Stop Overpaying: Smarter Mobile Plans for Australian Seniors
I’ve written before about mobile phone plans and how much money many Australians are quietly overpaying every month. The reason I’m revisiting the topic now is simple - despite all the advertising noise and shiny new plans, very little has changed where it actually matters. Telstra and Optus remain costly, while alternative providers continue to offer strong value using the same underlying networks.
One of the most common concerns I hear from clients is that leaving Telstra or Optus means giving up coverage or reliability. In practice, this is rarely the case. Providers such as ALDI Mobile, Tangerine, Belong and Boost operate on the Telstra or Optus wholesale networks. That means the signal reaching your phone is often exactly the same, just without the higher price tag attached to it.
If you want to save money, for most seniors, a sensible place to start is with a smaller data allowance. Around 10GB to 15GB per month suits the majority of people I work with. ALDIMobile currently offers a plan at $23 per month with 12GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. Tangerine offers comparable plans at $25 per month. These plans comfortably cover calls, texts, emails, browsing, photos and the occasional video call, and unused data rolls over to the next month! If you do need more data later, you can simply increase your plan the following month. What you cannot do is get a refund for data you never used.
A fair concern with these lower cost providers is the lack of physical shopfronts. You cannot generally walk into a store if something goes wrong. That said, many people find the trade off worthwhile. There is no sales pressure, no surprise add ons appearing on the bill, and no attempts to upsell services you did not ask for. Billing is simple and charged monthly, with no lock in contracts.
The savings are where this really becomes meaningful. Many Telstra and Optus plans start at around $55 per month and quickly rise to $65 or more. When you compare that with a $23 to $30 plan from an alternative provider, the difference can easily be $30 to $40 every month. Over a year, that adds up to approximately $360 to $480+. For many retirees, that is not pocket change - that is money that could go towards rising living costs, a short trip away, or simply peace of mind.
It is also important to know that you keep your mobile number when you change providers. Your number belongs to you, not the telco, thanks so changes made by the Australian Government a while back. Switching is far easier than it used to be, and in most cases your phone continues working throughout the change.
On a personal note, our mobile service at Greyology runs on the ALDIMobile network, including all of our business mobile phones. My own personal mobile does as well. We made that decision years ago after testing it properly, and we have never had an issue. Calls are reliable, data works exactly as expected, and coverage has been solid both in metropolitan areas and when travelling. If it is good enough for a tech support business that relies on being contactable, it is more than suitable for everyday use.
For those who prefer simplicity, long expiry plans are also worth considering. Paying once per year rather than every month appeals to many seniors, and alternative providers offer annual options at far lower prices than Telstra or Optus equivalents. ALDIMobile offers a $289 for 300GB of data.
The message here is not that everyone must change providers immediately. It is simply that loyalty is rarely rewarded in the mobile phone industry. Taking the time to review your plan, understand what you actually use, and consider alternatives that cost $23 to $30 instead of $60 or more can result in genuine savings without sacrificing quality.
If switching feels overwhelming or you would like someone to check whether your current plan suits your needs, that is exactly where Greyology can help.
Edin Read.
Founder & Chief Technician.
☎️ +61 401 018 615
