What is an MVNO and how can they save you money?

Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) are smaller providers that tap into Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone's networks to offer you the same mobile coverage, often at a lower cost.

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Mariam Gabaji

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Key takeaways

  • MVNO stands for mobile virtual network operator. It's a drier term for small providers that use the Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone network.
  • Signing up with an MVNO can be cheaper than getting a mobile plan from one of the 3 big telcos.
  • Plans from MVNOs might have fewer features and perks, but many still cover the key things you care about.

What is an MVNO?

An MVNO, or mobile virtual network operator, is a provider that offers mobile services without owning its own network.

Instead, they buy access to mobile networks from companies that do and then resell it to you.

In Australia, only three telcos — Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone — actually own their networks.

So, all the smaller providers, called MVNOs in short, use one of those networks.

MVNOs are independent, but some are owned by the big 3 telcos themselves.

According to the ACCC's communications market report, 11% of mobile services in Australia come from MVNOs. The remaining 89% belong to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

Why are MVNOs cheaper?

The main reason MVNOs can offer cheaper phone plans than the big 3 telcos is that they don't have to cover the costs of building and maintaining the mobile networks.

Plus, since MVNOs are smaller companies, they don't spend as much on advertising either.

The ACCC Communications Market Report from December 2024 found that the median advertised plan price for the big 3 mobile network operators was $58. For MVNOs, the average was $30.

MVNO network coverage vs the big telcos

MVNOs that use the Optus and Vodafone mobile networks have the same coverage as Optus and Vodafone themselves. There's no difference.

Optus's 4G network covers 98.5% of the population. Vodafone sits at 98.4%.

Things are slightly different with Telstra MVNOs. The majority of them have access to Telstra's wholesale 4G network, which covers 98.8% of the Australian population.

Telstra's full network covers 99.7% of Australians. Boost Mobile is the only Telstra MVNO to have access to it.

Going with Telstra's wholesale network is still a solid bet. You just might notice a difference in some rural or remote areas.

Can I get access to 5G with an MVNO?

Yes, you can. Maybe not with every MVNO, but plenty of them offer 5G access, just like they do with 4G from Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone.

The only catch is that 5G might not be available on all their plans.

Here's the full list of MVNOs in our database offering 5G mobile plans:

Pros and cons of signing up with an MVNO

Iffy about going with a small provider rather than a big name brand?

All we can say is, don't knock it till you try it.

With most mobile plans these days being contract-free, it's easy to test out different providers and networks to find a mobile plan that suits you best.

Here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of signing up with an MVNO if you're not convinced:

Pros

  • Typically offer cheaper plans than the big 3 telcos, giving you access to the same networks at a lower price.
  • Most MVNOs provide flexible, month-to-month plans, so you're not tied down with long-term contracts.
  • Option to choose between prepaid and postpaid plans, although the difference between the two has massively decreased.
  • Plenty of small providers offer features that may be important to you, such as data banking, international call inclusions, and roaming packs.

Cons

  • MVNOs may skip on perks such as rewards points and entertainment extras.
  • Not all small providers are equal. If you're after more than just calls, texts, and data, you'll need to shop around for the best value.
  • Customer support options may be lacking depending on which MVNO you choose.
  • You can't get a phone on a plan from an MVNO.

So, you're saying it's worth switching to an MVNO?

Fortunately, there are enough MVNOs that are also well-established enough to give you a good value SIM-only plan.

These include the likes of amaysim, Belong, Boost Mobile, ALDI Mobile, and Woolworths Everyday Mobile.

You can check out our 2025 Mobile Customer Satisfaction Award winners to see how hundreds of Aussies have rated MVNOs.

Alternatively, we've given you some plan options from MVNOs across the 3 major networks.

Compare plans from Telstra MVNOs

4 of 143 results
Updated regularly
Finder Score Data allowance Ongoing price Special offer Description
8.6
Data Allowance
240GB
Telstra 4G/5G network
$300
per 12 months
per 12 months
Ongoing price
$300
per 12 months
per 12 months
BONUS DATA
240GB
290GB
for first recharge
290GB on activation, then 240GB/recharge. Activate by 23 Mar 2026. T&Cs apply.
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8.5
Data Allowance
130GB
Wholesale Telstra 4G/5G network
$40
per 30 day recharge
per 30 day recharge
Ongoing price
$40
per 30 days expiry
per 30 days expiry
No special offer
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Boost Mobile logo
7.6
Boost $59 SIM
PrepaidNo lock-in contract
SAVE $39 + BONUS DATA
$59
$20
for first recharge
45GB
135GB
for first 3 recharges
7.6
Data Allowance
45GB
Telstra 4G/5G network
$59
per 28 day recharge
per 28 day recharge
Ongoing price
$59
per 28 days expiry
per 28 days expiry
SAVE $39 + BONUS DATA
$59
$20
for first recharge
45GB
135GB
for first 3 recharges
135GB for $20 on first recharge, 135GB for $59 on next 2 recharges, then 45GB for $59. Ends 16 Mar 2026. T&Cs apply.
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Superloop logo
7.6
Superloop Max 5G Plan
PrepaidNo lock-in contract
No special offer
7.6
Data Allowance
160GB
Wholesale Telstra 5G network
$60
per 30 day recharge
per 30 day recharge
Ongoing price
$60
per 30 days expiry
per 30 days expiry
No special offer
Pay $0 on second recharge when you bundle with a Superloop broadband plan. T&Cs apply.
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Finder Score for mobile plans

