Following a change of relationship with Optus in 2012, Telechoice has re-invented itself as an MVNO service provider on the Telstra 3G network. It has jumped out of the gates with a number of compelling plans, but price is only one consideration.
I’ve being using Telechoice as my mobile provider for the past 30-days. Here is my experience.
The switch
Porting my number over from Telstra to Telechoice was a painless experience. I ordered a SIM card online, received it two business days later and started the activation process straight away.
Strangely, Telechoice doesn’t offer the option to activate a new SIM online, so instead I called and spoke to a representative who set up direct debit payment and put in a number porting request.
It took a few hours before the service was active, and while this is longer than my previous experiences (often porting can take place in 30-mins or less), a few hours is totally fine.
The welcome pack sent out by Telechoice includes the essentials, like plan details and activation instructions. It also comes with a very helpful guy on how to set up an Access Point Name (APN) on your phone to get internet services working. Your phone should do this automatically, but if it doesn’t, this guide is a thoughtful inclusion.
Pricing
For its SIM-only plans, Telechoice approaches pricing a little differently from most of the other MVNOs. Each of its seven plan options has a month-to-month price, and then incrementally cheaper prices for 12- and 24-month terms.
For example, the top plan is $69 for unlimited calls, SMS, $80 international call credit and 3GB of data on month-to-month terms. Exactly the same plan and inclusions can be had for $49 per month if you sign up for 24-months ($59 for 12-months).
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Unusually, Telechoice bills for MMS separately, at $0.55 per message. Regardless of which plan you are on, an MMS message is always billed on top of your regular monthly bill. With new apps like Instagram and Snapchat gaining in popularity, you might not care about this.
Excess data is charged at $0.15 per MB, or a little over $150 per GB. This is one of the highest excess data charges in Australia, much higher than the big 4 telcos, so be sure you have enough data included in the plan you choose to match your regular data usage.
Coverage and performance
As I mentioned above, Telechoice customers use the Telstra 3G network, which is great piece of mind for anyone who lives in a regional area.
Telstra recently enhanced the network it resells to wholesale customers, so partners like Telechoice can now boast coverage of up to 98.5% of the population. The change also doubled data speeds, with the maximum theoretical download speed on Telechoice up to 42Mbps.
In my experience, data speeds and coverage are excellent. I tested the network using three different Android-powered phones and the iPhone 5s, and enjoyed really consistent service across Sydney metro. My top speed was 11Mbps in an Ookla speed test, but certain conditions are likely to yield even higher speeds -- and slower ones, too.
Self-service
My only complaint about my time using Telechoice is its lack of self-service monitoring. Currently, there are no Telechoice-designed apps fpr smartphones, and its website definitely needs a bit of spit and polish.
Customers can access the ‘Members Area’ on the Telechoice site, and there is an option to view your ongoing usage in this section of the site. It’s far from user friendly though, with no shortcuts to highlight the important information about your account. You can view itemised usage for calls and data, but be ready to grab a calculator.
By our count, it takes five clicks to get from the Telechoice homepage to a page that displays your remaining data for the month. And, if you’re hoping Telechoice has a mobile site to make it easier to grab this information on the go, prepare to be disappointed.
Should you switch to Telechoice?
There are a number of factors working in favour of Telechoice. I’ve experienced fantastic coverage and data speeds during my trial, switching over was simple, and plan pricing is quite good — especially if you’re happy to sign up for 12- or 24-months.
The overall customer experience is hurt by the current design of its website, particularly in the ‘Members Area’, but we have it on good authority that Telechoice is in the process of updating this site. Adding the ability to activate a new SIM online and making it easier to follow account usage is a must for MVNO telcos these days.
Joseph Hanlon
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