overseas travel optus

Optus International Roaming: 2023 Guide

• August 15, 2023
• Travel Tips

Heading overseas with a phone that’s on an Optus Mobile Plan or Prepaid Plan? Here are your options for getting data overseas with Optus International Roaming.

How Much is Optus International Roaming

If you’re on a Optus Choice Mobile Plan, international roaming is $5 per day. This include 5gb of data and unlimited text and calls.

Some mobile plan customers won’t have access to the $5 daily roaming. This isn’t available on all mobile plans. Most customers however will have the $5 daily roaming option.

For plans that don’t have access to the $5 daily plan you can purchase a $10 daily pass which unfortunately includes just 1gb of data. These plans tend to already include a small amount of international data as part of the plan.

Prepaid customers on Optus can also buy a $5 daily pass or a $35 weekly pass. The daily pass gives you 1gb of data each day.

What’s Included in Optus Daily Roaming Pass

The $5 a day Optus Roaming Pass includes 5gb of data and unlimited talk and text. The plan is available in the following countries:

I’ve found that 5gb a day tends to be more than enough for travelling. While I wouldn’t use it for watching videos all day, it’s perfect for instagram, messaging, maps and browsing – and you don’t need to worry about going over any limits.

If you go over the 5gb, Optus will just charge you for another day ($5) and give you an additional 5gb. You will get alerts as you use up your data.

How to Activate International Roaming on Optus

The great thing about Optus’s international roaming is that it auto-activates. Make sure you have “roaming” turned on in your device’s settings.

International Roaming can be turned off in your Optus Account. You’ll need to make sure it’s turned on to get access to the Optus Daily Roaming.

You’ll know if international roaming has activated as you’ll receive and SMS message letting you know as soon as you’re in another country.

Is Optus International Roaming Worth it?

It’s definitely useful having access to international roaming on your existing device without needing to switch out sims or add an e-sim. The price of international roaming with Optus is now much more affordable. In the past it just wasn’t worth it.

$5 for 5gb is still quite expensive and may only be worth it, for shorter trips.

Cheaper Alternatives to Optus Roaming

For shorter trips $5 a day may be worth it. But for longer trips it can really add up. But thankfully there are cheaper alternatives to Optus Roaming.

Airalo Travel E-Sim

The easiest and often cheapest alternative is to use an e-sim. These days, you don’t need to physically pull out your existing SIM card and switch it with a travel sim. Using a service like Airalo you can add an e-sim to your existing phone which will work overseas. You can get a Sim for as little as $5 and it will last your 7 days. You can pay more for extra data and a longer travel period and there are sims available for all over the world.

I’ve tested out Airalo and it works really well.

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Optus international roaming

Heading overseas get international roaming with optus from $5 a day, with calls, texts and data for use in 100+ zone 1 countries..

In this guide

How does international roaming with Optus work?

What are the international roaming inclusions with optus, what countries are included with optus international roaming, optus international roaming payg charges, compare optus plans with international roaming.

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What you need to know

• Optus offers international roaming packs for both its prepaid and upfront mobile plans
• International roaming on Optus mobile plans start from $5 per day and are available in over 100 countries
• Prepaid international roaming packs start from $5 a day and are available in over 100 countries

International roaming allows you to use your device outside of Australia without needing to change your SIM card or number.

It's more expensive than using your usual phone plan but it's an easy way to get online and stay connected with friends and family back home as you travel around.

If you're with Optus , international roaming is automatically turned on for all eligible services when you start using your device in a Zone 1 destination .

• Watch out for : If you want to turn it off, you'll need to turn your phone on aeroplane mode. From there you'll need to connect to WiFi and go through the My Optus app to turn off international roaming.

Optus has international roaming inclusions across both its prepaid and postpaid mobile plans.

Which international roaming plan you sign up with will depend based on what type of customer you are.

If you are on an Optus Choice Plus, Optus Plus family, Optus Plus Promo, Optus Plus Data, Business Choice Plus, Business Choice Data Plus, Business Teams Plus or Qantas plan you will use Optus' $5 roaming pass.

Those on other plans might need to go on the $10 Optus roaming pass.