We've scored over 300 mobile plans on everything from cost to data allowance and important features.

Our experts give each plan a score out of 10 - totally fair, with no commercial strings attached.

Read the full methodology

Compare plans from Optus MVNOs

4 of 61 results
Updated regularly
Finder Score Data allowance Ongoing price Special offer Description
8.8
Data Allowance
200GB
Optus 4G network
$200
per 365 day recharge
per 365 day recharge
Ongoing price
$200
per 365 days expiry
per 365 days expiry
SAVE $51
$200
$149
for first recharge
$149 for first recharge, then $200/recharge. Ends 24 Mar 2026. T&Cs apply.
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8.4
Data Allowance
80GB
Optus 4G/5G network
$34
per month
per month
Ongoing price
$34
per month
per month
No special offer
Go to site View details
Compare product selection
9.4
Data Allowance
80GB
Optus 4G/5G network
$40
per month
per month
Ongoing price
$40
per month
per month
SAVE $120
$40
$20
per month for first 6 months
Finder Exclusive: $20/mth for first 6 months, then $40/mth. Order by 7 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.
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amaysim logo
9.5
amaysim 120GB Plan
PrepaidNo lock-in contract
SAVE $180
$50
$35
for first 12 recharges
9.5
Data Allowance
120GB
Optus 4G/5G network
$50
per 28 day recharge
per 28 day recharge
Ongoing price
$50
per 28 days expiry
per 28 days expiry
SAVE $180
$50
$35
for first 12 recharges
$35/recharge for first 12 recharges, then $50/recharge. Ends 7 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.
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Finder Score for mobile plans

We've scored over 300 mobile plans on everything from cost to data allowance and important features.

Our experts give each plan a score out of 10 - totally fair, with no commercial strings attached.

Read the full methodology

Compare plans from Vodafone MVNOs

4 of 63 results
Updated regularly
Finder Score Data allowance Ongoing price Special offer Description
8
Data Allowance
25GB
Vodafone 4G network
$25
per month
per month
Ongoing price
$25
per month
per month
SAVE $75
$25
$12.50
per month for first 6 months
$12.50/mth for first 6 months, then $25/mth. T&Cs apply.
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9.9
Data Allowance
Unlimited
Vodafone 4G/5G network
$40
per month
per month
Ongoing price
$40
per month
per month
SAVE $120
$40
$20
per month for first 6 months
$20/mth for first 6 months, then $40/mth. Use promo code UNL6. Ends 15 Mar 2026. T&Cs apply.
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8.5
Data Allowance
100GB
Vodafone 4G/5G network
$45
per month
per month
Ongoing price
$45
per month
per month
SAVE $135
$45
$22.50
per month for first 6 months
$22.50/mth for first 6 months, then $45/mth. T&Cs apply.
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Kogan Mobile logo
9.2
Kogan Extra Large 365 Days
PrepaidNo lock-in contract
SAVE $111
$300
$189
for first recharge
9.2
Data Allowance
500GB
Vodafone 4G network
$300
per 365 day recharge
per 365 day recharge
Ongoing price
$300
per 365 days expiry
per 365 days expiry
SAVE $111
$300
$189
for first recharge
$189 for first recharge, then $300/recharge. Ends 9 Mar 2026. T&Cs apply.
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Compare product selection
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Showing 4 of 63 results

Finder Score for mobile plans

We've scored over 300 mobile plans on everything from cost to data allowance and important features.

Our experts give each plan a score out of 10 - totally fair, with no commercial strings attached.

Read the full methodology

Sources

Mariam Gabaji's headshot
Written by

Senior Utilities Editor & Tech Expert

Mariam Gabaji is a journalist with 13 years of experience, specialising in consumer topics like mobile services and energy costs. Her work appears in the ABC, Yahoo Finance, 9News, The Guardian, SBS, 7News, A Current Affair and Money Magazine. Mariam holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and was a finalist for the 2024 and 2025 IT Journalism Award for Best Telecommunications Journalist. See full bio

Mariam's expertise
Mariam has written 459 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Energy
  • Mobile
  • Broadband
  • Consumer tech
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