Will Telstra become a favorite for budget-conscious customers?
Telstra hardly ever tries to be a go-to provider for budget-conscious customers, instead preferring to dominate with the richest variety of NBN, ADSL, cable, and mobile broadband plans. However, the telco giants are now pulling all stops to provide the most cost-effective data plan for data-hungry customers. Telstra’s unlimited internet plan allows customers to throw caution to the wind with regards to data expenses while enjoying data services on their smartphones.
Testra’s unlimited data plan is designed for customers who are given to heavy streaming, businesses that carry out hefty uploads and downloads in the course of daily operations, as well as people with regular video conferencing demands. It’s believed that with this plan, Telstra is looking to phase out extra data charges billed on customers after they exceed the data limits of their monthly plans prior to the month’s end.
Telstra have officially stated that the new unlimited plan is an attempt to put their house in order, simplify things, and do away with charges that seem to frustrate customers. The company claims that it is poised to supercharge digital experiences by simplifying products and resolving customer’s pain points.
Telstra boss Andrew Penn acknowledged the company has been faced with the need for simpler and more cost-effective data plans, which only keeps growing by the day. He pointed out that mobile data traffic on Telstra’s network grows at a rate of 50 percent each year, suggesting increased customer dependence on their mobile devices’ data.
The vast majority of Australians, 79 percent, access the internet daily. Source
Along with the unlimited internet plan, the company also introduced ‘Peace of Mind Data’, an option that allows customers to switch to a back-up data bundle when their monthly allowance is exhausted, rather than incur excess data charges.
What Telstra has going with the unlimited internet plan
The following is a run-down of the key features of Telstra’s unlimited internet plan:
- Talk time: The unlimited bundles come with phone line rental, as well as unlimited local and national calls to Australian lines. There’s an option to upgrade to an international call pack, which allows for unlimited calls to mobiles in 17 countries as well as unlimited calls to landlines in 35 countries.
- Peace of mind data: Provides back-up data allowance for customers to get through the rest of the month after they use up their initial data allowance. It’s inclusive in select plans, but can be added to other plans for $10 per month.
- Exclusive extras: The unlimited data plans give customers access to exclusive extras available in select plans, including unlimited Wi-Fi data at any of the 1 million plus Telstra Air hotspots across Australia. It also features free live streaming of every AFL, NRL, and Netball game, like previous Telstra plans. And for a small extra fee, you can get access to a Telstra TV streaming box or a 24-month Foxtel Now subscription.
- Telstra Smart Modem: The 4G-enabled smart modem costs a one-time $216 payment or $9/month for 24 months.
- Telstra 24/7 app: The Company’s newly remodeled app was launched together with the unlimited plan.
How much do Telstra’s unlimited internet plans cost?
Telstra’s unlimited plans bill you on a monthly basis. But as you would expect, Telstra’s unlimited plans will cost you more than an average data plan. The Essential bundle starter pack, which comes with a 100GB data allowance, costs $70 per month while the Unlimited bundle starts from $90/month.
The monthly bills of the standalone SIM plans also cover the cost of a Telstra Wi-Fi modem, although you’ll have to pay up the remaining total cost of the modem if you want to retain ownership of it after cancelling your service before the end of the 24 month period. Telstra also charges a $99 upfront connection charge, but there are exceptions to this.
Final words – is Telstra’s unlimited internet here to stay?
Telstra is poised to put an end to the dilemma of extra data costs faced by customers when they run out of their original monthly data allowance. People have had to either shell out hundreds of dollars – many times more than the cost of their monthly data plans – or rein themselves when their monthly data allowance does not carry them through the end of the month.
Perhaps this is the beginning of a new era where companies roll out unlimited data plans to woo data-hungry customers. Perhaps the days of extra charges are, in fact, numbered.