What is mobile data sharing?

Mobile data sharing is one of those unfortunately ambiguous terms that could mean to multiple things. Generally, it refers to family-type mobile plans where a single account has multiple plans, all of which are able to pool and share their respective data caps.

It could also refer to data gifting, which is when participating mobile providers let their users share surplus data with other users (typically in 1GB blocks). It’s less common, but data sharing may also be used in conjunction with $5 plan bolt-ons from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone that add an eSIM meant for smartwatch data sharing for cellular-capable wearables linked to a main mobile plan’s data.

We’ll get into all of that but, before we do, here’s a list of popular mobile plans from our comparison engine.

If you want to use data sharing for multiple plans under a single account, there are a few options. Aldi Mobile, Aussie Broadband, Optus, Vodafone and Telstra all allow for data pooling across eligible mobile plans under a single account.

Aldi Mobile has a few different prepaid options for family plans, all of which have 30-day expiries, unlimited data rollover and access to the Telstra 5G network. The cheapest is for two services, the middle option is for up to four, and the priciest prepaid plan is for up to six services, with the extra cost equating to more pooled data.

The Aussie Broadband, Optus, Vodafone and Telstra options are more straightforward for their respective SIM-only plans. Aussie Broadband is a bit hazy on the specifics outside of allowing for data pooling, but Telstra allows for up to 20 Upfront Mobile or data plans under the same account. Optus technically allows for unlimited data-sharing plans, as long as they’re branded as Optus Choice Plus, Optus Choice Plus Data, Optus Plus Family or Optus Plus Kids plans. Vodafone allows up to 10 eligible plans under one account, which includes Vodafone Infinite, Vodafone BYOD, Plus, Team, and Vodafone Infinite Data Plans.

Check out a list of popular plans from these data-sharing mobile providers below.

If you own an eligible LTE (cellular) smartwatch, you can share the data from your mobile plan with the wearable via eSIM. Optus, Vodafone and Telstra all charge $5 a monthly fee to share eligible SIM-only mobile plan data with a compatible smartwatch. Check out the most popular SIM-only plans from Vodafone, Optus and Telstra below.

Okay, so technically these are two separate terms, but they’re sometimes used interchangeably, which is why we’re covering it here. Of the mobile providers tracked in our database, Belong, Everyday (Woolworths) Mobile, More Telecom and Tangerine Telecom all offer data gifting. Belong lets users gift data to other Belong users up to five times per month in 1GB increments.

Everyday Mobile also uses 1GB blocks for data gifting, and users can gift up to 50% of their plan allowance per month or prepaid recharge period. It’s the same story for More Telecom and Tangerine Telecom SIM-only plans.

It feels strange to include tethering here, but Amaysim, Lyca Mobile and Southern Phone all referenced data sharing via mobile hotspot, so here we are. Hotspotting is where you share your mobile data via a mobile phone, effectively converting your smartphone into a modem that can share its data with other devices via WiFi. All mobile providers in Australia allow for hotspot tethering to share mobile data.