Sigh, Optus hikes prices of most postpaid mobile plans

But it’s not all grim news as there are a few perks that could make Optus’s mobile plans worth it for some of you (especially data-hungry streamers).

We keep hearing prices are going up left and right - whether for mobile, internet or your insurance premium.

This time, the gong’s gone off from Optus.

It’s shaken up its range of postpaid mobile plans, dropping from four plans to three to ‘simplify’ its offers.

Here’s a look at before and after prices that’ll impact new customers going forward.

Optus has ditched its $69 a month plan which came with 220GB. This was originally the Optus Large Choice Plus Plan.

It’s kept its ‘Promo Plan’ until at least 4 August 2024. You get a whopping 500GB for $69 a month. Keep in mind, that this isn’t officially part of its roster of postpaid plans and is only temporarily available.

So, are the new Optus mobile plans worth it?

There are a few attractive perks that might make Optus’s plans worth it for some people.

Data

It’ll come as no surprise that Optus is giving more data in return for hiking up its prices.

That’s what a lot of mobile providers have been doing of late.

But it’s only worth it if you really need a lot of data. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australians on postpaid plans use on average 16GB a month.

If you're the average Aussie, you'll end up paying for data that's not being used.

Streaming

There are a bunch of streaming features or offers available across all three of Optus’s mobile plans.

• Discounted Optus Sport: You’ll pay $6.99 a month instead of the usual $24.99.
• 3 months of Amazon Prime: It’s for both new and returning customers. You’ll save $29.97.
• Up to 10% off on subscriptions: When you add three or more eligible subscriptions to Optus SubHub, you’ll be able to get up to a 10% discount every month. This includes the likes of BINGE, Netflix and Paramount Plus.
• Optus SubHub credit offer: The $82 a month plan features SubHub credit of up to $20 a month, which will be applied towards your streaming services.

All plans also come with 5G access if it’s covered in your area. You’ll get unlimited data with speeds capped at 1.5Mbps once you run out of your monthly data allowance.

Optus’s Medium Choice Plus plan and above also come with unlimited international calls and texts to 35 selected destinations.

For people who aren't about the bells and whistles, Optus's plans will seem like a stretch, especially in this cost of living environment.

“Due to the increasing costs to maintain and provide a great network experience, we’ve made the difficult decision to increase the price of some of our mobile plans,” an Optus spokesperson told Finder.

“Balancing the affordability of our products with the need for ongoing investment is a delicate task and we are acutely aware of this challenge, especially considering the vital role connectivity plays in our lives.”

Good to know: Unlike Telstra and Vodafone, Optus didn't change its prices last year. Instead, it moved legacy customers to its newer prices. Some people took to Reddit, complaining they were facing a 60% price hike in mobile plan fees.

How does Optus stack up against Telstra and Vodafone?

Vodafone and Optus were mostly on par in terms of pricing after Vodafone hiked its mobile plan prices at the start of the year.

But now Vodafone’s back to being the cheaper option out of the three major telcos. The caveat is its coverage isn’t as extensive as that of Optus and Telstra.

Telstra is the most expensive out of the lot. And while it scrapped plans to change its mobile plan prices on 1 July in line with changes to the Consumer Price Index, that news should be taken with a grain of salt.

It just means Telstra can now increase its prices more than it had first intended to - and those changes could come later this year. Nothing is set in stone though and we could be wrong (fingers crossed).

Not happy with Optus's new prices? You can check out smaller providers that use the Optus network and could save you a buck or two.

Image: @bongkarn thanyakij via Canva.com