Not sure if this is a "bargain" as such (please delete if not), but Telstra have increased the allowance on it's mobile data packs. $10 used to get 200Mb but has now increased to a decent 1Gb. The upgrade is NOT automatic - if you already have a data plan, you will need to call or visit a Telstra shop to have them increase your data at no extra cost.
Yeah it does, you will go to 2gb, good luck finding a Telstra rep competent enough to know what you're talking about though.
No.
That is not a browsing pack, the data is included free in your monthly plan payments.
These are browsing packs which you add on to your mobile account to give you more data or just add data if you are on a plan/prepaid which does not have any free data included.
I am on a $49 cap and effectively this means you are on a $39 phone plan with a $10 data pack - this was for 200gb but I had the special offer that gave the 500gb pack for half price which made it $10 so still $49 all up. If you elect to go onto the new 1gb for $10 you do not get the half price data pack any more - the consultant read that to me, I confirmed on Twitter and I now have 1gb instead of 512mb - still a great result and well done Telstra.
I think how it works when you have a plan is there is the 'phone' part of your plan, and the data part. It still counts as having a data pack, so yes you would be able to swap your 200(500)Mb pack for the 1Gb pack. Sorry no, it wouldn't be the 2Gb one.
Call up Telstra and get them to fix you up.
Obviously Anthony had no idea what he was talking about because yes, on a 49 cap 39 is calls and 10 is data pack. IPhone 4 gives 50% off data packs so you should definitely get the 2gb pack, as I now have, for $10.
It doesn't seem to work on prepaid (or they haven't updated their systems) because it still looks like 200mb for $10.
Also checked the telstra site, and says "If your mobile is on an eligible post-paid plan"
Oh well…
yeah this post is probably better suited for the forums…
Family and Friends Plan now gets 1GB for FREE. That's a Bargain!!
Is the Family and Friends plan still going?
No. Only for existing connections to the plan.
Staff plans are definitely still available. This 1GB for free is great. I was this close to paying for a data pack! I like how they notify you via SMS too, very nice touch.
hi, i have the family and friends plan but i've never actually used/activated my sim card.
i just bought it so i could get the desire but i already had a plan at the time so had no need for the sim.
but the 1gb of telstra nextG for free might just get me using the sim.
would i get the 1gb of free data as well? or do i miss out because i haven't activated my sim yet.
@happykamper
Staff Plans are available for Staff, but for the humans the F&F isn't available at this time.
@mrdavedave
You'd still be paying $20p/m ($10 calls + $10 handset) though even though you don't use it?
PS. Why can't I reply to replies?
why did someone give me a vote? hahaha.
@steptoe
yeah i still pay 20 a month. difficult to explain.
i needed the phone and not the plan, and the phone+plan still ended up cheaper than buying outright so yeah. since there's $10 a month i pay i've considered using some of that up but up until now hasn't seemed worth swapping my sim for.
now there's 1gb that has changed!
@ Steptoe
Commenting on the 4th reply onwards has been disabled as this causes a "staircase" effect. So you would just have to comment as you did, and put the person's name to whom you are directing your reply.
oh this is why I've now got 2GB showing on my account once I changed to the new $10 pack? Now I need to remove my data pack, and continue to get 1GB free, awesome.
But if you don't have a pack, and you use up your 1GB free, does it still revert to $2/MB?
Yes, if you use over the 1GB without a data pack, it's $2/MB. If you use more, maybe a small data pack would do?
Ok thanks Steptoe, where did you get this F&F update info btw?
You can also now change data packs online which is new, at least that's what I did when I went from the old $5 pack (30MB) to the new $10 pack (1GB)last night. I accidentally stumbled on the new pack info on whirlpool (but I didn't see anything about getting 1Gb free by default now). There seems to be no way to remove the pack completely online though.
In other news, the 12GB data pack ($69) has $0.05/MB excess, so you could effectively get an additional 8GB of data out of your $400 cap for $35.
So if you used the sim in a broadband dongle that's $104 for 20GB of NextG data a month, that's almost as good as my Vodafone Mobile broadband $49 for 12GB I'm currently on for our main connection.
EDIT: Actually its 21GB/$104 since we now get 1Gb free by default.
@stumo,
Can't seem to reply to your post, so:
Got the SMS from Telstra advising the 1GB FREE today, but noticed it in my data usage about a week ago. The F&F thread on whirlpool also has it mentioned back to middle of this month so it's real.
You effectively have a $10 data pack if you have 1gb - so excess is $0.25 p/MB
Not true. The 1GB is not a data pack, so excess is $2/MB. If you add a data pack on top of the 1GB, your excess will be at that rate.
