- Bessie Hassan
- Head of PR & Money Expert
- finder.com.au
- +61 402 567 568
- Bessie.Hassan@finder.com.au
Media Release
Internet for days: Aussies dream big – but cheap – when it comes to mobile data
- Australians willing to pay only $60 for unlimited data on smartphones
- Unlimited data deemed ‘financial suicide’ for phone providers
- finder.com.au rounds up mobile plans with biggest data allowance
31 October, 2016, Sydney, Australia -- If Australian smartphone owners could get an unlimited data plan, they’d only be prepared to cough up $60 a month for it, according to finder.com.au, Australia’s most visited comparison website1.
finder.com.au surveyed 2,005 Australian phone users about how much they’d be prepared to pay for unlimited mobile data, along with unlimited calls and texts.
There are currently no unlimited data phone plans in the Australian telco market but if there was, $60.46 is all we’d be willing to pay for it per month.
The research found men were prepared to pay slightly more than women for unlimited data plans: $62.72 compared to $58.07.
Alex Kidman, Telco expert at finder.com.au, is shocked at how little Aussies would be prepared to pay.
“Australians would go pretty wild for unlimited data, but I am surprised by how cheap they think it should be,” he says.
Customers looking for an alternative to their monthly capped plans had better not hold their breath for unlimited plans.
“A couple of carriers introduced unlimited monthly data plans in Australia a few years ago, but they quickly figured out it wasn’t worth it. Our appetite for data is huge and unlimited plans would be ‘financial suicide’ for carriers,” he says.
There are a number of high usage data plans in the market, topping out at 30GB of usage, he adds.
“If you’re going to binge watching a whole series of your favourite show, wait until you’re near your home Wi-Fi,” he says.
Not surprisingly Generation Y valued unlimited data much more than any other generation.
At $73.56 Gen Ys were prepared to spend 30% more than Generation X ($56.42) and 43% more than Baby Boomers ($51.40).
When comparing state by state, South Australians ($65.20 per month) were prepared to cough up the most for unlimited mobile data. In second place were Victorians ($62.30), followed by Queenslanders ($61.87).
He says it was essential to read the fine print on any phone plan as there were many traps.
“Advertisements can sometimes be deceptive so make sure you read the fine print – you want to be clear on how excess data charges work.”
“Day-to-day, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on your data consumption – you can do this via most phone provider apps. Excess charges can escalate very quickly and the last thing you want is bill shock,” he says.
Mobile plans for heavy data users
| Plan | Data allowance | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeenee Mobile $50 Mammoth 30GB Plan (SIM only, postpaid) | 30GB | $50 | -30GB -Unlimited Calls -Unlimited Messages -Month to month -Optus 3G network |
| Telstra Mobile XXL Contract (Bundled with Samsung Galaxy S7 32GB) | 25GB | $195 | -Unlimited Calls -Unlimited Messages -24 months -1.5GB of data in selected international destinations |
| Telstra Go Mobile Plus XL Contract (Bundled with Apple iPhone 7 32GB) | 20GB | $135 | -Unlimited Calls -Unlimited Messages -6 Months Apple Music Subscription -Unlimited calls and texts to 10 countries |
| Optus My Plan Plus $120 Contract (Bundled with HTC 10 32GB) | 20GB | $120 | -Unlimited Calls -Unlimited Messages -Data free music streaming for -Google Play Music, Guvera, iHeart Radio, Pandora and Spotify |
| OVO for Mobile $44.95 (SIM only, prepaid) | 12GB | $44.95 | -12GB -Unlimited Calls -Unlimited Messages -Optus 4G -Prepaid 30 days -Unlimited selected sports streaming on OVOPlay |
| Optus My Prepaid Ultimate $60 (SIM only, postpaid) | 11GB | $60 | -11GB -Unlimited Calls -Unlimited Messages -Prepaid 28 days -Unlimited standard national calls to China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, NZ, Singapore, South Korea, UK and USA -Data free music streaming for Google Play Music, Guvera, iHeart Radio, Pandora and Spotify |
1Experian Hitwise Since 2015
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For further information
- Bessie Hassan
- Head of PR & Money Expert
- finder.com.au
- +61 402 567 568
- Bessie.Hassan@finder.com.au
Disclaimer
The information in this release is accurate as of the date published, but rates, fees and other product features may have changed. Please see updated product information on finder.com.au's review pages for the current correct values.
About Finder
Every month 2.6 million unique visitors turn to Finder to save money and time, and to make important life choices. We compare virtually everything from credit cards, phone plans, health insurance, travel deals and much more.
Our free service is 100% independently-owned by three Australians: Fred Schebesta, Frank Restuccia and Jeremy Cabral. Since launching in 2006, Finder has helped Aussies find what they need from 1,800+ brands across 100+ categories.
We continue to expand and launch around the globe, and now have offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland and the Philippines. For further information visit www.finder.com.au.
12.6 million average unique monthly audience (June- September 2019), Nielsen Digital Panel