Telstra vs Optus Mobile: plans, 5G, coverage and value

Telstra and Optus are like the Godzilla and King Kong of Australian telcos. They've clashed plenty of times over the years, but it's easy to wonder if the two have more in common than they do apart.

If you're struggling to choose between Telstra and Optus, we can't blame you. However, we can offer some advice. Let's start with the pros and cons plus a round-up of the postpaid plans from each of the two providers, side-by-side:

There’s no question about it, Telstra is and always has been the leading Australian telco for mobile network coverage.

With 99.5% of the Australian population by Telstra’s 4G network and a dedication to delivering coverage in some of the most remote parts of Australia with its Blue Tick initiative, Telstra has always been the most reliable in terms of coverage. That’s why so many people in rural areas have been happy to pay the premium.

To be completely fair, Optus network still covers a whopping 98.5% of the Australian population. That doesn’t sound like much of a difference but when we’re talking about over 25 million Australians, it’s quite a large difference.

To get a sense of how the coverage of Telstra compares to that of its biggest rival, use the provider dropdown in the mobile coverage map below to compare the two.

While the earliest and messiest days of the 5G network rollout are likely behind us, Telstra's first mover advantage remains more or less intact. A quick glance at the 5G coverage map below shows that Telstra has superior 5G coverage in most major cities and many regional areas. Telstra's 5G network now covers over 85% of the Australian population.

Optus has a decent 5G footprint too, now covering over 2.1 million homes (or just over 80% of the population). But if you use the dropdown in the map below to switch between the two providers, you'll see that Telstra has a significantly higher density of coverage in metropolitan areas.

When it comes to the MVNOs, Telstra and Optus do differ when it comes to much of their network they're willing to share.

Telstra customers have access to the carrier's entire network footprint, which covers 99.5% of the Australian population. Meanwhile, Telstra MVNOs like ALDI mobile use the Telstra Wholesale Network.

This skimmed-down version of Telstra's network reaches just 98.8% of the Australian population. That might not sound like a huge difference, but if you're in a rural area it can count for a lot. The one exception here is Boost Mobile, which does have access to the full Telstra network.

For a comparison of how Telstra's MVNO partners compare to its own in-house plans, check out the widget below.

In contrast, MVNOs on the Optus network have access to the exact same coverage footprint as Optus' own customers. This is great for consumers as it means they can look for the best deal without having to worry.

Check out the widget below for a round-up showing how Optus compares to Optus MVNOs using the same infrastructure when it comes to SIM-only and prepaid plans with at least 20GB of data.

When it comes to these titanic telcos, working with a limited budget can be tough.

Cheap isn’t exactly the word you associate with either provider. For the sake of this match-up, let’s take a look at the cheapest SIM-only plans offered by both providers and what they include. It's worth noting that Telstra moved to an upfront payment system for its BYO SIM plans in 2021. Most of the inclusions remain the same, with a few small upgrades, but all Telstra SIM-only plans are now charged at the start of the month, rather than the end of your billing period.

The cheapest Optus SIM plan currently available will get you 50GB of data, unlimited standard calls and text for $52 per month. If you're using a compatible handset, you'll also get 5G everywhere that the Optus network offers it.

The cheapest Telstra SIM plan will get you 50GB of data, unlimited standard calls and text for $65 per month. It has 5G connectivity, and speeds are now uncapped.

That said, the cheapest SIM-only plans are rarely the best value from any mobile provider. That’s just as true here as anywhere else. Both Telstra and Optus offer much better value SIM-only plans if you’re happy to pay even a fraction more to get a lot more data.

Likewise,  there's even better value to be had. While MVNOs were rare to offer 5G plans in the past, quite a few now do (such as SpinTel, Belong, Dodo, Tangerine and Aussie Broadband) if you're happy to go with a lesser-known provider on the Telstra or Optus network. Keep in mind that most MVNos offer 5G only on their most expensive plans and often limit download speeds to 100-150Mbps.

Optus offers up to 360GB per month on its most expensive phone plan. It's a very pricey plan at $82 per month, but it does come with unlimited standard international calls and text to 35 selected destinations, and discounted access to Optus Sport subscription. You'll pay $6.99 per month instead of the $24.99 per month you're billed if you're not an Optus customer. 

Like Telstra, Optus no longer has excess data charges, switching to a more manageable endless data solution where your speeds are capped at 1.5Mbps when you exceed your monthly allowance. So even if you do go over your data with either provider, you won't get any unnecessary bill shock.

