Telstra launches new unlimited GB mobile plan and expands "peace of mind" data

Today Telstra has announced the launch of a new range of postpaid plans including a $199 per month handset plan that includes truly unlimited mobile data, with no speed cap. The new plans also include a large expansion of Telstra's "peace of mind data" which is now included on some postpaid plans to reduce the need for excess data charges.

While Telstra launched its first "unlimited mobile data" plan back in May, the telco fell foul of the Federal Court which ruled the use of the word "unlimited" was misleading and deceptive on the basis that the data came with speed caps. The new $199 plan comes with unlimited access to full speed mobile data, unlimited talk and text and unlimited international talk and text to any country.

But there's a catch: you're not able to share your unlimited data allowance with other plans on your bill, as is the norm with Telstra. This means that you can't just sign up for the unlimited data, and get a cheap second SIM to share the allowance with your 4G tablet or 4G modem. You can still use your phone as a hotspot on the plan, but a fair use policy applies.

The plan is available for 24-month mobile handset contracts and leases, and you can get any phone you want on it with no additional handset repayment fees, including the most expensive device around – the $1,829 iPhone X.

Data Nirvana

If $199 sounds like too much to stomach, you can get a Telstra postpaid plan with "peace of mind data", a repurposing of the original concept of unlimited data but with speed caps. These new plans will come with an allocation of full-speed data, followed by unlimited data capped at speeds of 1.5Mbps (fast enough for everyday use but not for HD video streaming and high speed apps).

However, note that Telstra treats "peace of mind data" as an optional extra in many cases. While some plans come with peace of mind data included, others come with the choice to add it for an additional $10 per month. Whether or not that is a good deal will depend a lot on how much of your speed-capped data allowance you intend to use. Telstra's existing excess data option of $10 for an extra 1GB of full-speed data is still available on all plans and may be a better option.

The new plans replace all of Telstra's postpaid plans and while full-speed data inclusions seem to have increased on most handset plans for no additional cost, there are some new changes to Telstra's BYO mobile plans that are not so welcome.

BYO mobile plans are no longer available on a no-contract basis. A 12-month contract is now the only option. Meanwhile, Telstra's BYO phone "endless data plan", which returned to the market in June following the Federal Court ruling, seems to have received a cut in data allowance. Whereas the plan once offered 40GB at full speed for $69, Telstra's new BYO plan range only offers 30GB of uncapped speeds for the same price. However, you can increase your full-speed data to 60GB for $89 per month, which was not possible before.

Where peace of mind data is added to plans for an extra fee, a Telstra spokesperson told us that you can add it on after your initial sign-up and then remove it at a later date. You can make this change to your plan once per month.

Telstra has also noted that capped speeds may be slower than 1.5Mbps during peak times.

Meanwhile, although the Telstra website doesn't list any BYO plans with less than 15GB, there is a 1GB plan for $29 per month listed on Telstra's Consumer Information Summary for these plans. We believe this plan may be available to customers who contact Telstra directly. This plan and Telstra's $49 15GB BYO phone plan are the only two Telstra postpaid plans with no option for peace of mind data.

While we'd argue that an optional approach to peace of mind data doesn't quite live up to Telstra's promise of radically simplifying its phone plans, a spokesperson told us that these changes are just the first steps in its strategy to "simplify products, eliminate customer pain points and create all digital experiences". It sounds like Telstra's postpaid plans may continue to evolve over time.

Telstra also revealed that the next change coming to its plan range will allow customers "the flexibility to truly personalise their home and mobile package based on what's important to them". All changes to Telstra plans are set to roll out by June 2019.