AGL Plan
Review and Comparison
- Use the Optus 4G and 5G Network
- Discounts for AGL Energy Customer
Frequently Asked Questions About AGL
Who are AGL Mobile’s plans best suited for?
If the following describes you, AGL Mobile is worth considering.
- Have a 4/5G Enabled Phone.
- Already use AGL Energy.
- You don’t need unlimited data.
- You Don’t make too many international calls.
- Are happy to keep your current phone.
How to activate an AGL SIM Card.
Wait for a couple of days for your SIM Card to arrive.
- If you’re happy to get a new number, insert your SIM in your device and wait for the SMS confirmation. This should happen automatically, but it can take a few days.
- If you want to transfer your old number log in to “AGL: My Account” and follow the onscreen instructions to transfer your number. Keep your old SIM in your phone until the process is complete. Speak to customer services if something needs fixing.
What Additional fees does AGL Mobile charge?
- $20 for a SIM replacement.
- $8 Port Out fee- if you wish to transfer your number to a new provider.
- $1.75 paper bill pee- to encourage your bills to be sent to you online.
- $10 late payment fee.
What sorts of plans does AGL offer?
AGL offers both 4G and 5G plans. Some of which have limited international call credit included.
Does an AGL mobile SIM work in New Zealand?
We’re afraid not. All the mobile data on your AGL mobile plan can only be used in Australia. AGL mobile gives no information about data roaming charges on their website.
How much does shipping cost for an AGL SIM card?
Shipping of the initial SIM card is free. However, if you need a replacement SIM card, it will cost $20.
Is AGL Mobile really carbon neutral?
That’s debatable. AGL does have a “carbon neutral certificate” from “Climate Activate.” But, environmentalist groups say this is just greenwashing.
What network does AGL use?
AGL mobile is on the Optus network. Therefore, AGL mobile customers can access the fastest 5G network in Australia.
Those on one of AGL’s 4G plans can still use Optus’ full 4G network, which covers 99% of Australia.
What doesn’t AGL Mobile Offer?
- Data Banking
- Recharges
- Long-term plans.
- Short-term (1-day/1-week Plans)
How do I cancel my AGL Mobile plan?
There is no cancellation fee, but outstanding charges will apply. Speak to a customer service representative if you wish to cancel your plan.
How can I check my usage?
To check your data usage, it’s best to download the AGL app. On the app, just click “overview”, and scroll until you see your data usage.
Will my AGL mobile plan come with a handset?
No. You will need to find your own handset. Be sure that your handset is either 4G or 5G enabled- depending on which plan you have chosen.
What's good
- Full Optus network coverage
- You can use it with any (4G enabled) phone
- AGL Energy customers get a discount
- No lock-in contract
What's bad
- Costs $20 for a replacement SIM card
- They don't offer long-term, 1-day/1-week plans or recharges
AGL Mobile Review
AGL, Australian Gas Light Company, is one of the biggest energy providers in Australia. It might seem odd that a phone plan comparison site is talking about such a company, or at least it would be if they hadn’t recently realized their own telco!
This article will look at the benefits of AGL mobile. But we’ll also help you to decide whether getting an AGL SIM is worth your money or if the whole thing is just a marketing ploy to get you to use their energy.
Key Aspects of AGL Mobile
- All their plans are postpaid SIM Only.
- AGL Mobile customers can access the Optus 3G, 4G Plus and 5G networks.
- According to OpenSignal, this network is the fastest in Australia for Download Speeds.
- They have a “Carbon Neutral” certificate from Climate Activate.
- There is no lock-in contract. You can leave anytime.
- Like most other phone companies, all plans give you unlimited calls and texts.
- You will automatically be charged $10 for every 1GB of data you go over.
- Save $5 a month if you use AGL Energy.
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Telcos and Energy suppliers are both seen as utility companies
These days, having a mobile phone is not seen as the optional service that it was 20 or even ten years ago. Day-to-day life would be far more difficult for most people if they didn’t have access to their mobile phones.
