Our verdict: Just like any good friend, MATE mobile looks after you with a bunch of plans that will suit both low and high data users. Plus, you can get $10 off each month by bundling your mobile and internet plans with MATE.
MATE offers decent mobile plans on the Telstra wholesale network, with 6 options to match your data needs. Its higher data mobile plans are much more impressive thanks to lower prices when compared to other providers.
If you're looking to bundle your home internet and mobile plan, MATE also offers $10 a month off on its NBN plans if you sign up under a single account. This means you could have a MATE NBN and mobile plan starting from $69 a month, which is the price of some NBN plans on their own.
Some of the reasons you might enjoy signing up to MATE include:
Local customer support based in NSW.
Some mobile plans run on parts of the Telstra 5G network.
Free international calls and texts to 15 countries on most plans.
Save up to 1000GB of data, depending on which plan you're on, to use at a later date.
There are plenty of reasons to love MATE, but keep in mind that:
International roaming is not available with MATE so you won't be able to take your plan overseas
It uses the Telstra wholesale network, not the full Telstra network – there's a difference of about 0.7%, which isn't huge but might be important for those in rural and regional areas.
MATE has a variety of postpaid plans, ranging from 15GB for $25 a month all the way up to 100GB for $45, so you're sure to find a data limit to suit your needs.
Good to know: MATE's smaller plans offer an average dollar per data value of $1.06 per GB. This is just above the benchmark of $1 per GB you want to aim for when you pick a plan.
However, MATE's larger data plans perform more favourably, offering cheap data for under $1 per GB.
Things to watch out for:
Your data bank will be reset if you downgrade your MATE mobile plan, but not if you upgrade it.
Coverage
If you're after decent coverage, MATE is a solid choice as it runs on the Telstra wholesale 4G or 5G networks:
The Telstra wholesale 4G network covers 98.8% of the population, which is more than both Optus and Vodafone's full 4G networks.
Keep in mind that this is not the same as having full Telstra 4G coverage – there's a 0.7% difference between the full and wholesale networks. You may notice a difference in coverage in rural or regional areas.
Does MATE mobile have 5G?
Yes, MATE offers a mobile plan that runs on the wholesale Telstra 5G network which covers 75% of the population.
Customer service
You can reach out to MATE using any of the following methods:
Ring up its local customer support team between 8:30am and 7pm AEST, Monday to Saturday
Chat to an AI or customer agent via live chat on the MATE website
Leave a message on the MATE Twitter or Facebook page for a timely response
You can also use its mobile app to manage your plan, update billing details and more.
Good to know: MATE's head office and customer support team is based in NSW.
Bonus features
Despite being a small provider, MATE offers a few handy features on its mobile plans.
🔄 Data banking
MATE lets you bank any unused data at the end of the month, meaning you can save up to 1000GB (depending on your plan) to use later on.
The data bank will empty if you downgrade your plan (e.g. going from its $50 plan down to $30), but not if you upgrade it.
🌎 International inclusions
Almost all of MATE's mobile plans come with unlimited calls and texts to 15 selected countries.
This can be a handy feature if you have friends or family overseas that you'd like to stay in touch with.
💰 NBN bundling discount
If you happen to have both a MATE NBN and mobile plan, you'll enjoy a $10 discount off your monthly NBN bill.
Which rivals are giving MATE a run for its money?
MATE's a solid provider, but depending on what you're after, you might want to consider some alternatives.
For cheaper plans:
Moose Mobile has frequent promotions and affordable prices on its mobile plans, making it an excellent budget-friendly pick for most people. It was the winner for Best Postpaid Provider in the 2021 Finder Awards.
For even better coverage:
Boost Mobile is the only other provider (besides Telstra itself) that gives customers access to the full Telstra 4G network rather than the wholesale version. If you're looking for comprehensive coverage, it may be a better fit.
For cheaper data:
If MATE's mobile plans don't give you quite enough data to play with, check out Circles.Life on the Optus 4G network. It offers up to 160GB a month for a price that won't break the bank.
Ready to sign up to MATE?
You can sign up to your chosen MATE mobile plan online and get the SIM delivered to your address for free.
What if I want to keep my current phone number? During activation, you'll be able to choose to keep your current mobile number. MATE will handle the porting process, usually transferring your number within 1 business day.
Sam Baran is a writer for Finder, covering topics across the tech, telco and utilities sectors. They enjoy decrypting technical jargon and helping people compare complex products easily. When they aren't writing, you'll find Sam's head buried in a book or working on their latest short story. Sam has a Bachelor of Advanced Science from the University of Sydney. See full bio
Cameron Micallef was an investment and utilities writer for Finder. He previously worked on titles including Smart Property Investment, nestegg and Investor Daily, reporting across superannuation, property and investments. Cameron has a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies/ Commerce from the University of Wollongong. Outside of work Cameron is passionate about all things sports and travel. See full bio
Cameron's expertise
Cameron has written 161 Finder guides across topics including:
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.
Finder is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stand by our editorial principles.
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
