Best phone plans with lots of data

Fact Checked

Phone plans have changed a lot in the past few years, with big chunks of data now available at relatively cheap prices. The big three telcos, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, tend to be the most generous with data; however, many of the smaller providers across both prepaid and postpaid also offer plans with lots of data.

Why do I need a phone plan with lots of data?

Having a phone plan with a lot of data can be useful if you use your phone for things such as streaming video. It can also come in handy if you regularly use your phone as a mobile hotspot to access the internet on other devices. This can be a laptop or tablet if you’re on the go, or in moments of crisis when your home internet drops or network congestion is especially bad.

The only problem is that if you rely on your phone plan’s data for home internet access (e.g. web browsing, sending emails and video streaming), you may chew through your data allowance  quickly. If you plan to use your phone data more heavily, you might need to switch to a phone plan with plenty of gigabytes.

Keep in mind that the more data you want, the more expensive the phone plan. If you’re on a really tight budget, a big-data phone plan might not be the best option for you.

How much data do I need?

Video streaming is notorious for using a lot of data. High-definition video streaming can easily use around 3GB of data per hour of streaming, while standard definition can use around 700MB or even up to 1GB an hour, depending on the video streaming service.

As for other use, music streaming uses much less data, around 40MB per hour of lower-quality audio, or up to 150MB for very-high audio quality. Checking and sending emails uses very little data, around 0.5MB per email set or received according to Telstra’s data usage calculator. However, if that email comes with attachments to download, that will use more.

Social media use can chew through quite a bit of data, especially for video. Facebook uses around 200MB-300MB per hour, but this will depend on factors such as images and video.

It’s the same for general web browsing. Web pages generally only use around 1.5MB of data per page, however this can increase if pages feature embedded video or other media. Downloading files online will also use data, especially larger files such as apps and games.

If you’d like to know more about who much data different activities use, then we’ve written a detailed guide on data usage to help you figure out how much data you actually need.

Prepaid offers you might like

The following table shows a selection of sponsored SIM Only plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.

Sponsored Products

FELIX | $40 Plan 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $20) SIM Only Prepaid 50% off for 3 months with code: FELIX50. Get UNLIMITED data for your first 3 months, then $40/month. Unlimited data at speeds up to 20Mbps. No lock in contract.

Unlimited GB Data/month

$20.00 Cost/month

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TPG | T4G Medium Plan 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $17.50) SIM Only Prepaid 50% off mobile plan fees! Get 50GB data for only $17.50/mth for 6 months, then $30/mth with a linked TPG internet plan. Otherwise, $35/mth. T&Cs apply.

50GB Data/month

$17.50 Cost/month

Go to site

iiNet | Mobile SIM Plan 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $17.50) SIM Only Postpaid Half Price! $17.50/mth for the first 6 months, then $35/mth. With a linked iiNet internet plan. Otherwise, $35/mth*. T&Cs Apply.

50GB Data/month

$17.50 Cost/month

Go to site

View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue

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Phone plans with big data inclusions — quick comparison

Before we compare a range of high-data phone plans across SIM-only prepaid and postpaid, along with phone-on-a-plan options, we’ll take a quick look at some phone plans with big data. While it can be tricky to find phone plans with 60GB of data or more, there are some options available. Here are five SIM-only postpaid phone plans with high data inclusions:

• Southern Phone — 80GB data for $34 per month (month-to-month plan)
• Moose Mobile — 100GB data for $41.80 per month (month-to-month plan)
• Vodafone — 180GB data (plus unlimited capped-speed data) for $59 per month (month-to-month plan)
• Telstra — 180GB data (plus unlimited capped-speed data) for $75 per month (month-to-month plan)
• Optus — 200GB data (plus unlimited speed-capped data) for $65 per month (month-to-month plan)

Big data postpaid plans

There are plenty of SIM-only postpaid plans with data at 40GB each month or more. Unlike prepaid, you won’t find longer expiry periods as you’ll pay your bill monthly. If you do happen to go over your data inclusions, you will be charged excess data fees in most cases, which is generally $10 for an additional 1GB of data.

The exception is for plans with ‘unlimited data’ or ‘no excess data charges’. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all include ongoing data use on postpaid plans, even if you’re exceeded your monthly high-speed data limit; the catch is that data speeds are slowed to one or two megabits per second. This is still fast enough for basic web browsing and low-definition music or video streaming.

Big data prepaid plans

Prepaid phone plans can offer some really generous data inclusions for the price, and also give you the benefit of paying in advance and avoiding being hit with a surprise end-of-month bill.

The only thing to look out for with prepaid is the expiry period. Most plans will run on a 28 or 30-day expiry period; however, plans with the biggest data allowances will often be long expiry, meaning that data is designed to last you six or even 12 months.

When you’re comparing big data prepaid plans, check the expiry period — you may find that it’s actually a long-expiry plan.

Big data phone plans from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone

When it comes to postpaid phone plans with lots of data, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone tend to have the biggest inclusions. All three providers offer plans with 100GB or more per month.

These plans can also be bundled with a new smartphone, however a ‘phone on a plan‘ option will cost extra for your monthly device payment.