Doesn't look like they have increased data on business browsing packs. Still $10 for 150MB
They can still hold business over a barrel since no one else comes close in terms of speed and coverage.
Really? Are you properly considering Optus 3G Dual Band coverage extends to over 96% population coverage, which has recently been rolled out?
abc might be referring to land mass coverage with Telstra which allows them to claim 99% population coverage - you know those rural areas most telco's don't like having coverage in as it doesn't make them enough $$
and the speeds are second to none, and very soon it will be even better!
Yeah, Telstra rep confirmed that there is no change to the biz packs over on Whirlpool.
no other plan rather than Telstra F&F that give you 1GB for minimum pay of $10
The Staff Plan now gets the 1gb for free too - but you have to ask apparently
I got an SMS from them saying it was automatically added to my plan.
No asking required. It's Auto.
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1579884&p…
There's the whirlpool link where people got there data increased. I just whimmed Scott@Telstra on whirlpool and he did the upgrade for me.
I was on the $49 htc desire cap and got 500mb of data. Now because of the increased quota, I now get 1Gb/month.
This is pretty sweet. I guess months of calling Telstra to upgrade/downgrade 200-500MB data packs has finally paid off.
Just increased my iPhone's $49 cap to 1GB data over the phone - changes are expected in 24 hours. Just to warn you though, the first month (until your next bill is issued) is pro-rata'd…
twitter team FTW
yea I did this the other day! for a friend.
Called Telstra. I was told since there is a 50% data pack discount on my plan/contract, for the same price ($20 * 50% = $10), I can now get the $20 data pack, which is 2GB. There will be no extra to pay. I am still a bit cynical about this.
So, if that's true, people on the earlier plans are much better off (cheaper handset repayment, more data for the same price - due to the 50% data pack discount).
That said, the way Telstra online data usage report has incorrectly reported my usage (2X my actual data usage). So I guess for me, it is still basically 1GB for me.
no, the usage is pro-rated, based on how far into the month you already were when they upgraded the packs/plans. It should be back to normal after your next billing cycle.
No… I am referring to my comment in the other post. In the past 3 months, Telstra has consistently over quoted my usage. I know about the pro-rated calculation.
I am saying since every month in the past 3 months, they always double count my usage (in their online usage report). I doubt that I can actually get 2GB out of them. There are other people with the same issue.
I have many problems with Telstra online usage report. The report also put the usage from last day in the previous month into the current month.
They still cannot explain why the online report total figure was wrong (Telstra was only able to justify 50% of the total figure). And it had nothing to do with pro-rated… my last billing month (3rd billing month) had 31 days… Nothing to do with pro-rated. What I am more concerned about is that after I've given them the information (their detailed usage report vs the total figure), all they can do is to have someone look at it. The team leader was quite eager to close the case without offering me an explanation.
Ok thanks for this info. I will keep a close eye on my usage in the coming months. I've never realy use telstra data, only having the 30mb pack for emergencies and to avoid the $2/mb excess. Now I have 2gb to play with for only $5 more.
I've called Telstra on 125111. But I was told the new update did not start yet. anyone else?
You prob got one of those guys that don't know what's going on lol. My account already shows that I have a 1GB limit.
Talk to billing. They will be able to help you. Mention you want to change to the new data pack without any extra cost.
I talked to the wrong department yesterday - the sales team. Thing with Telstra is that if you talk to the wrong group, you get a response that does not make sense.
Yeah, the first guy I spoke to said I would have to pay to break my contract to get the increase in data! The next person knew exactly what I was talking about and was able to help promptly.
anyone on the 50% data promotion should know that it doesnt apply to the new data packs and needs to be removed if you change to them
I was a bit cynical when the billing rep. mentioned the 50% 3G data pack. But she gave me a reference number and her name. She was positive about it. Anyway, I then checked my previous bill and I noticed it was billed as a $20 data pack followed by a $10 credit for the data pack.
I also checked my copy of the printed contract. It listed a $20 data pack and 50% 3G data pack promotion offer.
That's the thing with Telstra… There are basically 3 versions floating around - depending on who you speak to: (1) You cannot change the data plan without breaking the contract first (this one seems incorrect) (2) You can upgrade the data pack, but you will lose the 50% data promotion (well, in the past, it was possible to upgrade the data pack while retaining the 50% off bonus). (3) 50% of data pack in the contract stays and it is possible to switch data pack to the new one.
Why should they know this? was it in the contract/t&c? My understanding is that the 50% off data packs was meant to be for the life of the contract, irrespective of data pack changes. I don't think anyone is complaining because most people get more data, but I'm not sure it's so clear cut (or that those with it "should know that it doesnt apply").
Just to confirm.. Is this available on Pre-paid?
Would this work for the iPhone that had the 200mb -> 500mb free upgrade?