Unlimited data phone plans may still be few and far between, but several options have found their place in the Aussie mobile plan market. While it was once a niche and limited offering, there are now a handful of telcos offering unlimited data on phone plans.
If unlimited data sounds expensive, you may be surprised. Signing up to an unlimited data phone plan doesn’t have to break the bank — in this guide we’ll check out the cheapest phone plans in Australia with unlimited data included.
What is ‘unlimited’ data?
Unlimited data plans have been offered in Australia on and off for the last few years, with Telstra, Vodafone, and Optus each currently including an unlimited gigabyte allowance on their respective postpaid mobile and SIM-only plans.
But, there is a catch. The ‘unlimited’ data included on almost all of these plans is only offered at a capped speed. So, while the data is unlimited, you might not have fast enough speeds to do certain activities on your phone, such as high-definition video streaming.
The good news is that excess data charges don’t apply to unlimited data plans, making them a great option for Aussies looking to avoid mobile bill shock. You can find unlimited data on plans from the following providers:
- Felix Mobile
- Optus
- Telstra
- Vodafone
What is the cheapest phone plan with unlimited data?
Vodafone had previously offered a truly unlimited mobile data plan, however it removed this product and now simply offers unlimited data in the form of no excess data charges at capped speeds.
If you like the sound of an unlimited data plan, the good news is that you can get unlimited data for only $40 per month from Felix Mobile. Felix is a bit of an unusual phone plan provider compared to others on the market as it’s a subscription-based service and while it had previously only offered its single unlimited plan. It has since added some plans with data allowances (and with no excess data charges), and it’s currently the only telco in Australia to include only unlimited data. You pay upfront, like a prepaid plan, and get a set amount of inclusions for a month, with your plan auto-renewing at the end of each billing period.
That $40 per month will get you unlimited standard national calls and SMS here in Australia, in addition to unlimited data at the capped speed of 20Mbps. While there is no fast-speed data allowance on this plan, the capped speed of 20Mbps is fast enough for your general mobile data needs, such as web browsing, email checking, social media scrolling and music streaming. You’ll find this speed is fast enough for streaming SD and even HD videos. Of course, that 20Mbps is your maximum speed and is hard-capped, so you might find some activities are slower, such as downloading apps or videos.
If you’re after a plan with no excess data charges where you can continue using data but at a slower capped speed, Felix also offers $25 and $30 plans (cheaper than what you’ll get from the big three telcos) which include data alloances. Once you go over your data inclusion, you can continue using data at the capped speed of 1.5Mbps.
Here is the unlimited data Felix Mobile plan from Canstar Blue’s database. Use our phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This is a product from a referral partner.
Best unlimited data phone plans from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone
While Felix has the benefit of being the cheapest truly unlimited data phone plan in Australia, and a faster capped-speed than what’s generally available from the big three telcos at this price, you still might find an ‘unlimited’ data phone plan from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone offers the best value for money for your needs.
Both Telstra and Optus offer unlimited data on postpaid plans — once you use up your included fast-speed data allowance, you can continue using your data but at the capped speed of 1.5Mbps. Vodafone offers a similar ‘no excess data charges’ form of unlimited data on its postpaid phone plans to Telstra and Optus, however Vodafone offers the capped speed of 2Mbps. These speeds are much slower than what Felix offers on its unlimited data plan, however it is fast enough for general usage like web browsing, emails, social media, music streaming and potentially SD video streaming.
If you like the sound of a plan with some included fast-speed data allowance but the security of not having to worry about excess data fees thanks to unlimited capped-speed data, a plan from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone might suit you.
Optus’ cheapest postpaid plan is its $49 Small option, which includes 30GB of fast data, plus 5G network access. Vodafone’s cheapest postpaid plan is $45 with 40GB of data, unlimited 2Mbps capped-speed data and 5G network access — Vodafone does tend to offer discounts and bonus data on postpaid plans quite regularly, so you might be able to pick up more fast-speed data at a cheaper price depending on if these offers are available. If you’d prefer prepaid, Vodafone’s cheapest plan is $30 with 20GB of fast-speed data and 1.5Mbps unlimited capped-speed data.
Telstra’s cheapest plan is the Small $62 plan with 50GB of included fast-speed data, and unlimited 1.5Mbps capped-speed data. This plan also includes 5G network access, but full-speed data is restricted to 250Mbps.
The following table includes a selection of Telstra, Optus and Vodafone postpaid phone plans from Canstar Blue’s database, 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.
Do I need an unlimited data phone plan?
While there are only a handful of telcos offering unlimited data on phone plans, for many of us, the thought of not having to worry about data usage might tempt you over to an unlimited plan. There is certainly good value for money with the plan from Felix, while if you’re looking to the big three telcos for your phone plan, having that unlimited data — or essentially, the removal of excess data charges — is certainly good for that peace of mind. Just make sure that these plans fit within your budget and that you’re not paying too much simply for access to that unlimited data.
However, for most average phone users, if you only use your mobile data for basic tasks such as web and social media browsing, several hours of music streaming per week and the occasional video stream, you might prefer to look to other telcos offering cheap phone plans or with bigger data inclusions. There are so many options out there, so it helps to compare phone plans from a range of different providers to find the best mobile phone plan for your needs.
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