Cheapest Phone Cards and Packages in Australia

Introduction to Australian Telecom Operators

Basic Operators

There are about 50 mobile operators in Australia, among which Telstra, Optus and Vodafone are the three giants of Australian telecommunication. They divide the telecommunication market and network coverage in Australia and mainly operate fixed lines, home networks, mobile networks, mobile phone packages, etc. Most of them are postpaid plans. Most of them are Postpaid plans; you need to sign a contract ranging from 1-3 years, and if you end the contract early, you need to pay an early termination fee, which is not cost-effective for many Chinese and international students in Australia.

Telstra

As Australia’s largest mobile operator, Telstra’s network coverage is perfect; the signal and speed of the network are great, and generally will not be disconnected, but the price is relatively high; usually speaking, Telstra is more suitable for office workers or only for speed of the Internet does not care about the cost of the tycoon.

Optus

Australia’s second-largest operator and the most cost-effective, the signal is worse than Telstra’s. Almost in the city, the signal is not a problem, as long as you do not go to more remote places generally no problem. This is also the most favoured by international students in Australia.

Vodafone

The most significant advantage of Vodafone is cheap packages, and playing international long-distance is very cheap; network coverage, although it can not be compared with Telstra, can still be spelt out with Optus; the general remote areas may signal it is not good. But also because of the cheapness, Vodafone is the most popular choice in the student circle.

Network Coverage

The coverage of the three mobile networks in the capital cities is generally similar for commuters and students. The only caveat is that Telstra’s signal performance is poorer underground.

For donkeys and people with specific job requirements, such as tour guides, long-distance drivers, and holidaymakers, Telstra and Optus have better coverage in more remote areas.

Click here to see the mobile coverage for Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone.

On the other hand, most of the small carriers use online contracting or purchasing agents (e.g. mobile phone shops, supermarkets, etc.), and once after-sales service is needed. Usually, only telephone communication is available, which requires a certain level of English proficiency and patience on the part of the consumer.

Virtual Operators

Apart from these three basic operators, there are also virtual operators. The virtual operator is also a mobile network operator, but it doesn’t own the network; it just buys the right to use the network from the network provider and then operates in the market under its brand, so the price is usually lower than those three operators. Virtual operators in Australia are much more developed than in China, with more than 200, so many international students choose virtual operators.

Virtual carriers offer cheap prepaid plans that do not require credit checks. You don’t need to sign a contract; you need to pay the monthly phone bill and don’t pay if you don’t want to use it. They also provide relatively more data traffic, and many packages offer the benefit of free international calls, generally free unlimited calls to mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, the United States and other countries. And, of course, there’s no need to worry about network signals, as they all use these three basic Australian network operators.

Virtual carriers are great options for a cheap Australian mobile phone card package!

Virtual Carrier Advantages:

Generally speaking, smaller virtual telecom operators’ phone cards are more cost-effective:

• You can keep your phone number, switch with your number at no extra charge, receive your SIM card and activate your new network, usually within 4-24 hours of a successful switch.
• They are usually cheaper at intervals, include more data and many packages include unlimited international calls.
• Smaller phone companies generally offer SIM-only cards with monthly payments, which is very flexible. If you don’t need it anymore, stop paying at any time and leave.
• These phone companies usually have better customer service than the big phone companies; the big basic ISPs have generally worse customer service, while the smaller phone companies typically have better customer service than the big companies to keep their customers.
• They use the same network: these virtual phone network operators use the same primary network, connect similarly and get the same data speeds.

List of Well-known Virtual Operators in Australia