Southern Phone offers the flexibility of choosing not only plans but also the network you want to access for your telecommunications services.
What services does Southern Phone offer?
Southern Phone offers postpaid mobile phone services on a SIM-only basis using parts of Telstra's 4G networks as well as Optus’ 3G networks. It offers both SIM-only plans on month by month or 24 month contract terms, as well as a wide variety of plans that include a bundled mobile phone handset.
How much does Southern Phone cost?
Southern Phone offers a range of SIM-only plans operating on the Optus 3G and parts of the Telstra 4G network, with pricing starting at $5 per month with no included credit up to $70 for a plan with unlimited standard national talk and text and 10GB of data.
Southern Phone also offers a range of phone contract plans using either Optus' 3G network or Telstra's 4G networks. Excluding handset repayments, which vary by device, Telstra-based plans start at $10 per month with 200MB of data and $200 worth of talk and text credit, up to $70 per month with unlimited talk and text and 10GB of data. If you opt for the Optus 3G "Value" plans, excluding handset costs you'll pay from $5 per month for a plan with no talk or text credit or data inclusion up to $20 per month for a plan with $200 worth of talk credit, unlimited standard national texts and 1.5GB of mobile data.
What extras does Southern Phone offer?
Most MVNOs offer simple SIM-only products, but Southern branches out offering a variety of handsets on 24 month contract terms alongside its standard SIM-only products.
What excess charges could I face on these plans?
- Excess call costs
- Excess data costs
- International call costs
- Early contract cancellation fees
Your excess costings on any Southern Mobile plan will vary slightly depending on whether you're on the Southern 4G or Southern Value Mobile plan tiers.
For all but the entry level Southern 4G plans, standard national calls and texts are unlimited. For the entry level plan you're provided with $200 credit to spend on calls and texts, with calls charged at 99c per minute with a 40c flagfall, and texts charged at 25 each. If you exceed your credit quota that's the price you'll pay for additional calls which will be added to your monthly bill.
The situation is much the same for the Southern Value plans, with the $10 plan providing $200 worth of call credit where calls are charged at 99c per minute with a 40c flagfall, and texts cost 25c each.
For plans that come with unlimited standard national calls and texts, non-standard calls, such as premium phone or SMS services, calls to satellite phones or video calls will attract additional call costs on top of your monthly charge.
All plans come with a data inclusion, but once you've exhausted that quota, additional data charges apply. For the small 4G plan, data is charged at 5c per MB with a minimum charge of 25c. For small additional data use this could be quite affordable, but it compares poorly against the general current industry standard of $10 per GB. By comparison, Southern Phone is charging $50 per excess GB.
For all other plans, however, the standard industry pricing of $10 per GB, applied automatically when you go over quota applies, and this includes the $10 Value plan. This only applies to the first 3GB of excess usage, after which data is charged at 5c per MB of usage.
Southern supports international calling for its Value and 4G customers, with slightly different pricing schedules for either plan type, and naturally enough, differing rates depending on where you're calling. The pricing sheet for its Value plans can be found here, while the pricing sheet for its 4G plans is here.
Southern Mobile does support international roaming if you call them first on 13 14 64, however it strongly discourages its use, noting that it is very expensive, with the suggestion that you use a local SIM card at your destination instead.
Southern Mobile does not charge any kind of specific early termination fee. However, any outstanding monthly payments or usage, including any device payment fees must be settled when your account is closed.
Pros
- Choice of standard or unlimited plans Southern Phone offers 4G services if you’re in a coverage area, but if you’re not and you want to save a few bucks their 3G-only services are competitively priced.
Cons
- Some handset plans are pricey It’s worth doing your sums and comparisons for some of Southern Phone’s handset plans before you sign up.
- Limited to Optus 3G If you opt for the Optus-based value plans, you're stuck in a 3G-only world.
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