The good news is that getting your phone working in Australia should be a fairly straightforward process. Following a few simple steps will have you sorted in no time.
You will likely only need to do two things, and one of them can be sorted before you leave.
Some plans have data roaming automatically enabled, meaning they'll use data when you're overseas. This data is usually hideously expensive and adds up quickly. Make sure you disable roaming before you go to avoid huge surprise bills.
This depends. Network-locking your phone is becoming less common globally so you usually don't have to worry about this – the UK, for example, is banning the practice from December 2021. But in some countries, like the US, it's still common.
It doesn't hurt to check with your provider to see whether the phone you have is currently locked to its network.
To unlock your phone from a network, you will usually need to contact your network provider or take it into one of the stores, so do this before leaving for Australia. In some cases, you may need to pay a fee to complete the unlocking process.
When buying a SIM for use in Australia, there are several different kinds of plans available. Which one you pick will depend on what you need.
If you're looking to buy a SIM card when you arrive in Australia, there are three main places you can purchase a local SIM:
If you don't need the plan urgently and can wait for delivery, you could also purchase your plan online as normal and activate the SIM when it arrives.
Australia has three major mobile networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. The best network for you will really depend on what you're after. Generally speaking, it shouldn't matter which network you join if you're looking to spend time in metropolitan areas.
If you're a traveller who will be venturing outside of metropolitan areas, it's generally recommended that you get a SIM that uses the Telstra network, since it has the widest coverage (99.4% if you have a mobile plan direct with Telstra, or 98.8% if you're with a smaller provider that uses the Telstra network).
You can find our monthly picks for the best mobile plans on the Telstra network here.
Fortunately, most modern phones are compatible with commonly used frequency bands around the world, so we don't usually need to think about this. The majority of recent phone models will work fine with Australian networks.
Just in case, though, check your phone's specifications or manual to see if it's compatible with the following frequencies and make sure you're able to join the Aussie networks available.
| Network | 3G | 4G | 5G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra | 850MHz | 700MHz 900MHz 1800MHz 2100MHz 2600MHz | 850MHz 3500MHz |
| Vodafone | 900MHz | 700MHz 850MHz 900MHz 1800MHz 2100MHz 2600MHz | 700MHz 3500MHz |
| Optus | 900MHz 2100MHz | 700MHz 900MHz 1800MHz 2100MHz 2300MHz 2600MHz | 3500MHz |
Find out which mobile providers have come out on top in the 2024 Finder Awards.
Buy the S24 Ultra on a plan from Optus, Telstra or Vodafone.
Apple's iPhone 15 lineup is officially on sale and you get any of the models on a plan from the major telcos.
The S23 series is officially on sale but the telcos are keeping things interesting with some new deals.
Get Google's next generation Pixel from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone.
Looking to save a bit on mobile data? Get data-free music streaming on mobile plans from Telstra, Optus and Boost.
Coles, Woolworths and ALDI hold their ground in the supermarket arena, but how do their mobile plans stack up?
Keep both your teenager and your wallet happy with our pick of the best mobile plans for teens.
Getting a phone for your children is an important decision to make, so here are the things to consider when choosing a mobile plan for your kids.
Australia's long-lived 2G network ceased operations in 2017, replaced by its 3G and 4G successors.
Hi, I’ve recently arrived from NZ using a Samsung Galaxy S7. My phone was not locked to any network in NZ, but it is not accepting (working with) a SIM that has already been activated in Australia – what can I do to get my phone to work in Australia?
Hi Newman, apologies for the late response. Hopefully you’ve sorted out the issue but in these instance it’s best to go to the Samsung store directly or a phone tech shop.