Hi all,
What is the cheapest 3G data plan at the moment?
Looking for 2-4 GB per month. Only used for Internet in Pocket Wifi modem.
Cheers,
Frank
What is the cheapest 3G data plan at the moment?
Franconian on 03/09/2013 - 00:07
Comments
A few points - Pennytel first:
I considered signing up for a data plan with them recently - but they're in enormous strife . Their site security certificate also expired two weeks ago and hasn't been renewed.I have experience with both Amaysim - and Yatango. Unless you take up a particular plan structure (renewed monthly by credit card), the true 'PAYG' rates (as regards the term, as it has come to mean) are the same as Amaysim's, i.e.5 cents per MB for data ($50 per 1GB).
I was with Redbull Mobile for a year, and know from that experience that I have particularly good Vodafone reception and data speed in my area. Relative to Optus network 'stability' in my travels, that Redbull sim saved my bacon (beef?) on more than one occasion.
Franconian, even if you got caught up in the 'vodafail' debacle, it's worth buying a $2 vf sim, sticking it in your pocket wifi and seeing what sort of signal strength you get in areas where you plan to use your data. Like me, network-wise you might get a pleasant surprise.
As it is, basic signal strength aside, I was getting better stability and speed than on my main Optus sim. Much, much better speed than on the so-called Optus 'Open Network' (congested/throttled), and speed easily equal to my recent, month-long (before the proverbial hit the fan), Kogan/Telstra non-NextG 3G experience.So - this is getting very long-winded - I went looking for something (other than Pennytel) on the Vodafone network, as a back-up/addition to, my Optus plan.
Found 'Transact' (owned by iiNet). Data plans: 2GB for $15, 5GB for $29, 9GB for $39, 12GB for $49. Not 'prepaid', if that's what your specifically looking for (they just run a quick credit check on the phone), but a genuine no-strings month-to-month arrangement. No set-up fees and no fees to upgrade or downgrade the plan level.
I may well be lucky in the area that I live, but I'm finding data speed to be tremendous - even faster than recent Kogan 'experience'.All of the above largely aside, if Vodafone isn't an option for you and you don't want to pay Telstra main-network prices for data, the Woolworths $29 ($26 with Everyday Rewards card) 5GB, 45 day expiry plan is very difficult to go past.
Even though tethering is against T&C's, there doesn't appear to be any problem in practical experience.I hope that at least some of the above helps…
The issue with Vodafone has never been signal strength, it is capacity on the transmission links from the towers back to the central network. If you connect to a tower served by fibre, you will be sweet. If you connect to a tower served by 2mb x.163 links, it will suck.
I can still stand in the Sydney CBD with 5/5 bars of coverage watching web sites time out.
The only way to test whether you will get adequate performance on Voda is to try it out in the locations you use it.Upgrades plus so many lost customers (best part of a million since 'vodafail'), has brought some benefits - for at least some of us!
The reference to signal strength was about basic connectivity - somebody in a thread on OzBargain the other day referenced getting (in the same spot) 4 bars on Optus, 1/none on Vodafone, but the reverse happens too. I have had a good deal of personal experience in relation to that.
Telco swings and round-a-bouts.Well, I would have to go with Tas, admittedly Optus provides a much faster internet connection in general, but I still can't understand why at some places (Maroubra Junction Mall, NSW) why there is no signal. And Vodafone have pretty decent signal there. So it really depends on where you plan to use it. But if you are traveling a lot and want a better speed(and price) optus and their MNVO are the way to go.
Edit: Din't realize that Aldi is also cheap
I think lots of people are going for the '$30 3GB 30day Telstra Prepaid Microsim for Ipad' deal.
Its on special for $10 or $15 at least every month.
See current Auspost catalog last page, its $10.
BigW $15, 2 weeks ago Goodguys = $10.Telstra is the best for most people afaik. 3gb for $10 is great on full Teltra network, can stockpile 1 or 2 years ahead.
Just having to activate a new sim every month may not suit.Optus & VF mobile broadband has been very disappointing for years. I would honestly say a disgrace. I find they are both unusable everywhere for regular use, telstra 3g is rarely bad enough to warrant a complaint.
Just my view.
Sims will remain active long after you finish using them. Potential (purported) legal strife if you have more than 5 still-active sims at any one time.
What? The feds keep an eye on pre-paid sims to monitor possible terrorist/organised crime use. There is no restriction on how many you may own. You just need to answer truthfully if you own more than 5.
A proviso or two at play. My understanding is that once you get to five sims, you are supposed to submit (not always requested in sign-up processes) a variety of extra paperwork/identification in order to possess more. Whether you are in any way 'flagged' in the absence of that, and pursued for the provision of it, may well be another matter.
There may be no practical enforcement of it at all, but I've always been careful about porting numbers in order to kill previous sims, and even on one occasion ringing Virgin to specifically kill a sim before activating that which would otherwise have been a sixth active.
Aldi mobile 2Gb for $15 looks pretty good.
