of free access to Telstra Air and calls and texts to premium numbers. However, more features will be introduced by Telstra in the coming months.

Does Telstra offer Unlimited Calls and Texts?

All of Telstra’s plans come with unlimited talk and text to standard Australian numbers. Some prepaid plans also come with international call minutes to selected countries. You can get international roaming via their International Day passes from $5 per day in New Zealand and $10 per day in over 70 countries. With this pass, you get unlimited calling and texting while roaming internationally plus 500MB of data per day, when activated outside of Australia.

Telstra Mobile features

Telstra has partnered with several entertainment entities to offer exciting extras on select plans. You can enjoy data free live streaming of AFLW and Australian Netball matches and receive data free streaming of Apple Music.

Customers can avail of more than one million free Telstra Air WiFi hotspots within Australia, further contributing to their data allowance conservation, to do more with their plan. For customers who want all the bells and whistles with their mobile plan, these entertainment extras are great value for a reasonable monthly price. However, with the new Telstra Upfront arrangement, the access to Telstra Air is no longer available.

Still, Telstra Mobile offers BINGE streaming free for 3 months when you sign up to any of their postpaid plans. The offer has been extended this year and exclusive to Telstra customers only. For more streaming, one month of Foxtel Now and access to all its channel packs is currently offered as well. Customers can avail until 30 June 2021.

Telstra Plus Loyalty Scheme

Then there’s Telstra Plus, Telstra’s excellent loyalty scheme. The main difference between Telstra Plus and other bonus programs is that it’s structured more like credit card rewards. At the moment, joining Telstra Plus is open to anyone with a personal Telstra service – mobile phone, home phone, broadband or any combination of those; business customers can’t join at the moment, but Telstra says the scheme will expand to cover small and medium business account holders in the future.

You can sign up for Telstra Plus simply by logging into your Telstra account on Telstra’s website or using the Telstra 24×7 app on your phone or tablet. Follow the prompts to enrol your account in Telstra Plus, and from that moment on you’ll be earning rewards points on every dollar you spend on a Telstra product. Getting a Telstra mobile plan (with the exception of the 40GBplan) also gets you to fast-track your rewards so that you earn 50% more points.

Awards and Recognition

As the largest mobile network in Australia, Telstra has always been lauded for their extensive coverage, faster speeds, and greater reliability. And while their products and services have long been considered pricier than other similar offerings, they’ve also been making great efforts to make their mobile plans more accessible even to the budget-conscious customers. More recently, the telco has revamped their mobile plans so that they pack heftier value. In the end, all is fair and square when you get your money’s worth.

How to Contact Telstra Mobile

Telstra Mobile customer support team is reachable at any time of the day or night via their 24/7 Live Chat, available on their web site and through the free Telstra 24/7 app available for iOS and Android devices. If you’d prefer to speak to a Telstra Mobile customer service team member, you can call toll-free on 13 22 00.

Telstra Mobile Summary

Telstra is a trusted name in telecommunications because their customers are at the heart of their business. Their unmatched network has nearly all of Australia covered and they are the best performing network in the country. Whether you want a new phone with a contract or post-paid plan with your existing one, Telstra’s got your back. You can enjoy Telstra’s legendary data speeds and thorough network coverage uninhibited and worry free.