$5 Optus roaming pass

• That's the per day cost for Optus Choice Plus customers
• You'll also get 5GB of data each day and unlimited calls and texts
• Can be used in 100+ Zone 1 destinations

$10 Optus roaming pass

• This is the per day cost for the pass
• You get 1GB of data and unlimited national talk and text

If you're on an Optus prepaid plan, you'll have 4 add ons available to you:

$5 Optus roaming

• This a per day cost
• You'll get 1GB of data ,100 texts and 100 minutes of calls
• These are available in Zone 1 destinations

$10 Travel credit

• This is a 14-day plan
• You'll get $10 in credit on international talk, text and international roaming
• You will be charged $0.02/ MB, $0.5/ minute and $0.20/ SMS in zone 1 destinations

$20 data only

• You'll get 10GB of data to use in 10 different destinations (no call or text inclusions)
• Rollover up to 100GB when you recharge before expiry

$35 Optus roaming

• This is the weekly plan
• You'll get 7GB of data, 700 texts and 700 minutes of calls

We've listed the 100+ countries (Zone 1) where you can use an Optus's roaming pass, accurate as of June 2023.

If you're travelling to a country outside of Zone 1, standard roaming rates will apply.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Czech Republic
• Faroe Islands
• French Polynesia
• Isle of Man
• Korea, Republic of
• Liechtenstein
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Northern Marianas
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Russian Federation
• Samoa (Western)
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• Switzerland
• Taiwan, Province of China
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• US Virgin Islands
• Vatican City (Holy See)

You can still roam in the majority of countries not included on the Optus Daily Roaming pass, but you will be charged pay as you go rates (PAYG) for calls, texts, and data which can get expensive.

Standard roaming rates are available on selected postpaid plans (that aren't Choice Plus), giving you the option to pay as you go. You will be charged per minute of calls, for sending SMS, MMS and by the MB of data you use.

It is broken down by the following:

• Keep in mind : PAYG rates vary depending on which country you visit, and costs can quickly add up if you're on your phone a lot. We recommend getting a roaming pack or looking into a travel or local SIM for better value.

If you're not yet an Optus customer but want to take advantage of Optus's international roaming add-ons, check out its range of postpaid and prepaid plans in the comparison table.

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Optus International Roaming Review & Guide

Posted by Emma Bradstock 21/11/2023

Global roaming can really add up if you use your phone plan as you normally would in Australia, which can end up with phone bill of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. You can always go with a travel SIM plan , but sometimes you want to still have access to your number and plan overseas. For Optus customers on a postpaid or prepaid phone plan, or if you’re considering signing up to an Optus plan, there are several roaming options available from Australia’s second largest telco.

So, if you’re wondering about the Optus international roaming costs, or you’re looking for an Optus international roaming plan, read on to find out more about Optus international roaming and how it works.

On this page:

What are the optus international roaming plans, pay-as-you-go international roaming, what are the optus international roaming countries, is optus international roaming right for me, faqs about optus international roaming, postpaid offers you might like.

The following table shows a selection of sponsored SIM Only plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.

Optus offers several international roaming plans and add ons, with plans and add ons only available to customers on certain Optus phone plans. If you’re unsure which phone plan you have, you may need to log in to your Optus account (online or through the app) or look at a recent phone bill. After these steps, if you still can’t find out what plan you’re on, you’ll need to get in touch with Optus.

Roaming plans and add ons are also typically an additional cost to your regular plan fees, so read on to find out more about the Optus international roaming costs and plans currently available.

Optus international roaming: $5 daily roaming

It might sound similar to Vodafone’s $5 a day international roaming , but what Optus offers is a little different.

• $5 per day (in addition to your plan fees)
• 5GB of data per day plus unlimited standard calls and SMS in Zone 1 countries
• Auto activated when using call, text or data in eligible countries
• Manage on the My Optus app
• Available for Optus Choice Plus, Optus Plus Family and Optus Plus Promo plans (along with Business Choice Plus)

Optus international roaming: Optus $10 roaming pass

For customers on postpaid plans that aren’t eligible for the $5 roaming, you’ll need to add on a $10 Roaming Pass.

• $10 for 24 hours of inclusions
• 1GB of data and unlimited calls and SMS to Optus Zone 1 countries (per 24 hours)
• Roaming activated through the My Optus app

The following table shows selected published Optus postpaid plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.

Optus prepaid international roaming

If you need Optus prepaid international roaming and you’re an Optus Flex Plus customer, you’ll need to add on one of the prepaid roaming packs, which can be purchased online or through the app.

• $5 per day 1GB of data, 100 SMS and 100 minutes of calls in Optus Zone 1 countries
• $35 for 7 days with 7GB data, 700 SMS and 700 minutes of calls in Zone 1 countries

Customers on other prepaid plans can add on a data roaming pack or travel credit pack, both of which can be purchased online or through the app.

