If you're looking for the best mobile coverage in Australia, you'll need a Telstra mobile plan. While it's a well-known fact Telstra's mobile plans come at a price, especially with some of the fastest 5G speeds backing them, there are ways to keep costs down.
Telstra BYO or SIM-only plans are a way to stay on the Telstra network at a slightly cheaper rate, since you're not also paying for a new phone. Keep reading our guide below to find Telstra's best SIM-only or BYO mobile phone plans and coverage information as well as alternatives to Telstra's mobile phone plans for comparison.
Telstra's SIM-only or BYO plans are referred to as "Upfront Plans" and have features like data sharing and international talk and text inclusions.
On top of unlimited local talk, SMS, and MMS, every Upfront plan also has 30 minutes of international talk and unlimited internal national messaging, to any destination. Data from Upfront plans can be shared between as many as 10 plans on your account, provided they're also Upfront. This is great news for those looking for family mobile plans.
Telstra Upfront plans are free from excess charges. If you end up going through your monthly allowance, you'll still be able to keep using your data without paying anything extra. You'll be limited to speeds of 1.5Mbps. This effectively means the plans have unlimited mobile data.
Telstra BYO SIM-only plans currently start at $62 per month, with the Basic Upfront plan. Just note that this plan has speeds capped at 250Mbps. Meanwhile, Telstra's more expensive Essential and Premium plans have uncapped speeds on 4G and 5G. This means they can go as fast as network conditions allowance - in our testing, we've seen speeds over 1Gbps on the Telstra 5G network.
Note that Telstra's BYO SIM-only plans will be getting more expensive in August. Prices will increase between $2 and $4 per month. As part of this change, the speed cap on the Basic Upfront plan will be removed. Here's what the new pricing will look like:
Telstra Upfront plan pricing changes - from August 27, 2024| Plan | Current price | New price | Monthly data | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $62 | $65 | 50GB, unchanged | 250Mbps cap removed |
| Essential | $72 | $75 | 180GB, unchanged | Remains uncapped |
| Premium | $95 | $99 | 300GB, unchanged | Remains uncapped |
| Bundle | $50 | $52 | 25GB, unchanged | Remains uncapped |
All Telstra Upfront plans have access to the Telstra Plus perks program. Telstra Plus gives customers cheaper tickets for Event Cinemas. In addition, customers earn Telstra Points for every dollar spent, which can then be redeemed for discounts on tech, gift Card, and more.
Much like with Optus and Vodafone SIM-only plans, Telstra's plans start at around mid-range prices and head upwards. If you're after a cheaper SIM-only plan, you can check out providers on the Telstra wholesale network. Telstra-powered providers include Tangerine, More, Exetel, Superloop, Belong, Boost Mobile, ALDI Mobile, and Everyday Mobile (formerly Woolworths Mobile).
The Telstra wholesale network is slightly smaller than the full Telstra network. While Telstra’s full network reaches 99.6% of the population, the wholesale version covers 98.8%. It might not seem like a huge difference, but it means that Telstra-powered providers may not be an option for customers in some rural areas. You can look at how the Telstra wholesale network compares to the full Telstra network here.
Boost Mobile is the one exception to this rule, and has access to Telstra's entire network.
For easy reference, here's a look at popular Telstra network SIM-only plans in our database:
