Telechoice offers plans on both 12 and 24 month contracts running on Telstra's 3G/4G network.
What services does Telechoice offer?
Telechoice is an MVNO running on parts of the Telstra 3G/4G network, covering up to 98.5% of the Australian population. With a combination of plans over either 12 or 24 contracts as well as month-to-month SIM only plans with no lock in contracts, Telechoice has a fairly comprehensive lineup of mobile plan offerings.
Telechoice differentiates itself from many MVNOs in the fact it has 34 retail stores around the country, offering customers a physical location to visit for both joining the network or getting ongoing customer support.
Telechoice also offers some phones on contract. You can't get the latest flagship from Apple or Samsung, but if you're a fan of Oppo handsets, there are a few options for you to choose from.
How much does Telechoice cost?
Despite the difference in contract lengths, Telechoice's plans are remarkably consistent in their value and inclusions. Prices start at $19 per month for either 12 or 24 months (or $20 per month for a billed monthly option). There are additional tiers at $28 per month, $29 per month, $38 a month or $48 per month, with the bundled talk, text and data very similar across all plans. You do get slightly less on the data front for a billed monthly plan, but that's to be expected.
What extras does Telechoice offer?
Telechoice prides itself on its mantra of keeping things simple, so there's not much in the way of extras on offer through their mobile plans.
What excess charges could I face on these plans?
- Excess call costs
- Excess data costs
- International call costs
- Early contract cancellation fees
Telechoice provides plans on month to month, 12 month and 24 month terms, all of which incur slightly different excess charge scenarios.
For call plans with a sum quota for calls, once that value is exhausted, you'll pay 99c per minute plus a 40c flagfall for calls. Even for plans with "unlimited" standard national calls, the key word there is "standard". Certain call types, such as premium services will attract an additional per-call fee.
Telechoice uses the industry standard for excess data, which involves adding a 1GB block of data to your quota as soon as you go over for a flat fee of $10. This does mean you could incur many $10 charges if you use multiple GB of data over your quota within a billing month.
Telechoice plans do provide support for international calls, with some plans also including a quota of international calls as part of your overall bundle. Rates vary depending on the country you wish to call, with Telechoice's full rate sheet available here.
By default, Telechoice mobile SIMs are blocked from international roaming, although you can apply to have this block listed if you wish to use your Telechoice Mobile phone overseas while travelling. This only applies to call and texting services, however, with no support for international data roaming at all. Telechoice's full pricing sheets, including the range of supported roaming countries can be found here.
If you opt to cancel your Telechoice mobile contract, the charge you'll incur will vary by plan type. For month to month contracts there's no specific penalty fee, although you must pay any outstanding charges. For either 12 or 24 month plans, you've got to pay any outstanding fees plus an early termination charge, calculated at $15 times the number of months remaining on your contract.
Pros/Cons
Pros
- 4G connectivity Telechoice has access to parts of the Telstra 3G/4G network, so expect fast speeds and fairly reliable connections.
- Local retail presence. Sometimes it's easier to head to a retail store to deal with a mobile provider, and Telechoice has 34 retail stores around the country.
- Complete contract options. You can sign up on either a month to month plan or get a 12 or 24 month contract - it's completely up to you.
Cons
- No flagship handsets Telechoice offers a limited selection of handsets on contract, but nothing from major players like Apple or Samsung.
- Not much difference between contract terms. In most cases there doesn't appear to be any substantial value benefit for signing up for 24 months rather than 12 months.
