Australia’s biggest mobile carrier has chosen a cracking time to jack up its prices, right in the middle of a surge in cost of living pressures thanks to the conflict in Iran and rising petrol prices.
In the weeks ahead, Telstra’s postpaid plans will increase in price by $4 a month, while Pre-Paid plans will go up by $5 per month, and if you’re someone with a Samsung or Apple Smartwatch who pays the $5 per month for the eSIM or “One Number” access, then that’s going up to $8.
Telstra say “Our customers are doing more on our network than ever before, and we’re investing so we can deliver the best experience available. Changing our prices helps us to keep improving our mobile network performance, reliability and security to better support our customers’ changing connectivity needs.“
And of course, they do continue to invest and innovate, as they say “We already have Australia’s largest mobile network, reaching more of the country than any other mobile provider. Our price changes help drive ongoing investment in our mobile network infrastructure, enabling innovation and the rollout of new features that expand connectivity options for customers. A clear example of our innovation and investment in connectivity – we introduced satellite-to-mobile messaging on our Upfront Postpaid plans, letting customers who have compatible devices send and receive texts almost anywhere in Australia when beyond the range of our mobile network and with a clear view of the sky.“
But, for most people, mobile access is about being able to make calls, take calls, send texts and access data. These prices put additional pressure on, and the timing for Telstra is unfortunate.
Telstra is offering some support for those most in need, including new options such as their “Acess Plan” which provides basic connectivity with just 5GB of data.
Additionally, from 1 July there is a 10% discount for concession card holders on traditional Telstra plans.
What’s fascinating is that Telstra is even openly encouraging people to switch to other brands – of course, Telstra owned brands, to get a better deal.
As you can see above, they are suggesting moving to Telstra Pre-Paid, to Boost Mobile, Belong or even JB HiFi for a better deal.
The plan changes are below
Postpaid Mobile
| Plan Name | Data Inclusion | Current Price | New Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 5GB | $50 | $55* |
| Basic | 50GB | $70 | $74 |
| Essential | 180GB | $80 | $84 |
| Premium | 300GB | $99 | $99 |
| Mobile Bundle | 25GB | $57 | $61 |
| Telstra One Number | – | $5 | $8 |
Pre-Paid Mobile
| Plan Name | Current Data / Speed | Current Price | New Data / Speed | New Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Days | 3GB / 150Mbps | $13 | 4GB / 150Mbps | $15 |
| 28 Days | 15GB / 150Mbps | $39 | 20GB / 150Mbps | $44 |
| 28 Days | 25GB / 150Mbps | $49 | 35GB / 150Mbps | $54 |
| 28 Days | 35GB / 250Mbps | $59 | 45GB / 250Mbps | $64 |
| 28 Days | 70GB / uncapped | $69 | 80GB / uncapped | $74 |
| 6 Months | 70GB / 150Mbps | $180 | 80GB / 150Mbps | $200 |
| 12 Months | 165GB / 150Mbps | $350 | 180GB / 150Mbps | $395 |
* Not available for purchase from 5th May 2026. Existing customers can continue on this plan until notified otherwise.
Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head.
He produces and hosts several popular podcasts, EFTM, Two Blokes Talking Tech, Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars, The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, and the Private Feed. He is the resident tech expert for Triple M on radio across Australia, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show and appears regularly on 9 News, A Current Affair and Sky News Early Edition.
Father of three, he is often found in his Man Cave.
