Thanks to the powerful smartphones we carry around and the easy access to music and video streaming apps, entertainment on the go has never been easier. But of course there are only so many free WiFi networks out there, and inevitably you’ll need to rely on mobile data for some of your phone internet needs.
While smaller data inclusions may suit some phone users, if you like a bigger chunk of data — especially if you’re wary of excess data fees — there is some good news. Big data allowances are definitely a lot cheaper than they used to be. There are plenty of providers around offering 40GB of data or more, and the prices for some of these may surprise you, so let’s take a look at what’s on offer.
Cheap postpaid plans with 40GB of data
If postpaid is your preferred way to go, there are plenty of plans around with 40GB of data or more. If you’re willing to spend anywhere from $30 up to $60, you can easily find plans with as little as 40GB and as much as 100GB. While prices around $50 and more might not be considered ‘cheap’ by some, if you consider the data inclusions, these plans could offer good value for money. Considering that the average phone bill for postpaid in Australia is $41 per month (from research conducted by Canstar Blue in 2020), that extra $10 or so dollars for a bit more data might be worth it to some.
While many of these plans are offered as month-to-month SIM-only plans, you will find a few providers that offer both month-to-month and contract plans will typically include more data at cheaper prices if you sign up for a contract, usually over 12 months. So, you might want to consider whether you’re willing to commit to a contract for that little bit of extra value for money.
The following table includes a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 40GB of data, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Cheap prepaid plans with 40GB of data
While you can get prepaid plans with bigger chunks of data for around $40 and up to $70 — with a minimum of 40GB of data not uncommon — there might be a catch with some of these plans. Some plans might run on a longer expiry period, such as 90 days, 180 days or even up to a year. When looking for a prepaid plan with 40GB of data or more, keep an eye on that expiry period so you know how long you’ll have access to that data.
Also keep in mind that a typical ‘monthly’ prepaid plan will run for 28 or 30 days, compared to postpaid which is a monthly bill, so a 28 or 30-day prepaid plan may require you to recharge at least 13 times a year, compared to the typical 12 bills a year for postpaid.
The following table includes a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 40GB of data, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Can you get unlimited data mobile plans?
While there is technically no unlimited data phone plan currently available here in Australia, Telstra, Vodafone and now Optus offer a version of ‘unlimited’ data — but there is a catch. Once you use up your data inclusions, you can keep using your data but at a capped speed. Telstra and Optus both caps this speed at 1.5Mbps, while Vodafone offers its ‘infinite’ data at capped speeds of 2Mbps, 10Mbps or 25Mbps depending on which plan you choose.
Telstra, Optus and Vodafone do offer some of the largest data amounts around so if you are a very heavy internet user and chew through your mobile data, you can easily find plans with 100GB or more from the big three providers. Plus, these plans typically include 5G mobile network access, so you can do more with your data and at faster speeds.
Share this article