Much like energy, Australians see mobile phone plans as a utility. Most people don’t give much thought when they are working as they should, but we still expect them to work 24/7. And we become incredibly annoyed when they don’t.
Therefore, it’s little surprise that AGL, one of the biggest energy suppliers in Australia, has launched its own Telco.
Why AGL Mobile could be wise for AGL Energy Customers
As mentioned earlier, AGL energy customers will benefit more than most from using AGL Mobile as their Telco.
Firstly, because it will be more convenient. By getting their phone and energy bills from the same supplier, they can manage them with the same account and even get a discount on the phone plan. It prevents people from needing to shop around for a phone plan. AGL Energy customers get a $5 discount on AGL Mobile.
However, leaving AGL energy might be more difficult if your phone plan is connected to your energy supplier. If an AGL mobile customer leaves AGL energy, their phone bill will rise by $5 monthly.
AGL Mobile Plans
All of AGL’s mobile plans are part of the Optus Network, enabling customers to take full advantage of the same network that Optus customers regularly pay a lot more for. The way AGL’s plans work is that you can decide whether you want a 4G or 5G plan and also the size of the plan. At the time of my writing this, their 4G plans come in Extra Small, Small, Medium, and Large. And their 5G plans are Small, Medium, and Large.
Although 5G is faster than 4G, it might not be worth the extra cost, as not everywhere in Australia has 5G coverage, and it requires you to have a 5G-enabled device already. 4G is more than fast enough to meet the needs of most mobile phone users.
AGL’s mobile plans are always cheaper for those who are already AGL energy customers, who get their phone plans for $5 a month cheaper than non-AGL customers (and $5 cheaper than that for the first six months).
For many people, having their phone plan and energy bills from the same company can also be beneficial, as it’s often convenient to get multiple services from the same provider.
However, should someone decide to leave AGL energy, doing so could be more difficult if their phone plan is also linked to them, suggesting that AGL mobile could be one of AGL’s ways of retaining customers.
Inclusions
International Calls
Customers get a set amount of credit to spend on international calls for the medium and large 4G plans and all the 5G plans. This credit does not cost extra, but charges apply if you spend more than your credit.
Should you use more international minutes than your plan gives you credit for, AGL’s pay-as-you-go rates will apply.
These rates vary massively, depending on which country you’re calling. The cheapest is the USA, at $0.29 per minute. And the most expensive is Antarctica, at $9.92 per minute. Although, we’re not sure why anyone would make a phone call to Antarctica.
Data
Speaking of “pay as you go,” AGL charges $10 for every 1GB of data you overuse. Let’s illustrate this with an example.
Let’s say you use the “4G Small plan”, and you’re an AGL Energy customer. But, one month, you use 17GB (2GB more than your plan gives you) of data. Here is an itemized bill for that month.
- Plan Cost: $10
- 1GB Extra ($10) x 2: $20
- Total Cost: $30
National Calls and Texts
Included in all of AGL mobile’s plans are unlimited SMS and minutes to other phones in Australia. And, if you don’t like your plan, you can cancel or change it after one month.
Benefits of AGL Mobile
Full Optus Coverage.
Optus is one of Australia’s Tier 1 Telcos. They own the infrastructure and frequencies that many use for their 4G and 5G internet. Smaller MVNOs, such as AGL, buy bulk access to this internet and sell it to their customers.
Optus has been awarded the “fastest 5G in Australia” by the company “Open Signal”; if you’re after fast internet, AGL is worth considering. Best of all, this internet is much cheaper when you buy it through an MVNO.
So, an AGL Mobile customer and an Optus customer will have access to the same 4/5G internet, but the former will save a lot of money.
You can use any 4G Phone.
So long as your phone is 4G enabled, you can use it with an AGL SIM card. If you want to use one of AGL’s 5G plans, you will need a 5G-enabled phone. But it doesn’t matter if you’re using the latest phone that came out yesterday, a second-hand one from eBay, or a hand-me-down from a family or friend. Whichever phone you prefer is the best phone to use.
AGL Energy Customers get a discount.
