We’ve been keeping an eye on the state of 4G in Australia over the last few months, and eagerly awaiting news of when smaller resellers will be passing 4G mobile coverage on to their customers.
While Optus MVNOs such as Vaya, Amaysim and Spintel have stated they hope to provide 4G sometime in the first half of 2013, it looks like they've been pipped to the post.
Exetel has launched its 4G LTE plans for mobile customers through the Optus network - welcome news for those of you wanting the benefits of 4G without being tied to a major telco.
Exetel's plans are month-to-month and SIM only, so customers will need to bring their own 4G compatible device.
Currently there are three tiers available to customers:
Small
- $19.95 per month
- Includes $200 of talk, text and MMS
- 200MB of included data
Medium
- $39.95 per month
- Includes $650 of talk and MMS
- Unlimited SMS
- Unlimited calls to Exetel Mobile numbers
- 1500MB of included data
Large
- $69.95 per month
- Includes unlimited talk, text and unlimited MMS
- 3GB of included data
For customers wanting to get the most value from their plan, remember that you can burn through 200MB of data in no time if accessing it at 4G speeds. Exetel don't offer data add-on packs like some other providers, so customers who prioritise a reasonable data allowance over unlimited talk and text may need to go for a higher cost plan to avoid overuse charges.
Excess data will be charged at a rate of $0.50 per MB for the Small plan and $0.26 per MB for Medium and Large users, with data use rounded to the nearest megabyte. None of the plans feature unlimited social networking access, a perk that was available previously on some Exetel plans.
Included in Exetel’s unlimited call allowance on a Large plan are calls to 13/1300 and 1800 numbers. However, international calls, SMS and MMS are not included and charged in addition to the monthly minimum.
Current Exetel customers using 4G enabled smartphones will need to purchase a new SIM in order to access the 4G network. Tethering under the new plans is possible, but only under strict guidelines and customers will need to enable it first by opting in through the member's portal on Exetel's website.
All of Exetel's plans are contract free, so customers will be able to cancel or change plans with 30 days' notice - great for users who are scared of commitment.
While Exetel may be the first MVNO to launch BYO 4G phone plans, Live Connected have been offering 4G on contract from December last year. Exetel has been offering 4G for mobile broadband since late last year, alongside providers such as iiNet.
Hopefully the release of Exetel's offers will provide a little incentive to competing MVNOs to get their 4G plans up and running ASAP. We're looking forward to seeing what the other providers will be bringing to the table over the coming months.
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