Highlights
- The only MVNO in Australia without excess data charges on postpaid plans
- First carbon-neutral telco in Australia – at no additional cost
- Unlimited data bank
Belong mobile plans
Green Company
Cheaper than Telstra and carbon neutral, too: See why Belong is a good choice for the eco-conscious.
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Belong is entirely owned by Telstra, but has plans at a lower cost than its parent company. It has the added distinction of promising carbon neutrality on all its mobile plans. With Belong, you get a choice of three plans: 20GB, 40GB or 80GB, with no contracts involved.
2020 Finder Green Awards
Winner: Green Telco of the Year
Belong Mobile
Belong Mobile is Australia's first certified carbon-neutral telco. Any carbon emissions associated with operating its mobile and Internet services is offset by its investments in renewable energy and carbon-capture projects.
Compare mobile plans below
Compare Belong mobile plans here
Belong keeps it simple and straightforward with three mobile plans to choose from. All plans fall under Belong's carbon-neutral guarantee, where it'll offset all related carbon emissions.
What do Belong plans come with?
Belong offers two SIM only mobile plans month to month, with no lock-in contracts.
- 20GB for $25 per month. Unlimited standard calls and text.
- 40GB for $35 per month. Unlimited standard calls and text.
- 80GB for $45 per month. Unlimited standard calls and text.
Belong will not charge you for excess data use beyond your limit. Instead, it will shape your connection to 64kbps, though you can purchase a 2GB data top-up for $10 to get full-speed data again.
Options have been kept simple, with the Regular plan suited to those with average data use habits and the Large suited to those who enjoy streaming and downloading a lot while out and about.
While Belong is entirely owned by Telstra, its plans are completely different. We'll do a more direct comparison further down the page.
Belong mobile review: Is Belong as good as Telstra?
Whether Belong measures up to Telstra depends on what you want. Think of Belong as a cheaper and simpler version of Telstra that lacks all the added features and extras. Telstra will appeal to some people and Belong to others, but neither is objectively better.
Belong was started by Telstra back in 2013 as an Internet provider, but expanded into the mobile market as well a while back.
Not many mobile providers have set them apart in the same way as Belong by being carbon neutral, something Telstra itself is still working to achieve.
Here are the main features of Belong mobile plans:
In addition to the main ones above, Belong has a couple of other extras on its plans:
- Data gifting. If you have unused data left in a month, you can transfer it in 1GB units to other Belong mobile customers.
- International inclusions. You can add unlimited calls and text to 30 countries for an additional $5 per month.
- Data pack. When you run out of your data allowance, your data speed gets cut way down. Top up with 2GB for $10 to keep downloading at full speed.
Data banking is an uncommon feature for SIM only postpaid plans (usually prepaid plans will feature a data bank), so it could make Belong worthwhile. Still, if you're ending up with heaps of data left over each month, you might be better off simply downgrading to a mobile plan with less monthly data – unless you want to gift it to your friends on Belong, of course.
| Feature | |
|---|---|
| Excess usage warning |  |
| Entertainment extras |  |
| Data-free media streaming | |
| Rollover data | |
| Data sharing | |
| International calls/texts | |
| International roaming | |
| Rewards program | |
| Student/pensioner discounts | |
Is Belong a good choice? We ask our utilities expert and writer, Sam Baran
Belong doesn't stand out too strong with its two mobile plans. Its $40 for 40GB plan is average for that price point in the market, offering data at a rate of $1 per 1GB, but you'll find much better deals than 10GB for $25.
Without any extras to set it apart, the main draw of Belong is its status as the only declared carbon-neutral mobile provider in Australia. Even its parent company, Telstra, doesn't tick this box yet, so if you need 40GB a month you can do a small favour for the environment by choosing Belong. Otherwise, Belong is only okay for what it offers and you could always compare a SIM only plan from competitors like Circles.Life or Moose Mobile which might give you more bang for your buck.
How does Belong compare to other providers?
We took Belong's best-value plan and lined it up against similar ones from Telstra (its parent company) and Mate (another MVNO SIM only provider).
| Belong | Telstra | Mate Mobile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan name | Large 40GB | Small 40GB | Soul Mates 40GB |
| Plan cost | $40 | $55 | $40 |
| Data allowance | 80GB | 40GB | 40GB |
| Features | Data bank, data gifting | Data-free sports and music streaming, Telstra Air, Telstra Plus rewards, no excess data charge | Data banking, international inclusions, Australian customer support |
As you can see, Belong is highly comparable to the Mate plan, offering about the same in the way of extra features. It's cheaper than Telstra and omits the entertainment extras and other Telstra-specific features, but comes out at a better dollar per data value.
Belong's "no excess data charge" feature is also not as good as Telstra's. Telstra will reduce your speed to about 1.5Mbps past your full speed data, while Belong drops to a snail's pace of just 64kbps. 1.5Mbps is semi-usable, but 64kbps isn't even really close to 4% of Telstra's reduced speed.
How are Belong mobile plans carbon neutral?
When Belong claims to be carbon neutral, it isn't claiming to produce zero carbon emissions. Rather, it offsets 100% of its carbon emissions by investing in various schemes and projects.
These projects involve wind farms, solar parks and others that meet criteria set by Climate Active. Climate Active is a carbon-neutral initiative that is backed by the Australian government. You can find out more on Belong's website.
Does Belong have international roaming?
No. You won't be able to use your Belong mobile plan overseas under any circumstances.
You can add unlimited standard calls and texts to 30 countries for an extra $5 per month.
Where can I buy a Belong SIM?
You can purchase a Belong SIM and mobile plan from this page, using the comparison table above. Simply buy the plan you want and a SIM will be delivered to you.
Otherwise, you can purchase a Belong SIM from the Belong Mobile website or in person at stores including Coles, Officeworks and JB HiFi.
Frequently asked questions about Belong
Is Belong Australian owned?
Yes. Belong is entirely owned by Telstra, the largest Australian telecommunications company.
Can I use a Belong SIM in a Telstra phone?
No. Belong is a different provider to Telstra, so you won't be able to use a Belong SIM in a phone that's locked to the Telstra network. You'll have to unlock the phone first, like you would for any other SIM.
Does Belong have 5G?
No. Belong does not currently offer any plans on the Telstra 5G network, instead using only the 3G and 4G portions of it.
Does Belong mobile have voicemail?
No, it doesn't. Instead, it has a Message2Txt service where the person calling you can leave a 10-second voice message. Belong will convert that message into text and send it through as an SMS, though it's not really the same as a voicemail.
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