You use data on your phone, and chances are, you’re regularly concerned about bill shock and going over. If that’s you, Telstra and Vodafone are adding plans you may be happy with.
The idea of unlimited downloads may seem like the domain of the home internet connection, but it’s finally becoming reality for smartphones.
While Optus started toying with the idea earlier in the year, it seems as though Australia’s other major telcos believe it has merit, too, and are dabbling with a similar concept, announcing this week that they too will be joining the unlimited data throng.
Yes, both Telstra and Vodafone will be offering plans where unlimited data is actually a thing, meaning you won’t have to worry about playing $10 per gig if you go over your monthly amount if you’re on one of the respective plans.
Instead of forking out extra money, however, you’ll see your 4G speed drop, as the catch for unlimited is a speed decrease, something all three telcos have adopted in much the same way.
Telstra’s announcement of unlimited data exists in one plan, with the BYO “Endless Data” plan, a $69 per month plan that has to be purchased for a year, and delivers unlimited calls, unlimited texts, unlimited streaming of football and netball titles from Telstra’s live sport catalogue, and 40GB of data monthly, as well.
You won’t find a phone with this plan, as it is a “BYO” plan, meaning you need to bring your own, but you will find unlimited data on the Telstra 4GX network up until you hit the 40GB.
Once you hit 40GB, the 4G speeds will drop and you’ll be limited to 1.5Mbps, which should be enough for most activities, but will mean data won’t be downloading at that 1Gbps maximum the Telstra network is capable of hitting.
The same sort of thing is happening over at Vodafone as well, with Vodafone’s “Unlimited” plans arriving at three monthly price points either over 12, 24, or 36 months.
Depending on how much you want to spend, you’ll find $60 will net 30GB of maximum 4G speed data, $80 will see 60GB of max speed data, while $100 monthly will net 100GB of full speed 4G data on Vodafone. Or at least that’s what you’ll find after May 22, because before it, Vodafone is temporarily upgrading the data amount for early subscribers, offering 40GB, 70GB, and 120GB respectively.
Go over those monthly amounts, and while you’ll get unlimited data, the speed will drop to 1.5Mbps in either direction (upload or download), meaning unlimited data, just not unlimited speed.
That’s spot on with what Telstra is offering, and we suspect Optus will soon to everyone as well, something Optus hasn’t spoken much about, but is still on its website in product information (though it’s not presently offered to all).
You’ll find Telstra’s unlimited plan live now, while Vodafone’s goes live tomorrow (Wednesday, May 2).
