Does this change the data on the 24 month plans that telstra offers?

I assume it ups the data on those as well?

Awesome if it did, no biggie if it didn't.

I'd tend to assume that it would up the data on those plans as well.

Well the press release didn't make specific mention of iPhone packs, so one could assume it was an accross the board change.

those pack prices make no sense. Is the $29 a typo and it should be $19, or is it that it is not 300mb and it is 500mb for $29?
Why would you pay an extra $19 to only get twice the amount on the $10 plan?

The calls included in those contracts are still way behind optus though.. Am I missing something here?

Does telstra not offer cap plans?

Depends which Optus plans you compare them to - the 'yes' caps or the 'yes' plans.

Plans are more balanced in terms of data + calls, and also have some other features that you don't get on the cap plans, like credit roll-over, etc.

Caps are more calls-focused, you get a HUGE amount of calls per month, and the same or less data as the plans - also, there are less price points for caps than there are for the plans.

EDIT: No, Telstra doesn't offer caps afaik.

Any change to the $5 Data Pack? might have to move to the $10 one

Boy I love some of the quotes in this article:

"those already on a $10 or a $29 pack will automatically have the additional data allowance added to their plans over the next few months according to Telstra."

Read: So for our valued Telstra customers thus far who were stupid enough to pay $30 for 80MB we'll still keep milking you like a dumb cow for a few more months by continuing to charge you the old rates. In addition we most likely won't end up doing it automatically unless you notice it yourself and call us up to change you.

"Sources have said that the telco didn't have long enough to nut out its pricing and make it competitive in the time between them getting the iPhone late June and selling it on 11 July."

Read: We wanted to rip customers off as usual but Optus's offer was so much better that even the die hard Telstra fan boys couldn't justify it. Now that we've seen that our Tesltra staff are falling asleep at the iphone line with no customers while Optus has hours long queues we realised by screwed the pouch. But we won't admit to that...we'll just say we didn't have time!

"executive director Glenice Maclellan saying the rise was needed "as devices catch up with Next G capabilities"."

WTF?? Ohh is that what was holding back people from using data on the marvelous Next G?? And here I thought it was the $5/5MB data charges!!

Just added on the SMH website...Telstra data plans, Virgin and 3

This is great news, it's becoming more attractive.

It was never going to live up to expectations without being used on NextG, Optus's network is so unreliable and their infrastructure has been awful with the influx of people signing up. Many people i know report they can't use their devices on the train because of dropping in and out of 3G reception.

NextG should address those issues, and it's now (a little bit more) affordable!

EDIT: I do feel sorry for all those who ported over to Optus on the strength of their opening plans though... what with 3 and Virgin entering the fray, it does look as though the early adopters got burnt on the plans rather than the phone pricing (unless Optus improves their prices/plans and allows people to switch...)

the $10 pack excess is .50c a mb after 150mb, and
the $29 pack excess is .25c a mb after 300mb.

Someone did suggest buying 2 $10 packs. Doubt that'll be possible

what good is having massive data plans if it cant be legally tethered with a laptop?

most normal people are struggling to hit 500 mb a month, what will they do with 1 gig?

at the end of the day, the iphone is a phone and call rates and value makes more sense than judging a plan by the big data figures out there that virgin intend to release.

@Wolfie,
Ditto. The Optus plans are awesome... you can send a squillion SMS's just about, even on the $50 prepaid plan. couple that with 500mb of data... well, unless you truly need the NextG coverage, it's still a no brainer.

But at least these new telstra plans will stop some of the haemorage that telstra have no doubt suffered in the last few weeks.

You've kinda missed the point: Telstra, the proverbial over-chargers of the telecommunications industry, have done something in favour of competition. They're enticing users BACK to them with better data rates, and as I've said before - their coverage is second to none.

Besides, the press release said nothing about 1GB data packs...

To the OP: Wanna change the title? It's been confirmed now

That pricing doesn't make sense.
It's costing you more per MB on the $29 pack than the $10 pack.

Reckon they'll loose out here as many will just buy the $10 pack. If they can't buy two $10 packs they won't get the $29. They'll just manage with the $10.