Felix Unlimited Data SIM Only plan
Felix Mobile is TPG Telecom’s new sub-brand telco that resells the Vodafone network. The new telco is unique for a number of reasons, including the fact that they offer three (3) prepaid SIM only plans and they’ve made an environmentally friendly pledge to plant one tree every month should you remain a customer.
But perhaps the most unique feature about Felix is that it offers unlimited data. This makes Felix the only one to offer unlimited mobile data at speeds of up to 20Mbps.
When you hear about a telco that offers unlimited mobile data in a SIM plan, it becomes a major selling point because we haven’t seen such a plan in Australia in over a long period.
But can you replace your broadband plan with Felix’ unlimited data plan? We’ve researched the facts to figure out if that’s a good idea or not. Read on to find out.
Top Alternatives SIM Only Plans to Felix
Felix 20Mbps speed cap
Although Felix offers a SIM plan with unlimited mobile data, they cap your download speeds at 20Mbps so you can’t go any faster than that. However, 20Mbps is actually quite fast – you can even stream HD videos comfortably.
With the Felix 20Mbps speed cap, you can compare their plan to the lowest NBN speed tier, which offers download speeds of 25Mbps during peak hours (7PM to 11PM). Of course your NBN plan could browse at faster speeds, but 25Mbps is what to expect when the network is congested.
But Felix Unlimited data plan costs only $40 per month, while the lowest tier NBN plan costs around $45. Because the speed difference isn’t that much, we can actually say that the Felix unlimited data plan presents great value for the money.
Felix also allows customers to tether other devices to a mobile hotspot that uses their SIM plan. Since the plan includes unlimited data, you might be wondering if to simply replace your broadband plan with Felix unlimited data plan. The answer depends entirely on your needs, but we’ll give you some points to consider before making a decision.
Should your Felix unlimited data plan replace your fixed home broadband plan?
Both fixed wired and wireless 5G broadband plans are specifically made for the home. They come with a dedicated modem and/or router that sends WiFi signals throughout the home so that multiple devices in your home or office can connect to the Internet using just one broadband plan.
You can create a similar WiFi signal through your smartphone by launching a mobile hotspot. Your mobile hotspot shares your SIM plan’s mobile data, so that other devices can connect to the Internet using your plan – this is called tethering.
Felix is no different when it comes to tethering – their plan can serve as an internet hotspot for other devices to connect to the web. And because that plan includes unlimited data, it might seem like a logical substitute for a fixed home broadband plan. But that might not be such a great idea.
Because Felix caps download speeds at 20Mbps, your internet experience can only handle so much on such a plan. If you’re using the plan on your smartphone alone, you won’t have too many problems – you should be able to stream and browse very comfortably. However, if you have multiple devices tethered to that plan (as you would with a typical broadband plan), the Felix 20Mbps speed cap will begin to experience some hiccups – slower speeds with each newly tethered device that’s sharing your mobile data with you.
The reasons behind this are centred on the types of devices that are typically connected to a home broadband network. Mostly, these include larger devices like computers and smart televisions. Such devices use a lot more data than smartphones, so they require more bandwidth and speeds.
With that in mind, the Felix Unlimited data plan will likely fall flat on its face as it is used in place of a fixed home broadband plan. However, if all you plan on doing is tethering 1 or 2 other mobile devices to your Felix plan, then you won’t experience too much of a difference in network performance.
Also keep in mind that while Felix allows customers to use their plan as a mobile hotspot for other devices to tether, their fair usage policy applies. Felix Mobile’s fair usage policy prohibits tethering devices that belong to others (for instance, your friends, family, colleagues, and so on). If you violate their fair usage policy, Felix reserves the right to terminate or suspend your account, or limit your service or any features for whatever period of time that they deem reasonable.
Bottom Line
The short answer is that we recommend that you do not replace your fixed broadband / NBN connection with Felix Unlimited data plan unless you only plan on sharing your mobile hotspot with very few devices that belong to you.
Consider realistic scenarios in which you would use your mobile. You’re going to be outside the house for at least some of the normal days of your life. What happens to the digital TV shows you want to record when you’re out? You won’t be able to record them because your home network isn’t running – instead, it’s out there with you.
Additionally, 20Mbps is fit for purpose – connecting a single individual with their mobile to the internet. Such a speed cap may not be enough to stream multiple video connections from your device (for example a couple of kids home schooling, while others are streaming HD movies on the smart TV).
In short, I have seriously considered doing this myself and decided not to do it. It seems like a useful shortcut, but in practical applications, it just probably would not be as smart a solution as you might initially think it is.