Telstra raises mobile plan prices: How much more will you pay?
From early July, Telstra prepaid mobile customers will end up paying $2 to $5 more per recharge.
Telstra prepaid plans are going to get more expensive from 4 July for both new and existing customers.
However, to compensate, you'll end up getting a bit more data in return which can help you avoid extra recharges (but at a cost).
While Telstra has only announced changes to its prepaid plans, it's likely the telco giant will revise its postpaid plans in due course to match inflationary pressures.
What will Telstra's prepaid mobile plans cost from July?
Here's a look at the changes across the impacted prepaid mobile plans from Telstra:
| Current Price | Current Data | New Price | New Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 (7-day expiry) | 2GB | $12 | 3GB |
| $30 (28-day expiry) | 10GB | $35 | 15GB |
| $40 (28-day expiry) | 20GB | $45 | 25GB |
| $60 (28-day expiry) | 40GB | $65 | 70GB |
| $150 (6-month expiry) | 60GB | $160 | 70GB |
| $300 (12-month expiry) | 150GB | $320 | 165GB |
Telstra's price hike will come as another blow to Aussies already struggling cost of living pressures on just about everything, from groceries to energy bills.
Check out our 2023 Finder Mobile Award winners for alternatives:
Why is Telstra raising its mobile plan prices?
A Telstra spokesperson told Finder the telco giant considered a range of factors before making this decision.
"Maintaining both the affordability of our services and our ability to continue investing is a tough balancing act, and one that we feel the weight of given how important connectivity is," said the Telstra spokesperson.
"Increasing our prices means we can continue investing in the things that matter for our customers like our mobile network, products and services. Like most businesses in Australia, we are also responding to increasing costs."
In July 2022, Telstra hiked up prices of its postpaid plans by $2-$4 due to inflationary pressures.
At the same time, it introduced an annual review of its postpaid plans in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Given Telstra's sent out prepaid mobile customers emails about price increases for July, we reckon those on postpaid plans will get similar comms soon enough.
"We are currently reviewing our pricing following the release of the CPI rate for the March quarter," the spokesperson confirmed.
Which other providers are making changes in 2023?
Out of the major telcos, Optus has declined to comment and we haven't heard back from TPG yet, but our analysis suggests they could follow Telstra's lead.
On 1 August 2022, Optus hiked up its mobile plan prices across most of its postpaid plans by $4 a month.
Vodafone, which is under the TPG umbrella, didn't follow the lead straight away.
Instead, Vodafone announced its price changes for 1 April 2023 by $5 a month on its postpaid plans.
From smaller providers, Woolworths Mobile raised its prices by up to 25% on 24 April 2023.
Boost Mobile is poised to makes its own changes from early July. It's increasing prices by $2 to $30 per recharge depending on the plan but offering more data in return.
Don't want to pay more for Telstra? Here's a couple of alternatives to consider
Despite hiking up its prices from July, Boost Mobile still remains a solid option. It's the only smaller provider to have access to the full Telstra network.
Alternatively, if you don't mind Telstra's wholesale network, MATE is slinging $1 mobile plans for 10GB.
The offer lasts for 3 months before the price reverts back to $20 a month for 10GB which is still good value.
Compare other Telstra MVNOs if you're looking for more options before committing to a plan.