Last updated: March 2024
Canstar Blue’s SIM-only Mobile Plans Outstanding Value Award uses a sophisticated rating methodology, unique to Canstar Blue, which compares providers’ suite of mobile SIM-only postpaid (contract or month-to-month) mobile plans offered to consumers.
The Canstar Blue SIM-only Mobile Plans Outstanding Value Award is awarded to the provider that provides the strongest SIM-only postpaid mobile plan offering across a range of consumer data needs from Canstar Blue’s Mobile Value Rank for SIM-only postpaid.
Canstar Blue’s SIM-only Mobile Plan Outstanding Value Award considers mobile SIM-only postpaid plans.
| Plan Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Postpaid SIM-only plans | BYO device and enter a contract for regular payments over a selected period. |
Canstar Blue takes into account a range of variables for postpaid SIM-only plans, such as data, call, and SMS allowances. The following combination of consumer variables from Canstar Blue’s Mobile Value Rank determine the plan requirements for each profile:
| Calls Required | SMS Required | Data Required |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 5 GB+
10 GB+ 20 GB+ 40 GB+ 60 GB+ |
The SIM-only Mobile Plans Outstanding Value Award assesses the cumulative performance of a provider’s offering across a range of data inclusions over a six-month period; considering providers’ best performing SIM-only postpaid plan within each data allowance profile and for contract periods less than or equal to 12 months in length. The below outlines the weighted average consideration across each data allowance profile.
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For each plan, Canstar Blue considers the value proposition compared to the market, by providing an estimated monthly cost and feature score based on Customer Service and Support, Inclusions, and Billing and Payments. Canstar Blue considers plan features most relevant to consumers in the calculation of Value Rank. However, not every feature is included in the Value Rank, nor every feature that is relevant to you.
The above is a brief overview of the elements considered in Canstar Blue’s SIM-only Mobile Plan Outstanding Value Award. For further detail on how individual plans are assessed, please refer to the Mobile Value Rank Methodology document.
Canstar Blue endeavours to include the majority of providers and products in the market and to compare product features relevant to most consumers in our ratings. However, this process is not always possible, and it may be that not every provider and/or product in the market is included in the rating, nor every feature compared that is relevant to you.
Canstar Blue monitors changes on an ongoing basis, and the Value Rank, Price Score and Feature Scores of each plan are fully re-calculated every day.
Canstar Blue ranks Mobile plans based on value-for-money. Whereby, the Value Rank takes into account a plans’ estimated cost and features offered as compared to the market. The plans that are lower in cost and have higher features will be ranked higher than plans which have higher cost and less features.
This methodology and the many others Canstar Blue uses to conduct it’s in-depth consumer research are managed by Canstar Blue’s in-house Research Team. They provide the expertise that powers our Star Ratings and Awards, designed to help Australian consumers make more informed purchasing decisions.
Meet the Research Team