As mentioned (quite a lot), if you use AGL energy to power your home, you can get a discount on AGL Mobile. For their 4G plans, you can get a big discount for the first six months. But, afterward, all AGL Energy customers get a $5 discount every month.
No lock-in contract
AGL mobile provides postpaid SIM-only plans, which provide both affordability and flexibility. Each month, you pay the set amount for your chosen plan. But, if you decide that you want to either cancel or change the plan, there is no fee; you just need to tell AGL, and someone will sort it for you.
Customer Service Support and Charges
Although some customers are unhappy with AGL’s customer service, the general consensus is that the staff are helpful and know what they’re doing.
If you have a problem or are struggling with canceling or changing your plan, you can talk to someone via Live Chat, AGL App, Phone, or social media. Although most people can do most tasks without help, people will be there to support you if something goes wrong.
Additional Fees
In addition to the plan fee, AGL customers may incur additional costs. This section will look at the extra fees that AGL mobile customers need to be careful to avoid.
SIM Replacement fee- $20
This is unjustified. The cost of creating a physical SIM card is around $0.10. Even when you account for the cost of delivery and adding an old phone number to a new SIM card, the total doesn’t come close to $20.
AGL Mobile customers need to be extra careful not to lose their mobile devices. Should someone leave their phone behind in a public place or have it stolen, they will need to pay $20 if they wish to keep their current AGL number, as well as however much their replacement phone is.
Port Out Fee- $8
Customers who wish to leave AGL mobile but keep their phone number will need to pay $8 to port their number to a different Telco. This is likely because porting a number out does cost the Telco and is in line with what other Telcos charge.
Paper Bill- $1.75
Printing out paper bills and sending them to customers costs AGL money and is bad for the environment. So, to encourage people to opt for digital bills instead, AGL charges a small fee for customers who wish to receive their phone bills on paper.
Late Payment- $10
If an AGL mobile customer misses a payment, the late payment fee is $10. This is likely because AGL needs to pay their data supplier (Optus) and will owe extra money if they don’t pay their bills on time. The late payment charge would therefore be AGL passing their late payment bill to Optus onto the customer.
AGL's Network
AGL uses the Optus network. Those who use AGL mobile have the same 4G and 5G services as those with Optus. The difference is that AGL customers pay a lot less.
The Optus network is great because it’s the fastest 5G network in the country and supplies 5G to 1.4 million homes.
Even if you don’t have a 5G phone, Optus’ 4G also covers 97.35% of Australians, including 700 regional towns. So, wherever you go, you’ll almost certainly get a signal.
How to activate your AGL SIM
It shouldn’t take more than three days to arrive at your door when you first order it online.
If you’re happy with a new number, you don’t need to do anything. Just insert the SIM into your phone, and wait for SMS confirmation. This will usually be ready when your SIM arrives, but it can take a couple more days.
If you want to keep your old number, Log in to “AGL: My Account” and follow the onscreen instructions to activate it. AGL advises keeping your old SIM in your phone until it stops working before putting your new AGL sim inside.
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AGL is taking a considerable risk by launching its own Telco.
Although energy companies and telcos are both seen as utilities, the infrastructure and technical knowledge of how to run each of them are vastly different. Whether or not AGL, which has made a name for itself as an energy company, can cut it as a telco too, remains to be seen.
Amaysim did it the other way around. For years, Amaysim has been a popular provider of phone plans in Australia. Since October the 2nd, they had to shut down their operation- funnily enough, Amaysim sold their energy company to AGL.
Unlike Amaysim with energy, AGL has a little experience with phone plans. In 2019, AGL bought the Australian Telco Southern Phone for $27.5 million. Although, taking over an established company is very different from creating a new company from scratch. Only time will tell if AGL’s risk of starting a new Telco will pay off.
Summary
In conclusion, AGL mobile is certainly good. They offer affordable SIM Only postpaid plans, which could benefit many people. However, we highly recommend comparing them to others to see if they’re the best option for you.
If you’re already an AGL Energy customer (and not thinking about changing that), AGL mobile is worth considering more. But we’re not going to tell anyone to change their energy provider (if they’re happy with their current one) for a mobile phone plan discount.
