In looking at plans for 3G mobile data ahead of the (rumoured) 3G iPhone launch I decided to put a comparison together comparing all the data plans current providers offer. I looked at the webpages outlining data rates for the 5 major carriers and put together 2 comparison tables and a graph in Apple's Numbers 08 and copied into photoshop and saved as a PNG for easier viewing on the net.
Consider the following:
-I did not look at 2G or EDGE.
-I did not look at special phone/plan deals with unique data plans (eg. 3 Blackberry Plan or Telstra HipTop plans).
-I did not compare any extras (such as Skype minutes on 3 X-Series or Ringtone and Wallpaper downloads on Optus).
-I did it very quickly and there may be some errors, please correct any you see and tell me about them so I can update the comparison.
-I only compared Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, Three and Virgin. I did them because they are the main providers in Australia, and for time. I don't think anyone really compares about other carriers though.
-These will almost definitely change when the iPhone is released, particularly Vodafone and Optus (maybe Telstra and others, nothing official yet though).
-I ignored contract terms. (Vodafone's plans are cheper on a contract but they state "The 12 and 24 month Data Bundle contracts are for use with a Data Card, USB Modem, Built-in 3G broadband laptop or 3G broadband Router only (excludes mobile email devices)."
-I ignored customer service.
-The price for all these plans only covers data. Vodafone's plans allow you to make calls but they are charged on top of the price shown here. It also does not include possible phone repayments.
-I looked at 3's X-Series and not their Explorer Packs.
-I ignored coverage.
-I Ignored speed (they are all '3G' but I ignored mbps)
-I did not look at Mobile Broadband deals for USB Modems and Data Cards for laptops.
-Telstra and Vodafone's webpages were unclear if their more expensive plans were OK to use on a mobile device. Telstra's 3 most expensive plans are designed for when using a Mobile as a Modem but do not say you cant just use that data on your mobile. Vodafone says its 3 most expensive plans are typically used with a 'Data Card/USB Modem' but don't say anything about not using them on a mobile device.
Links:
I got my data from the following locations:
Vodafone:
Data Bundles
Telstra:
3G and Next Browsing Packs - Mobiles - Telstra
Optus:
Optus - Personal - 3G Rates
Virgin:
Services β Coverage around Australia, premium text, FREE voicemail in Oz, stuff for your Virgin Mobile
Three:
X-Series - Pricing
The Comparison:
How to Use It:
The top table is all the plans offered by by the 5 carriers with the following information:
Name of the Plan
Data Allowance
Excess Charges
Monthly Fee
The colour of the plan corresponds to the colours in the next table.
The second table puts the carrier against monthly spend and displays the amount of MB you will get. (If you spend $x a month with carrier x you will get xMB)
You will notice they different shades of blue. The first cell of a certain shade is where a new plan is available (Three is a little off, their first plan is at $12, I used that plan and excess data to get MB for $15). If the following cells are the same shade this indicates there is no plan available and the MB shown are how many you will get if you spend the extra money on excess data charges. While you can still be on a light blue plan at prices with plans in the price range for darker blue, it will only be in excess data and in all cases will cost more than the darker blue plan, when a new plan becomes available I stopped showing the old plan as it is what a logical consumer would pick.
For example, if you look at Telstra at $10 you get 20MB, the next cell, $15, is the same shade, indicating the same plan. At this price you get 25MB, this means you are on the $10 for 20MB plan but have downloaded 25MB, thus spending an extra $5 in excess data charges according to that plans excess charge.
In the second table some of the MB numbers given for a certain expenditure appear the same, this is because numbers are rounded off and the difference between the two is less than 1MB.
The graph at the bottom is a visual representation of the first table to make comparisons easier. Please note that you will notice the line between the last previous $5 increment to the first point of a new plan goes up at a much higher rate than the rest of the lines, this is a side effect of the way the data is sorted in the first table and the jump will not be reflected in reality.
Analysis:
From looking at what I've put together the clear winner is Three, however if you want more than 3GB and are willing to spend over $120 a month just for data then go with Telstra. However, you will need to consider other things when making a purchase as the carrier with the best data plan may not have the best call rates, coverage or extras that you want. Also, as I said earlier the carriers that get the iPhone may very well change these, and the carriers that don't MAY react and introduce changes to their data plans.
Overall Virgin offers the best value for money (in terms of Data only) when spending less than $15, then Three offers the best value for money by far between $20 and $120, at which point Telstra of all things becomes the best. However, once you get up to $150 Three's superior excess MB charge puts it in front again and since no plans are offered by anyone over that amount Three will be the cheapest carrier for all data usage above 3.15GB, although it sure isn't cheap.
When Dealing with less than $20 things are pretty competitive with no one carrier being obviously out in front (Virgin and Optus do OK, but Three shows up just as you approach $20) and extras can have influence here. From above $20 there is No competition and Three wins hands down, but when dealing with prices above $120 or usage in multiple Gigabytes Telstra re-enters the race competing with Three. Optus and Virgin offer pathetic deals in comparison (you're only in excess charge territory here). Vodafone hangs around somewhere in the middle offering a 1GB deal at $100 a month and a 2GB deal for $140 with better excess charges than Telstra but equal to Three. Vodafone, Telstra and Three are the only carriers than offer deals in the Gigabytes.
PS: If there is enough demand and no one else does it I'll try and keep this completely up to date as new plans and charges come in.
I've made it Creative Commons so feel free to share it!
In Depth Look at 3G Mobile Data Rates in Australia
