Tangerine Telecom provides no-contract SIM-only mobile phone services running on the Optus 4G network.
What services does Tangerine Telecom offer?
Tangerine Telecom provides a range of broadband services as well as a SIM-only mobile phone service which operates on Optus’ 4G network. All plans are offered on a month by month postpaid basis, which means that you can spend more than the monthly minimum if you go over your usage quota, but you’re also free to switch at any time with only your current month to pay for.
Tangerine Telecom sells its mobile services SIM-only, so you’ll need to have an unlocked handset to put a Tangerine Telecom SIM into.
How much does Tangerine Telecom cost?
All of Tangerine Telecom’s plans include unlimited standard national calls and texts, so they’re named instead for the quantity of data that you get with each plan. Pricing ranges from $29.95 per month for the 1GB plan up to $59.95 per month for the 7GB plan. Data is provided at 1GB, 3GB, 5GB and 7GB tiers, with excess data charged at $10/GB.
What extras does Tangerine Telecom offer?
Most SIM-only month to month plans concentrate on their simplicity, and Tangerine Telecom’s plans are really no exception, with very few additional extras bolted on. On the plus side there, you’re not paying for inclusions you may not use. On higher tier plans, $300 worth of calling value is provided for calling 56 selected countries, refreshing each contract month.
What excess charges could I face on these plans?
- Excess call costs
- Excess data costs
- International call costs
- Early contract cancellation fees
All of Tangerine Telecom's SIM-only plans include unlimited standard national calls and texts, but that does still leave a category of call and text types that could add to your monthly mobile bill. Premium call and SMS services for example will incur additional charges.
For data usage, if you go over your quota you'll pay the industry standard for additional data at $10 per GB. That's a charge you'll incur as soon as you go over quota rather than one levied at a pro-rata rate. Essentially, you're buying an additional gigabyte of usage for your $10.
Tangerine Telecom does include international SMS as part of its SIM-only deals, but international calls are charged for. Upper tier plans do include a quantity of international calls, expressed in dollar terms for 56 selected countries. Full rates for calling internationally vary, and can be found here, as Tangerine applies Optus' call rates exactly.
Likewise, if you want to roam internationally using your Tangerine Telecom mobile SIM it is supported, but at additional cost. Again, Tangerine simply applies Optus' default roaming charges, which can be found here.
Pros
- Simple plan structures. Forget the fancy plan names. Tangerine Telecom simply tells you how much data you’re getting, because other talk and text inclusions are unlimited anyway.
- No long term contracts. If you’re unhappy for any reason, you’re not tied down to a lengthy contract.
Cons
- Few extras. Tangerine Telecom’s plans are simple, but this means they’re also feature limited.
- Print bills are pricey. If you do happen to want a printed bill each month, it will cost you $3.50 a time to do so.
