3 Reasons You Should Use the COVID Lockdown to Review Your Phone Plan

3 Reasons You Should Use the COVID Lockdown to Review Your Phone Plan

The coronavirus pandemic is still affecting our lives

Australia’s first confirmed coronavirus case surfaced back in January. Those nine months seem like such a long time ago, but we’re still fighting against the virus today. Several states and territories are still on lock down and/or other forms of restriction, from NSW to South Australia, ACT and beyond.

Current estimates of COVID-19 cases in Australia

Current estimates of COVID-19 cases in Australia. src

Measures taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus have slowed down the economy significantly. Australians have been bound to their homes in the name of social distancing. Those who are fortunate enough to still have jobs perform their duties from home. Others just stay home regardless, away from family and friends to keep COVID-19 at bay.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. With the coronavirus pandemic changing the way we do things, perhaps we should include our phone plans in those changes as well.

3 reasons to review your phone plan during COVID-19 restrictions

We now have the time, the economy isn’t great, and we’re spending less and less as a result, so reviewing our phone plans now to get better deals might be the best idea:

1. Lock downs give you a lot more time on your hands

We’re still faced with restrictions in some areas. Melbourne has experienced some of the strictest restrictions, remaining in Stage 4 even as late as September. Recent news suggests Melbourne’s restrictions will be eased this month, but some of them still remain, meaning many Australians will still have to stay home.

Staying home leaves you a lot of time on your hands, so now is the perfect time to do all the jobs you didn’t want to. Reviewing your phone plan should be on top of the list.

There are a lot of new phone plans out there, and many more on the way. Just this year alone:

  • We’ve seen the merger between Vodafone and TPG get finalized, meaning you can expect new mobile plan deals and offers from the newly formed TPG Telecom.
  • We’ve also seen the 5G rollout expand, with Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone becoming clearer about their 5G phone plans.
  • We’ve seen MVNOs finally get 5G, as Optus opens up their mobile 5G network as well as their fixed home wireless 5G network to smaller telcos.
  • We’ve also seen new MVNOs plan their launch, such as Felix Mobile, the first mobile service to operate on 100% renewable energy, rumoured to eventually offer a mobile plan with unlimited data capped at 5Mbps.

There has been a lot of telco news, even as Australia struggles with COVID-19. These are just a few places to start as you make use of the time you have on your hands to review your phone plan.

2. Looming recession

The measures taken to stem the spread of the coronavirus don’t only affect you, they affect the economy as a whole. Australia was already bracing for the possibility of an economic downturn prior to COVID-19, and so the pandemic made a recession even more likely.

Morgan Stanley economists and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. have already declared a global recession as the COVID-19 pandemic shuts down entire industries in several countries. Thus, Australia is not alone.

With a possible recession just around the corner, now is a good time to shop around for some bargain phone plans. Check out the best phone plans for a recession.

3. Australians are spending less after COVID, so why not cut down on your phone bill?

With COVID-19 changing the way we live, Australians have already begun to spend less. Consumers are bracing for the economic impacts of the coronavirus to last for over a year, and are spending accordingly.

Over 70% of Australians expect COVID-19 economic impact to last over a year

Over 70% of Australians expect COVID-19 economic impact to last over a year. src

People have been reviewing their mortgages and refinancing them, and even spending less at supermarkets. Doing the same with your phone plan is a great idea.

Start with value-driven deals to find the best plan for you. You can start by asking your self some questions to determine what you really need. For instance, do you really need entertainment inclusions on your phone plan? Do you really need international calls and SMS on your phone plan?

The best value-driven deals are from MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators). These smaller telcos offer straightforward plans that usually do away with the extras. You’ll find some cheap mobile plans on their lineups, and they use the same networks as the major telcos so your service will remain great.

Bottom line

COVID-19 will eventually go away, but it’s still in Australia right now. The restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the virus have changed the way we live and damaged the economy. With so much time on your hands, this is a great time to review your phone plan to save some much needed dollars as the economic downturn continues.