Vodafone has increased the price of all its postpaid mobile plans by $4 per month, but has also added more data. The new pricing only applies to new customers, and existing customers will be able to stay on their current plans without paying extra.
Vodafone last increased its price just under a year ago, at the end of January 2023. The timing does however mean that customers hoping to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S24 later this week will be slugged with the higher fees. A Vodafone spokesperson told WhistleOut the price increase is unrelated to the Samsung launch, however.
Here's how Vodafone's pricing is changing:
These plans can be taken up as SIM-only, or paired with a new phone. The changes see Vodafone match Optus' pricing, but with higher data allowances. For example, Vodafone is offering 50GB for $49 per month, while Optus' equivalent plan has 30GB. Telstra's plans are still the most expensive out of the Big Three telcos, with plans starting at $62 per month for 50GB. Here's how SIM-only plans from Vodafone, Telstra, and Optus compare:
Of course, there are also plenty of plans from smaller providers on the Vodafone network, with much lower starting prices. Vodafone's parent company, TPG, has a $25 per month plan with 25GB. New customers can get this plan for $12.50 per month for their first six month. While that's a smaller data allowance, the latest ACCC Internet Activity Report says the average postpaid mobile customer was using only 15.9GB of data per month. Prepaid customers used just 7.5GB per month. Here's a look at other plans on the Vodafone network with at least 20GB:
The main downside of taking up a plan from a smaller provider is that they tend not to offer phones, and international roaming options can be more limited. A Vodafone spokesperson told WhistleOut mobile plan prices were increased due to the higher cost of doing business. "These changes have been made in response to the continuing high costs of doing business and ongoing investments in our networks, technology, security, products and services," said the spokesperson. "Vodafone remains committed to offering great value to our customers. As part of these changes, we are significantly increasing the monthly data allowance for our postpaid plans so customers can continue browsing, streaming and enjoying all the activities they love on their mobile devices." Price rises on mobile plans have become increasingly common over the last few years. Telstra's Upfront mobile plans all come with a disclaimer that the price may increase in July each year. So far, Telstra upped prices in 2022 and 2023. The vast majority of smaller providers powered by the Telstra network also increased their prices last year. Optus hasn't increased its mobile plan prices since July 2022, but migrated older customers onto newer, more expensive plans last year. |
Alex Choros
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