Australia is a large and blessed country and therefore, you can expect it to have several network carriers operating optimally. This may be the case, but due to the geography of the country, certain areas have limited network coverage and therefore when selecting a mobile phone plan, you need to navigate carefully or else you might end up with very high roaming charges.
Great Mobile Phone plans in Australia for Travelers
One thing most travelers in Australia realize is the shifting coverage as they traverse the different landscape. Towards the coast you might find more network coverage than in the interior, mostly deserted regions. Therefore it’s a great idea to plan ahead and check your itinerary before picking a carrier. For the avid traveler this might present certain problems especially if they are on a restrictive mobile phone plan. You can consider the following options to check if they suit your travel plans.
Unlimited Mobile Phone Plans
Unlimited mobile phone plans are great if you are constantly communicating. It is highly preferred by business travelers who need to constantly keep in touch with their peers and that’s why it is the most expensive option since it comes with bundled resources. However, one common misconception with unlimited mobile phone plans is that it is not inexhaustible. Most people think that just because they are on unlimited plans they get to consume as much text, call and data resources as they like. The unlimited plan is usually capped to a certain data access based on your consumption. Calls may also be restricted to a certain number of minutes per day.
One main disadvantage of unlimited mobile phone plans is that you might exhaust your resources before the month ends and this leads to having data or call debt with your carrier. This debt can be converted into cash and you end up paying more in the next installment or it could come in the form of fewer resources in the coming month.
Is The Prepaid Plan A Better Option?
The answer to this depends on one’s consumption since its pegged on how many units you purchase prior to using them. Prepaid mobile phone plan is the only plan that allows you to purchase resources depending on how you intend to use it. So for example, if you are a heavy data user at night, it is best to purchase one-off data bundles when you want to use them.
Sim-only Mobile Phone Plans
If you are on a budget, then a great option is to use the sim-only mobile phone plan which only charges you for the resources you use. This option is good for travelers because you can buy a phone on-the-go based on where you are travelling. You can have a smart phone for the camera and browsing, while keeping a cheaper burner phone for your occasional texts and calls. The sim-only option can either be prepaid or unlimited depending on your needs. Overall, this can also be a good option for people who don’t need a lot of data.
