Ok, I'm going to add a comparison of the cheapest caps for each carrier. Give me an hour

Update: This is going to be really difficult. Calculating minutes is hard because of the flagfall.

Thanks. I take it none of the bundles for data have any discount with a specific cap plan. Its a straight add...

Ok, here's what I'm doing. I'm comparing the cheapest available CAP plan, I'll compare:
-the % of what you pay you get in the cap (a $50 cap with $100 included value has a value of %200).
-Flagfall
-Call rate per 30seconds
-SMSs, MMSs Emails
-Any included data

Sounds nice. The only possible other combo to look at down the track might be people who go on a prepaid for their voice/sms because they dont use it much but will go on the data plan - but I am pretty sure Three will win that.

Yeah, I'd love to do a full comparison of mobile telcos in Australia but things get very complicated. I'll do the data plans and cheapest possible Caps and add to it as I get more time.

I just checked out 3s prepaid. $15 buck a month is pretty good for voice and sms, especially if the other party is on 3
Three - Mobiles & Plans - Prepaid activation - 3 Prepaid Pricing

Excellent work! However I feel that it might be in vain. Once the iPhone is launched in Australia, everything will change. But for the time being, it's a great analysis of the data rates here! Keep up the great work!

And so will my chart

Ok, I've nailed down what I'm adding to the chart:
Cap
Cap Peak
Cap Extra % (the % of the amount you pay you get in credit)
Flagfall
Call Rate
SMS
Included Data
2 minute call
5 minute call
Minutes (based on 2 minutes calls)
Minutes (based on 5 minutes calls)

Then I'll work out a way to measure the average price per minute and compare it to the cap.

UPDATE: What I've done:
-I've displayed the standard rates (SMS, Flagfall, per 30sec call).
-Given a % value calculated as (($Credit/$Cap) * 100) to show how the value of a Cap.
-Determined price of 5 minute and 2 minute calls
-Determined number of minutes assuming 5min calls
-Determined number of minutes assuming 2 min calls
-Determined average minutes based on 50% 2min calls and 50% 5min calls
-Determined minutes per $
-Determined total cost per month assuming cheapest cap available on carrier and $20 spent on Data
-Determined price of 1MB
-Determined price of 1min

-And finally, to determine which plan is cheapest overall I averaged the price of a megabyte and the price of a minute.

I'll add the results sometime tomorrow.

UPDATE: I sent the info into Gizmodo Australia and they posted it: If The iPhone Launched Tomorrow, How Much Would You Pay For Data? | Gizmodo Australia

Yeah, nice one.

Hopefully more news this week.

Posted this in the iPhone thread. Seems to be relevant here too -

There seems to be other Optus data plans available (for small business at least.)

NON-CONTRACT RATES
Pay / Get
$29.99 1GB
$44.99 2GB
$59.99 6GB
Excess Usage 15c/MB

CONTRACT RATES
Monthly Spend / Data per month / Excess Usage
$5 5MB 31c MB
$15 30MB 31c MB
$19.99 1GB 15c MB
$34.99 2GB 15c MB
$49.99 6GB 15c MB


Initially I thought these were wireless broadband rates, but see here.

It basically states - "Data Plans To Add To Your Service

So you can surf the internet on your phone, access an online street directory or check the latest news on the share market."

1GB for $20 seems pretty reasonable to me!

Ok, how many people here have an ABN? ... Didn't think so.

I only included data rates available to everyday customers on any plan (so no blackberry plans).

thankfully i do have an ABN!

however I still think that this is a big step in right direction! if they are starting to introduce deals like this for business customers, then surely sooner or later they will introduce them on personal plans.

I agree that since Optus even offers plans like that then there is no reason they can't offer similar plans when the iPhone comes out.

just to add some confusion to the discussion! .... my setup is that i bought a Novatel USB modem and a tel$tra Same G prepaid starter kit, i activated the USIM in my old nokia GSM phone and then installed it in my Novatel modem and configured that to work on my MBA.

when i activated the Same G prepaid service i made sure i selected the long life option which means your recharges last up to 12 months.

then i bought $220 of tel$tra credit on ebay for $100 and then bought a 1GB data pack for $89 which means it effectively cost about $40 for 1GB.

the drawbacks is no tel$tra unmetered content and no effective realtime usage metering and if you let the data pack runout it switches to standard pay as you go rate of $2MB, the advantage for a casual user like me is relatively cost effective access with no plan or contract and the superior coverage of the Same G network.

i am down in newcastle at the moment and using it to video call home with Skype is fantastic - as well as being able to browse and access internet without paying the extortionate rates the hotel charges for access to their wireless network.

you can get an ABN in about 5 minutes online. ABN online