Telstra currently offers 300GB mobile data on its most expensive plan at $99 per month. It costs you a pretty penny but it also gets you unlimited standard calls and text plus a bagful of bonuses like a few months of free streaming subscriptions.

Of course, pricing, data and perks aren't the only considerations when tossing up between mobile providers. You also want to know any issues you may have will be sorted out quickly and easily, so customer service is an important factor to think about.

Australian telcos don't have the best reputation for customer service and satisfaction, and Telstra and Optus are actually two of the worst offenders. According to user-generated reviews website Product Review, Telstra has a meagre 1.4-star rating, while Optus has an even lower 1.3-star rating.

Based on those numbers alone, Telstra just comes out on top, but neither provider gets a full tick of approval from us for customer service.

It is of course remembering that user reviews aren't always the best way to judge a telco - most people aren't going to go out of the way to rave to write an online review unless they've had a particularly bad experience.

Telstra and Optus both offer the option to pay your phone off over 12, 24, or 36 months. 

Of course, the longer you contract for, the cheaper your monthly handset repayments will be. You'll end up paying roughly the same for your handset across all options but longer contracts and lower monthly payments will work for some, whereas others would rather pay more per month if it means shortening the contract period.

For this comparison, we've selected the Samsung Galaxy S24 256GB 24-month contract.

With this particular plan and handset combination, Optus offers the lower starting price on a plan with 50GB per month, but a little extra will also get you 50GB per month with Telstra. 

When it comes to overall value for other handsets, like the latest iPhone, Optus often pops up in our monthly picks for the best mobile phone plans in Australia.

It's also worth noting that you're only contracted to pay off the handset repayments. The plans themselves are technically month-to-month, so if you cancel there aren't any exorbitant cancellation fees, you just need to pay off the handset. That's why the total minimum cost for each plan seems so low, you're only obligated to pay for one month of service and the full cost of the handset.

For a better sense of how these plans compare to the rest of the market, let's take a look at some more popular Apple iPhone 16 128GB handset combinations from every other provider that offers that the device.

Optus' prepaid Flex Plus plans start at $12 per week and go up to $320 per year. The idea here is that you can better scale and match the cost of your mobile data to your needs.

The big difference between Telstra and Optus prepaid plans is the way that international calls are handled.

Consumers who opt for a Flex Plus prepaid plan with 28-day expiry with international calls get unlimited calls to 20 countries. If you're keen to call a destination that isn't on that list or go with a prepaid plan that doesn't include international calls, then Optus sells a $5 add-on that gets you up to 300 minutes standard international talk to 50 selected destinations.

Also, Telstra's $5 roaming day pass only works in 7 countries in the Pacific (New Zealand, Fifi, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Western Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu) while Optus's $5 roaming day pass works in over 100 destinations. This means you will most likely need to purchase a $10 zone 2 day pass with Telstra while there's a good chance Optus's $5 day-pass will cover your destination.

Telstra currently offers a wide range of prepaid plans, which go from as cheap as $13 to as much as $320.

New Telstra customers get to choose between five different starter kits. Each of these plans comes with a boatload of bonus data up-front. However, that allowance will start to shrink following your first recharge. Check out the widget below for a no-nonsense breakdown of Telstra Starter kits.

Returning existing Telstra customers have a few less options to choose from when it comes to prepaid recharge plans. There's a slight difference between the price you'll be paying for a starter kit versus the cost of recharging each month, as well as the inclusions that either gets you. In any case, check out the widget below for the full round-up of Telstra prepaid recharge plans.

The one difference between these two categories of Telstra prepaid plans, aside from the amount of data included, is the number of international calls you get. For a full breakdown of how international inclusions vary across the Telstra prepaid plan range, check out the table below.

For those seeking a low-cost and long expiry option, there's the Telstra Prepaid Mobile Casual plan. This corner of the roster might not be enough for data hungry Aussies looking to make the most of the latest iPhone. Still, it might be a good option for younger (or older) consumers looking to rely on a feature phone like the Nokia 225 4G.

Hopping on board the bandwagon here will cost you a budget-friendly $39. The plan you get for that thrifty sum includes six-month expiry but only 390MB of data, 80 minutes of talk, and 100 texts. That's not much to work with, but there are a few different options when it comes to topping up your data allowance as you go along.

As with the rest of the Telstra prepaid roster, the international inclusions for the Prepaid Mobile Casual plan change depending on how much you want to pay when it comes time to recharge. Check out the table below for a breakdown of the international inclusions for each of the plans listed in the widget above.