Aldi mobile uses part of the telstra network although not Next G .
In fact,there's no next G network, it's just Telstra's 3G network and Telstra name it next G. So Aldi is running on next G.
Yes, but. The 3g service available to Telstra resellers is only from the towers that are in a competitors coverage footprint. So it only gets access where either Optus or Voda have coverage. That still works out at 96% of the population, but not quite the 98% NextG covers.
@mskeggs: Wow they have a plan set aside specifically to compete with those who have their coverage, nice.
Woolworths mobile has $29 for 5GB, 45 day expiry
10% off with everyday rewards card = $26.10 ($0.58 a day).
And you get plenty of call/sms credit which i never get through.
http://www.woolworthsmobile.com.au/Spend $4.90 more to bring your transaction up to $30.00 and get a fuel voucher as well.
The problem with the call component of the Woolworths plan is that lots of people do use it up. Referenced to the 45 day expiry, it only equates to several minutes a day. If you're ringing alot of other Optus users, you do get some leeway, of course.
Thanks for all your replies!
The $10 Telstra prepaid Ipad special would be perfect.
Is it only a microsim? Could I use this deal in a pocket wifi modem? (claiming to use it in my ipad?)
No or long expiry for the sims? I would stockpile for a year and then activate it every month.
The $10 Telstra prepaid Ipad special would be perfect.
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/tag/telstra-30-pre-paid-sim-star…
Is it only a microsim?
the ipad data only kit is but there are normal/mini- and nano-sim kits
Could I use this deal in a pocket wifi modem? (claiming to use it in my ipad?)
yes
No or long expiry for the sims? I would stockpile for a year and then activate it every month.
mine expire in 2yrs
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/111920#comment-1523547 might help :)
When you specify your 'pocket wifi', I'm assuming that exact branding and not generic. If your modem is indeed of Vodafone origin, to use it on any other network you will need to get it unlocked - if it isn't already.
If locked, you can try the possibility of a free unlock via the Vodafone website.
If no luck, for a cheaper option to unlock seek out OzBargain user 'Bagman'.It's an unlocked Vodafone Pocket Wifi 2 modem.
Bought from Ozbargain?
It's just a starter pack, you had to pay $30.00 per month after the 1st month. Or you need to buy and activate a new sim every month. I don't think that telstra will permit it after 10 and more activation under the same name. Think Aldi 15.00/2G/30day is the best choice on Telstra.And woolworth 26.00/5G/45day plus call credits is the best choice on Optus.
Do you have Pocket Wifi 2 or Pocket Wifi Pro?
If you have the 2 then no point getting proper Telstra as it can only download at 7.2Mbps. Pocket Wifi pro has 21Mbps download.
"Next G" based plans are almost pointless anyway as it is dual channel HSPA (42Mbps) which neither pocket wifi is.
For the record i'm using an unlocked Pro with Pennytel.. works fine for me i just don't trust them with direct debit as has been suggested by many on Whirlpool forums… i pay them manually monthly through bPay in case they fold and try to take my money.
As advised by others it is area dependent and im happy to be getting at least 500KB/s wherever I use Pennytel/Pocket Wifi Pro.
besides prepaid telstra, best alternative is perhaps post-paid globalgig optus 3g no-contract plan:
1gb $9, 3gb $19, 5gb $29, excess 5c/mb
http://www.globalgig.com.au/HomeAndAbroad.aspx
tpg still have any good deals?
no - still waiting for new plans to be released :(
Aldi is pretty good. Not next G but still better than optus/vodafone. For the price and quality of speed, i can't fault it :)
+1 for aldi for me.
VAYA:
Phone/Data
for $18.00 / month (no contract) $650 Talk, 1.5gb Data Unlimited SMS
http://www.vaya.net.au/?option=Mobile&4Gsimonly&plan=Power%2…Data Plan http://www.vaya.net.au/?option=Data
for $33.00 / month (no contract) 10GB DataAll 4G.
I think Vaya still charges in 1MB increments? This can be a pain for those who use data through frequent, small chunks (eg Whatsapp, social networking, etc).
I think I'm just going to stick with free wifi for the foreseeable future.
Just did some research for you by cruising to different 3g providers and recording their price per month.
Amaysim is $19.90 for 2.5 GB, $29.90 for 4 GB, no contract leave anytime.
Optus: 1 GB is $20, 4 GB is $30.
Telstra: 4 GB for just $35 but locks you into a 24 month plan.
Virgin: $20 for 2 GB, $30 for 6 GB, no contract leave anytime.
Vodaphone: $20 for 2.5 GB, $30 for 4 GB, month to month plan.
Yatango (https://www.yatangomobile.com.au/): $20 for 3 GB, $30 for 5 GB PAYG
PennyTel (https://www.pennytel.com.au/penny-sim/data-plans): 4 GB for $13.88, 14 GB for $25, no contract.
To be honest, I think there is not much flexibility in pricing because it's mostly either the Telstra or Optus network. That being said, PennyTel is on the Vodafone network but seems much cheaper.