Who is Telstra?
Telstra Corporation Limited – Telstra for short – is Australia’s largest telecommunications company. The telco offers a wide range of services including wireless network services, mobile broadband, technological accessories, etc.
Currently, Telstra provides approximately 17 million Australians with retail mobile services, 4 million Australians with retail fixed voice services, and 3 million Australians with retail fixed broadband services. The telco also possesses an international presence spanning 20 countries.
Telstra is Australia’s largest telco. Source
In order to serve the its vast Australian customers, the company offers a number of bundles amongst its different provided services. Here’s a look at Telstra’s mobile internet bundles.
Telstra mobile internet bundles
Telstra currently offers two main types of mobile internet bundles. These are namely the contract mobile internet bundles and the prepaid mobile internet bundles.
- Contract Mobile Internet Bundles
Currently, Telstra has three contract mobile internet bundles available for subscription. In order to subscribe to this service, individuals must be over 18 years old, have a valid credit card and a blind citizen card/Australian Passport/Driver’s License. All contracts run for a minimum period of 12 months.
It is important to note that these plans are for individuals who already have Telstra devices such as dongles, sim cards, etc. If you are new to Telstra, getting a device would incur a separate cost not included in any of the bundle plans, but devices can in fact be financed with monthly payment installments.
The three available contract plans are:
- The Small Mobile Broadband Plan (S)
- The Medium Mobile Broadband Plan (M)
- The Large Mobile Broadband Plan (L)
1. The Small Mobile Broadband Plan (S)
The Small Mobile Broadband Plan gives its subscribers 10GB data (non-shareable) + 5GB bonus data at $29/month. This plan doesn’t include any call or SMS allowances. Calls made from capable devices attract the teleco’s stipulated pay-as-you-go tariffs.
On exhausting stipulated data, extra data is granted at $10/1GB and this is allowed once a month. Here, the cost per megabyte (MB) is 0.28c/MB.
2. The Medium Mobile Broadband Plan (M)
The Medium Mobile Broadband Plan gives subscribers 30GB data (non-shareable) + 20GB bonus data at $59/month. This plan does not include any call or SMS allowances. Calls made from capable devices attract the telecom’s stipulated pay-as-you-go tariffs.
On exhausting stipulated data, extra data is granted at $10/1GB and this is allowed once a month. On this plan, the cost per MB is 0.19c/MB
3. The Large Mobile Broadband Plan (L)
The Large Mobile Broadband Plan gives its subscribers 80GB data (non-shareable) + 10GB bonus data at $89/month. It strikes a bit of concern in some that the bonus data in this plan is less than the bonus data in plan the M plan. This plan, like plans S and M, does not include any call or SMS allowances. Calls made from capable devices attract the telecom’s stipulated pay-as-you-go tariffs.
On exhausting stipulated data, extra data is granted at $10/1GB and this is allowed once a month. On this plan, the cost per MB is 0.11c/MB
- Prepaid Mobile Internet Bundles
Telstra currently offers 6 pre-paid bundle plans called the Telstra Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plans. These plans can be purchased on already existing and new Telstra sim cards and devices. These plans are uniquely flexible and non-contractual. They are only renewed after the service period if the subscriber wants to renew.
While these plans offer a wide an array of advantages, services on any of these bundles cannot be used overseas. All pre-paid plans have access to Telstra Air – Telstra’s official Wi-Fi Network, Apple Music and Live Sports Data Free (terms and conditions apply).
The 6 plans are:
- $20 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
- $30 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
- $50 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
- $90 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
- $70 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
- $150 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
1. $20 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
The $20 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan comes with a free sim card alongside 2GB data + 10GB bonus data. This plan lasts for 14 days. In order to use data that has not been exhausted during the 14-day period, individuals would have to recharge before expiry. This is how a data roll-over is activated.
2. $30 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
The $30 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan offers 5GB data + 10GB bonus data. This plan does not come with a free sim card and lasts for 28 days. Data can be rolled over to the next period by recharging before expiry.
3. $50 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
The $50 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan comes with a free sim card alongside 10GB data + 35GB bonus data. This plan is valid for 28 days and data can be rolled over by recharging before expiry.
4. $90 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan
The $90 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan gives subscribers 25GB + 45GB bonus data. This plan comes with a free sim card and is valid for 28 days. Rollover is accessed by recharging before plan expiry.
A pre-paid Telstra sim card. Source
5. $70 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plans
The $70 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan offers subscribers 10GB + 20GB bonus data available for use for a period of 180 days. This plan comes with a free sim card but data cannot be rolled over.
6. $150 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plans
The $150 Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband Plus Plan gives subscribers 30GB + 50GB bonus data. This plan comes with a free sim card and is valid for 365 days. Rollover is not applicable to this plan.
Telstra, like other telcos, change their prepaid plan offers quite frequently. These are the current offers and bonuses, and they are valid until the 13th of May, 2019.
Cheaper alternatives to Telstra’s home internet bundles
Vodafone’s $69 per month unlimited data plan is good for browsing, streaming online movies, and using social media. You can bundle this plan with other eligible plans offered by Vodafone on one account. It is a great money saving bundle.
Exetel’s $54.99 Unlimited NBN50 data plan is the cheapest alternative to Telstra’s home internet bundles. With this plan, you get a free WiFi modem that is very easy to configure.
Final word – picking what suits you
Telstra offers a wide array of pre-paid and post-paid mobile internet bundles. While the pre-paid plans are indeed more flexible and varied, they may not be suitable for users who need to access Telstra services abroad. In the same light, post-paid services may seem averse to some subscribers’ needs because of the many requirements attached to them. For example, where contract plans renew automatically, prepaid plans require the subscriber’s action to renew. Such a requirement can cause a subscription to lapse without the knowledge of the user in a case where the user forgets to recharge. This may also mean losing your roll over data. Both plan categories, however, provide several options and benefits. Pick the plan that works best for you.
Sources:
- https://www.telstra.com.au/internet/mobile-broadband
- https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/prepaid-mobiles/2-prepaid-multi-fit-sim-starter-kit-tablets
- https://www.telstra.com.au/content/dam/tcom/personal/help/pdf/cis-personal/pre-paid/personal-critical-information-summary-pre-paid-mobile-broadband-v2.pdf