Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton is in conversations with Australian mobile providers about launching his AI-powered telco, MobileX, locally.
Currently only available in the United States, the MobileX pitch is that customers should only pay for the data they need. When setting up a MobileX account new customers get 10 days free while their usage is analysed. After this, it builds a custom SIM-only plan based on this forecast.
Data is billed at USD$2 per gigabyte, while adding on unlimited talk and text costs USD$4.50 per month. Someone only using 2GB of mobile data per month would only be up for around USD$10 per month, when factoring in a service fee. A 6GB plan ends up costing around USD$15, for example.
Any unused data is either refunded, or rolled over, and users get new forecasts as they continue to use their plan.
It is worth noting that US pricing doesn't necessarily indicate how MobileX plans would be structured in Australia, but Adderton intends to use the same technology locally, and the pitch is still around controlling spend and saving money.
Adderton told WhistleOut the service is best suited for those regularly connected to WiFi and using under 13GB of mobile data each mobile. According to the latest ACCC Internet Activity Report, the average postpaid mobile customer in Australia was using only 15.9GB of data per month. Prepaid customers used just 7.5GB per month.
In the United States, MobileX recently partnered with Walmart, making its SIMs available in over 4,000 stores.
"We’re very comfortable and confident," said Adderton. "Growth is going well for us, the technology is going well, and people are trying to replicate us. I think it's very disruptive, and it's taking off in America right now, and we want to bring it to Australia."
"We’re having conversations with carriers right now."
Launching MobileX in Australia isn't without its challenges, however. The unique plan structure differs from how Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone typically sell wholesale mobile plans to smaller mobile providers. Adderton is still optimistic, however.
"I think as carriers start to realise that they're in the business of selling gigabytes, and [that MobileX] has unique ways of doing that, you know, you may not get the big guy on board, but you'll definitely get number three, who's trying to get market share," said Adderton.
"That's basically where MobileX comes in, because it does have the ability to get market share. I'm pretty confident we'll find a carrier that will want to embrace us."
As such, there are currently aren't any firm timelines for when MobileX could launch in Australia.
"When someone says yes we'll move fast," said Adderton. "I've already built the platform. The integration into a network like Verizon (the network that powers MobileX in the US) versus innovation into an Australian network, they're all basically the same."
Despite still being involved with Boost Mobile in Australia, Adderton says that Boost and MobileX could co-exist in the local market, and serve different types of customers.
These are the most popular SIM-only mobile plans with WhistleOut users this week:
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#1
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SpinTel
Editor's Pick
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
|
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#2
|
Boost Mobile
$39 Prepaid
$39.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#3
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Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
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#4
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Tangerine Telecom
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
#5
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TPG
Editor's Pick
30GB Small Plan
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Yomojo
Starter 29GB Plan
$24.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
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Pivotel
25GB Mobile Swift Plan
$11.45/mth
Min. cost $11.45
|
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#8
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Swoop
30GB SIM Only 5G
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
|
|
#9
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felix mobile
felix 25GB Mobile Plan
$30.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
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#10
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Vodafone
$58 Small SIM Only Plan
$45.00/mth
Min. cost $45
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Alex Choros
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