• Data roaming: $20 for 14 days with up to $210 value (equivalent to around 10GB data), with data charged at $0.02 per MB, available in 10 select destinations
• Travel credit: $10 for 14 days, credit can be used for talk, text and data roaming in Zone 1 and Zone 2 destinations

The following table shows selected published Optus prepaid plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.

If you’re a postpaid customer visiting a country in Zone 2, and therefore not covered by the Optus Daily Roaming or other roaming add ons, you’ll have to use pay-as-you-go (PAYG) roaming rates. PAYG means you’ll simply pay for what you use, with these charges added on to your mobile bill. For every call you make, SMS you send, and MB of data you use (although you’re charged per 10KB), you’ll be charged the rates for these services according to the country you’re in.

While the rates appear to be similar across most countries, it’s worth checking the Optus site before your head overseas to check the rates to your destination/s. For example, these are the rates for if you were to travel to New Zealand, which is a Zone 1 destination:

• Calls: $1.50 per minute to make and receive voice calls
• Texts: $0.50 per standard text message sent
• Data: $1.00 per MB, charged per 10KB

While these prices might not seem too expensive, keep in mind that these charges are per minute of calls, per text message and per MB of data used. If you were to use your phone as you normally would in Australia, these charges are likely to add up, meaning you could come home to a big phone bill. For example, going off the above rates, a 15 minute phone call would cost you $22.50, and using 1GB of mobile data will cost you $1,000. Looking at those costs, it’s easy to understand why travel packs are a much more affordable option for many of us.

Optus splits its international roaming countries by zones. The Zone 1 countries are compatible with all of the Optus international roaming plans and add ons, including $5 a day roaming. If you’re travelling to a Zone 2 country, your options may be more limited.

Optus Zone 1 countries

Here are the Optus international roaming countries in Zone 1 where you can use the Optus $5 a day roaming and many other roaming passes.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Czech Republic
• Faroe Islands
• French Polynesia
• Isle of Man
• Korea, Republic of
• Liechtenstein
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Northern Marianas
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Russian Federation
• Samoa (Western)
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• Switzerland
• Taiwan, Province of China
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• US Virgin Islands
• Vatican City (Holy See)

While there are definite advantages to switching on global roaming with your existing Optus phone plan, even with a travel pack or add on, it’s still not the cheapest way to use your phone overseas. It can be useful to have access to your Australian phone number when you’re overseas, especially if you don’t plan on using your phone much and are using secure WiFi networks while on your travels.

If you want to be able to use your phone as you normally would in Australia, especially for using data when you’re away from a WiFi network, you might be better off purchasing a SIM card from the country or countries you’re visiting.

While you’ll most likely need to do some research into this before you head overseas, it could be better than relying on free and sometimes unsecure WiFi networks. The downside is that if someone wants to call or text you, they won’t be able to reach you on your Australian number. You’ll also have to juggle between two SIM cards, unless you have a dual-SIM or eSIM compatible phone.

Keep in mind that many services, such as online banking, rideshare apps, etc, may require a verification code sent to your phone via SMS. If you switch out your Australian SIM card, you may not recieve these verification codes while travelling. Using the dual SIM or eSIM capabilities of your phone (if you have it) could ensure you still get important texts to your Australian number.

Before you head overseas, you’ll need to assess which option will be best for you. Have a look at the roaming rates for your destination/s and think about whether a travel pack or add on will have enough value for you. There are also specific travel SIMs you can buy, and both Telstra and Vodafone offer global roaming options, with Vodafone’s $5 Roaming one of the more well-known offerings.

Roaming on cruise ships with Optus

If you’re about to head off on a cruise, you can use your Optus global roaming when out at sea: however as it’s not covered by either of the country Zones, these roaming charges are higher than you’ll experience on land.

• Calls: $4.00 per minute to make and receive voice calls
• Texts: $1.00 per standard text message sent
• Data: $2.00 per MB where data is available (charged per 10KB)

Keep in mind that your mobile device may be connected to the ship’s satellite when you’re roaming. As you can see from the above charges, using global roaming on a pay-as-you-go basis can be quite expensive, so it’s worth considering if this is really the right option for you.

What about an Optus SIM for visitors to Australia?

If you’re a visitor coming to Australia, there are lots of phone plan providers out there offering SIM cards to keep you in touch with friends and family on your visit Down Under. While there are many prepaid plan providers with some great options available to choose from (with some plans available on a short-term expiry), Optus has a special Traveller SIM made specifically for visitors to Australia.

