Pros
- Australian customer support
- Carbon neutral mobile plans
- Phones available to purchase on a plan
Cons
- Outdated mobile app
- No bonus perks
Southern Phone mobile plans
Our verdict: Southern Phone, 1 of only 3 carbon neutral providers in Australia, offers decently priced plans but with no perks to write home about.
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Compare Southern Phone plans
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Southern Phone review: Our verdict
Southern Phone plans are actually pretty good value – especially its 2GB plan, which costs about $5 cheaper than other similar low data plans.
But, its plans lack extra features so if you're looking for things like data banking or data-free streaming, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Still, there's a few good reasons you might like Southern Phone:
- You can worry less about the environment since all of Southern Phone's plans are 100% carbon neutral.
- You won't need to deal with foreign call centres since Southern Phone has an Australia-based customer support team.
- You can purchase some new phones with a Southern Phone mobile plan, but you'll only be able to sign up if you call them.
But you might be concerned that:
- There are no international roaming options, meaning you can't take your plan overseas.
- You'll only get access to talk, text and data – there are no bonus features on Southern Phone's plans.
Read a more detailed review on
Value for money
Southern Phone's mobile plans are fairly decent for the price they cost.
In particular, its 2GB plan is one of the cheapest available, with most plans costing an average of $5 more for the same amount of data.
- Good to know: The rest of Southern Phone's mobile plans have an average data cost of $0.90 per GB, which is great compared to a benchmark of $1 per GB.
Things to watch out for:
- If you leave Southern Phone, you'll be charged an $8 'port out fee'. Most providers don't charge this fee when you choose to switch.
- You can only buy phone handsets with a Southern Phone mobile plan if you ring up its customer support team. Other providers allow you to do the same, but online.
Coverage
Southern Phone uses the Optus 3G and 4G mobile network, making it a solid choice for most Australians.
- The Optus 3G and 4G mobile network reaches 98.5% of the population.
- You'll get identical coverage to that offered by a plan purchased directly from Optus.
- You shouldn't run into any problems in metro areas, but could notice a drop in reception in rural or regional areas compared to plans on the Telstra network.
Customer service
Have a problem and need to reach Southern Phone? If so, you can:
- Ring up the customer support line 8am–8pm AEST, 7 days a week.
- Drop your message into the live chat on Southern Phone's website to get in touch with an agent.
- Good to know: Southern Phone has a 100% Australian customer support team based in Moruya, NSW.
- Keep in mind: Although the Southern Phone app is available to download in the Android store, it hasn't been updated in years and recent reviews suggest it doesn't work.
Bonus features
Southern Phone only offers 1 extra feature on some of its plans:
🌍 International inclusions
You'll get between $50 and $500 of international credit on all but its cheapest plan. This could be handy if you want to catch up with friends or family overseas.
Which rivals are giving Southern Phone a run for its money?
Southern Phone has decent plans, but there are still other providers worth considering if you're still unsure.
For another carbon neutral option:
Belong's plans are nearly identical to Southern Phone. They're carbon neutral too but use the wholesale Telstra 4G network, which has wider coverage
For more features:
Boost Mobile runs on the full Telstra 4G network, and offers bonus features like data-free music streaming, international call inclusions and data rollover too.
For phones on a plan:
Like Southern Phone, Woolworths Mobile offers cheaper plans to pair with a new phone (compared to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone). Plus, you can get 10% off your monthly Woolies shop.
Ready to sign up to Southern Phone?
To get started with Southern Phone, click the green "Go to site" button in the table next to the plan you want in our comparison table.
This will take you through to Southern Phone's website, where you can finalise your purchase.
What if I want to keep my current phone number?
To keep your number, just let Southern Phone know during the activation process and they'll handle it for you. It can take anywhere up to 24–48 business hours for the transfer to be completed.
If your current phone plan is under someone else's name, it may take a little longer. Read our guide on how to change ownership of your mobile number.
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Ask an Expert
How to update new credit card details?
Hello Peter,
Thank you for your comment.
To update your payment details, you can either log in to your Southern Phone account in the My Account section found on their website or get in touch with them directly so they can arrange this for you.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
What constitutes “data” in regard to mobile phones?
Hi Dennis!
Thanks for the comment.
Data is the exchange of information from the internet and your device or its applications. Whenever you turn-on your “data”, you are connected to the network and download or upload information. This includes emails, chat, browsing, internet banking, using voice over internet apps and many more.
You may contact your network by calling their hotline for further details on how you can manage your data.
Hope this clarifies.
Cheers,
Jonathan
I’m trying to finalise my plan but my mobile cut out. I have rang three times in an attempt to complete my application (which is on your computer file), but to no avail. Don’t email me.
Hi norm p.
You’ve reached finder, not Southern Phone telco. I would recommend contacting Southern Cross on 1300 019 408.
Cheers,
Brodie