E.Tel's monthly plans compare well against the rest of the market, boosted by promotional discounts or bonus data for the first 1–6 months depending on what plan you choose.
While they lack any particular bonus features, you get a pretty good deal when it comes to data per dollar.
E.Tel's pay-as-you-go (PAYG) plan stands out for its low rate for voice calls at 1c/minute, though it does include a 25c flagfall. This could be ideal for people who like to make infrequent but long calls and need almost nothing in the way of data.
E.Tel could be right for you if:
You're after a fairly cheap PAYG plan. The Mini plan has great rates on calls and texts.
Local support matters. E.Tel's customer support team operates out of North Sydney in New South Wales.
But keep in mind that E.Tel:
Only has PAYG international roaming. You'll need to contact E.Tel before travelling overseas to activate roaming at PAYG rates. This can add up costs pretty quickly.
Does not include MMS. You'll be charged an extra 25–45c for each MMS you send depending on your plan.
E.Tel's 2 pay-as-you-go plans don't offer any fixed inclusions, but deduct usage charges from the credit you purchase.
You'll be charged 25c flagfall but only 1c/min for national calls as well as 25c per SMS and 1c/MB of data.
Good to know: These call rates are some of the cheapest around for long voice calls. But keep your personal phone usage in mind as PAYG plans are only best for those who seldom use their phone. It won't help those who want to use a lot of data.
E.Tel has a couple of 28-day plans to choose from. Its entry level 4GB for $9.95 plan is pretty great value, with many similar plans from other providers costing more for the same amount of data.
The other plan offers 15GB for $18.95, making it $1.26 per 1GB. This is more expensive then the benchmark of $1 per 1GB. So you might be able to get better value elsewhere
E.Tel's monthly plans have an average data value of $1.19 per 1GB, which is slightly higher to the benchmark of $1 per 1GB.
Good to know: Since they have full-month expiry periods, you won't have to buy any extra recharges during the year as you would with a 28-day plan.
Things to watch out for:
While E.Tel advertises its plans as being postpaid, you'll actually have to pay for your mobile plan at the start of each month rather than at the end.
Coverage
E.Tel uses the Optus 4G network for mobile coverage.
The Optus network reaches 98.5% of the population. This beats Vodafone's coverage (96%) but not as much as Telstra (99.5%).
You'll get identical coverage to a plan bought directly from Optus.
You shouldn't have any reception issues in metro areas, but you could lose some coverage in rural and regional areas.
Customer service
Australia-based customer support
The E.Tel customer support team can assist you with questions and issues between 9:30am and 6pm AEST, Monday to Friday. You can:
Ring up the customer support line.
Send an email enquiry (though this may have a slower response).
Good to know: E.Tel has a local Australian customer support team based in North Sydney, NSW.
Which rivals are giving E.Tel a run for its money?
For cheaper data:
If you're chasing better value plans, gomo is a subscription mobile service that comes with big data caps with fairly cheap price tags.
For more extras:
Belong has a few useful bonus features on its plans, including unlimited data banking between months and included MMS.
For wider coverage:
Boost Mobile is the only provider outside of Telstra itself to have access to the full Telstra 4G network, which reaches 99.5% of Australians.
Ready to sign up to E.Tel mobile?
Unfortunately, E.Tel isn’t available via Finder. You’ll need to visit etel.com.au and sign up for your desired plan there.
Alternatively, keep comparing plans on Finder to find one that works best for you.
What if I want to keep my current phone number? All you need to do is let E.Tel know that you’d like to keep your current number when signing up. They'll handle the transfer and your port should be done within 2–6 business days.
Sam Baran is a writer for Finder, covering topics across the tech, telco and utilities sectors. They enjoy decrypting technical jargon and helping people compare complex products easily. When they aren't writing, you'll find Sam's head buried in a book or working on their latest short story. Sam has a Bachelor of Advanced Science from the University of Sydney.
TeleChoice offers a wide range of mobile plans on the Telstra network.
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