Optus offers two different Traveller Mobile plans, with SIM cards available at Optus airport stores or available as an eSIM. Both plans are available with a 28-day expiry, up to 200GB of data rollover an international call inclusions to 20 select destinations are included (with 400 minutes on the cheaper plan and 800 minutes on the more expensive plan).

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Optus targets international travel with ultra-competitive $5 a day Roaming in 102 countries

Posted by Trevor Long | Mar 20, 2023 | News , Tech

International travel is back in a big way following a very slow few years with the pandemic. Optus has today announced a deal to cater to those very travellers with a competitive $5 per day roaming offer on select plans.

I only say select plans because Optus says it’s available to “consumers and business customers on our in-market Optus Choice Plus plans” so worth checking the MyOptus app to confirm you’re eligible.

But Optus knows the market is there, with over 300,000 active Optus customers having roamed overseas in the recent summer break – and while Optus has had roaming deals, they have been a touch complex to understand.

This new deal matches Vodafone’s longstanding market leading $5 a day roaming and is valid in all “Zone 1 Destinations”. We checked, that’s 102 countries according to Optus, a touch short of the 109 or so offered by Vodafone.

The Optus deal offers 5Gb of data for $5 in a 24 hour period. Very generous all in all. And differs from Vodafone who offer access to the users existing plan from home. You also get unlimited calls and text.

Interestingly, there are some countries Optus does Roam to like the United Arab Emirates – where Vodafone does not, and likewise a few that Optus don’t have, that Vodafone do. Thus, it’s important to check your planned destinations against what’s on offer.

Optus’ Managing Director of Marketing & Revenue, Matt Williams says “Traveling overseas can be a life-changing experience and half the fun is sharing that experience with friends and family back at home, as well as being able to stay connected with your travel buddies in a foreign country. With Optus’ $5 a day Roaming, we have created our easiest and most convenient roaming product yet, which also comes at a great value price point.”

It’s a bit of good news for Optus who’ve had a rough trot in recent weeks and months , more importantly, it’s a great win for Optus customers heading overseas.

Here’s the full list of “Zone 1” countries available to Optus $5 a day roaming customers:

About The Author

Trevor Long

Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head. He produces and hosts two popular podcasts, EFTM and Two Blokes Talking Tech. He also appears on over 50 radio stations across Australia weekly, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show each day and appears regularly on A Current Affair. Father of three, he is often found down in his Man Cave. Like this post? Buy Trev a drink!

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Optus mobile plans review

Australia’s second-largest telco network has some great value and packs some punchy perks.

Optus iPhone 14 plans

If you're looking to pick an iPhone 14 up on a plan via Optus, your cheapest option is going to be the Small Optus Choice Plan. This postpaid plan includes 30GB of monthly data, unlimited local calls and texts and access to Optus' 4G and 5G network coverage and is priced at $49 per month.

Paired with the cost of an iPhone 14, you're looking at $38.86 per month in handset fees for a 36 month plan, $58.29 per month for a 24 month plan or $116.58 per month on a 12 month plan.

Optus mobile value for money

When you’ve got the second largest mobile network in Australia, one of the best ways to compete with the largest ( Telstra ) is with great value plans. That’s exactly the underlying philosophy of the Optus vs Telstra battle: Telstra has the larger network, but Optus has plans that are competitively priced with some solid inclusions.

Optus offers mobile plans across Postpaid mobile plans, SIM Only plans for BYO phone users, and Prepaid for those eager to manage costs. No Optus mobile plans have a contract, while the Postpaid and SIM Only plans were recently upgraded to remove excess data charges and, instead, cap data speeds at 1.5Mbps if you happen to go over .

Postpaid mobile plans are identical in what they offer on the plan side of things, with the only difference being they cost more because you’re paying off a handset. Scroll down for the section dedicated to those, but we’re going to focus on Optus’ SIM Only and Postpaid plans here.

Optus SIM Only plans

The cheapest Optus SIM Only plan is the $45 Optus Choice Plan, which costs $45 a month and comes with 20GB of data. It may be the cheapest, but it still includes Optus 5G support, which is an edge over Telstra and its reworked Upfront plans , which only includes 5G support from its mid-tier SIM Only plans upwards.

Stacked next to other SIM Only plans with 10GB of data, though, and it becomes quickly apparent that Optus isn’t the best telco choice for the best pricing, even if plans that use its network are. For example, Optus MVNOs like Moose Mobile , Spintel , Dodo and Circles.Life offer better pricing, even without promotional discounts, and more data. 

Pay $20 more per month and you can get 20 times the data with the $115 Optus Choice Plan currently on offer for $65 per month for the first 12 months. If you’re in a 5G area, you’ll likely appreciate having 500GB of data to play with each month.

The popular Circles.Life 100GB Monthly Plan is the main competitor in this space, with 100GB of data for a usual price of $38 per month. Vodafone competes at this price point, too, but only noticeably pulls ahead thanks to bonus data and perks, while Telstra comes in at close to double the price unless it has promotional pricing. You can see the most popular SIM Only plans below with at least 100GB of data.

Optus Prepaid plans

Optus offers a range of Prepaid plans , including one 365-day long-expiry plan , a few 42-day Prepaid plans, and a couple of cheaper options that run under a month. Like other Prepaid telcos, Optus treats a month as 28 days, which means you should factor in 13 recharges if you’re looking to determine first-year pricing. Unlike the Optus SIM Only plans, Prepaid plans are relegated to 4G only.

There are four 28-day Prepaid plans, which start with the 500MB that comes with the Optus Prepaid Epic Value - $15 Recharge.

That $15 recharge fee may sound decent, but it doesn’t hold up against other cheap Prepaid plans, a handful of which cost around $10 and come with at least 1GB of data. You can see some of these cheap Prepaid contenders in the list of daily updating popular picks below.

If you’re okay with paying double the price of the cheapest Optus Prepaid 28-day plan, you can nab the Optus Prepaid Epic Data - $30 Recharge plan, which comes with 40GB of data. There’s a catch, though: that 40GB is only for the first three recharges before reverting to 10GB per 28 days.

The most monthly data you can get with an Optus Prepaid plan is with the Optus Prepaid Epic Data - $50 Recharge plan, which comes with 60GB of data for the first three months before reverting to 30GB.

However, there are cheaper plans on the Vodafone network (and also the Telstra network) for those seeking at least 30GB of data each month. You can see popular Prepaid plans with at least 30GB of data below (and you’ll likely see the Optus one near the top).

Looking to see how the competition stacks up? Check out our rundown of Telstra mobile plans.

Optus mobile features and perks

These days, Optus SIM Only and Postpaid mobile plans come with endless data, finally following in the footsteps of Vodafone and Telstra, instead of automatically charging an extra $10 per 1GB of data. You can also share your data with eligible plans under the same account, and both perks apply from the cheapest plan through to the most expensive.

Shifting between the cheapest $45 Optus Choice Plan to the $55 Optus Choice Plan means that Optus Sport + Fitness is included as part of the cost. While COVID impacted the value of the soccer-focused Optus Sport last year (true of all sports), the addition of OS Fitness for convenient at-home workouts was a sagely inclusion that’s a decent part of this perk for those who aren’t crazy about soccer.

This $55 price point is also where unlimited standard talk and text with 35 selected countries kicks in, and from this plan onwards, what you’re really paying more for is bigger monthly data caps. Optus also lets you build your own custom plan, which includes the amount of monthly data you want, international talk and text, as well as international roaming.

Optus Prepaid plans also have perks, with the most notable ones coming from the telco’s Epic Data 28-day plans, though there are also Optus Flex, Epic Value and Daily Plus categories to pick a Prepaid plan from. All Epic Data plans come with:

• Data rollover (up to 200GB)
• Day rollover (up to 84 days)
• Unlimited standard national talk and text
• Unlimited standard international calls to 15 countries
• $10 of extras credit.
• $5 Optus Sport add-on

All in all, Optus plans have some great features.

Optus mobile customer support and satisfaction

You have stacks of support options if you need help with your Optus mobile plan. If you’re a fan of human contact, there’s phone support or you can head into an Optus Store. In terms of online assistance, you’ve got plenty of choice. Chat with a representative via responsive Twitter or Facebook, speak with someone in online chat, use self-service online or check out the forum for help from other Optus mobile users. You can also check usage and tweak your plan from within My Optus, which is also available as an iOS or Android app.

The three big telcos tend to cop the most flak online when it comes to user reviews, and this is true of Optus. If you look at either the 3,000+ reviews on Product Review or the 600+ reviews on Trustpilot , you’ll see an overwhelming majority of one-star reviews. According to the amalgamation of these scores and in comparison to the other providers that are part of our internal tracking system, Optus has the lowest average reported customer review scores out of all tracked telcos.

How to sign up for Optus mobile

Click on the ‘Go’ button on the plan you most like the look of below to head directly to the corresponding sign-up page on the Optus website. Confirm the plan you’d like by choosing ‘Select Plan’, or pick ‘Build your own plan’ if you want to customise it, then either create a new Optus account or use your login details if you’re an existing Optus customer. Follow the prompts from here to complete the process.

Optus mobile plans

You can see a daily updating list of the most popular Optus plans below (across SIM Only, Postpaid and Prepaid).

Optus mobile phone plans

At the time of updating this review, there were 43 different handsets available through Optus (that includes storage variants of the same model). Most of those handsets are Apple or Samsung, but Optus also offers Google, Huawei, Oppo, and Motorola handsets, as well as some branded low to mid-tier handsets on Prepaid.

Here are a few of the most popular Optus mobile phone plans.

Optus iPhone plans

As one of the big three telcos, you can always count on Optus to be in the mix when the latest and most popular smartphones release. And while Samsung fans are typically best off going with Woolworths Mobile , Apple users can usually find a great deal on iPhone with Optus.

Here are a few of the most popular iPhone plans with Optus.

First, the most popular iPhone 13 128GB plans.

Optus Samsung Galaxy plans

As with the Apple iPhone, Samsung users can always find the latest Galaxy or Note handsets available through Optus. As we mentioned above, Woolworths Mobile is typically your go-to if Samsung is your brand of choice, but Optus Samsung plans are nothing to sniff at.

At the time of writing, the most popular Samsung handset through Optus is the Galaxy S21 5G 128GB. 

And the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G 128GB is the second-most popular Samsung handset through Optus. Here's a look at the most popular plans customers pair with that handset.

What is a build-your-own phone plan?

The gist is simple, add and remove plan features to tailor your monthly cost to your specific needs. Vodafone used to do the same thing before reverting to a more straightforward plan structure.

Need more data for less? You can remove international and roaming inclusions to max out your data while paying a little less. Same goes if you’re a keen traveller but you don’t use too much data. Simply drop the amount of included data per month and increase your international and roaming inclusions to balance out your monthly bill.

Simple in concept, a little confusing to compare. Adding a handset to any of these plans just complicates things even further.

Optus lets you build your own plans

How’s the coverage for Optus mobile plans?

Coverage is the cornerstone of a good mobile phone plan, and Optus claims to have the second-largest coverage footprint behind Telstra. The network is available across the country and covers 98.5% of the population.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can get Optus coverage in 98.5% of Australia. Like the Telstra and Vodafone networks, Optus coverage is like a dense ring around the coastline, with tendrils of signal stretching inland. Most people should find that they can comfortably use an Optus service wherever they live and work.

Opensignal, a company that analyses mobile network performance through apps people install on their phones, claims that Optus customers can get a 4G signal more often than people using either Telstra or Vodafone. In the same report, Telstra is shown to have the fastest average download speeds, with Optus in second place and Vodafone in third.

This is interesting data to take a look at , but ultimately your experience will depend on where you use your phone. You can take a look at the coverage map below as a guide to whether there is an Optus signal around you, but you should still find a way to test the network before you sign a contract, like buying an Optus Prepaid SIM card and using it in your phone for a few days.

Optus 5G explained

While Telstra's 5G network rollout is ahead of Optus , they are both lightyears ahead of Vodafone's next-gen network rollout. Optus also has one of the healthiest 5G product offerings. All three of the big telcos offer 5G phones , but Optus is one of the few providers offering a solid 5G home modem solution at the time of writing.

It's always worth pointing out that it's still early days for Australian 5G, so don't expect too much (and be sure to check your address in the coverage map above) but we've been fairly impressed with what we have experienced with Optus 5G so far.

We've managed to get roughly 300Mbps down on average with Optus 5G in the North Sydney area (outdoors, of course). That barely touches what 5G is actually capable of , but it's still faster than most NBN connections. With that said, indoors coverage for Optus 5G has been almost non-existent in our tests. We know that 5G is weaker indoors but our own experiences aren't indicative of what every customer should expect. If you're close enough to a 5G site, with a clear line of sight to the tower, it's possible you'll get better indoor Optus 5G coverage than we've managed.

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Disclaimer: The information featured in this article is based on our best estimates of pricing, package details, contract stipulations, and service available at the time of writing. This is not a guarantee. All information is subject to change. Pricing will vary based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the customer’s location, package chosen, added features and equipment, the purchaser’s credit score, etc. For the most accurate information, please ask your customer service representative. Clarify all fees and contract details before signing a contract or finalizing your purchase. Each individual's unique needs should be considered when deciding on chosen products.

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