mobile phone carrier ... which one do you use?

[dedja]

Just interested in who people use as their mobile phone carrier.

There are many reasons you would go for one ahead of the others.

I personally use Virgin (Optus) because they have given me the best value over the years but I'm now suffering from the horrendous Optus 3G network, which doesn't help when I'm using an iPhone which only works on the Optus 2100MHz network on not the 900MHz.

If I take out a mortgage I can ustilise Telstra's superior 3G network.

This rule always seems to apply: you can only choose 2 of speed, reliability and cost

Anyway, what do you use?

[gadj1976]

Optus, $49 cap, $250 worth of calls and I think 100mb of internet which I don't use but my 3 yo daughter somehow navigates to!

[Dirko]

[smac]

Work have a deal with Telstra to supply all our telecom needs (phones,internet - in house and on the road). Reliability and speed are always good, I don't pay for it so for me cost is great as well!

Mrs Smac uses 3 for her phone, $29 cap I think and she gives it a real good test every month! She never has issues with it, although she never hears her phone ring to answer it so I have issues with it!

[Pseudo]

Vodafone, for no good reason. I was presented with my first mobile phone by my then employer about 9 years ago. It just happened to be Vodafone, and I've stuck with them.

I have recently had issues with Vodafone bills not appearing in my inbox, despite their claims to the contrary. In my last missive to their tech support I promised that if they do not resolve the issue by the time my contract expires then I will change carrier. So ask this again next year and my response may be different!

[dedja]

I should have added ... for those that use Telstra, do you or your employer pay for it?

[GWW]

Vodafone, for no good reason. I was presented with my first mobile phone by my then employer about 9 years ago. It just happened to be Vodafone, and I've stuck with them.

I have recently had issues with Vodafone bills not appearing in my inbox, despite their claims to the contrary. In my last missive to their tech support I promised that if they do not resolve the issue by the time my contract expires then I will change carrier. So ask this again next year and my response may be different!

I'm Vodafone too. And I'm not impressed with a couple of things, firstly they say the $49 includes GST; the way they do this is they say you get $350 worth of calls including GST, and they actually give you about $318 worth of calls, and then say that $32 is GST. Thats rubbish as far as i'm concerned, because I don't get billed $350 or $318 I get billed $49 (plus $5 for internet usage).

Secondly, my billing date with my previous phone with my $49 cap was 12th of every month, i then got a new phone a day or 2 before the 24 months expiry period (on the 10th of December i think it was). For the 2 days from 10th to 12th, they didn't actually include that in the Cap, i actually got billed for the calls/texts i made for the 2 days leading up to my biling date. They say its too hard to change the billing date, but this to me is very poor conduct, because when a new phone is purchased, thats the commencement of the new contract as far as i'm concerned. It wasn't much at all that i paid extra, but it was a matter of principal, and i'm sure other people have been given extra charges not knowing how this works.

[Psyber]

My account is with iSIM which was set up in Oz by Singtel and runs on the Optus network.
However, Virgin have bought it and set a deadline later this year for me to migrate so something like their "Bean Counter" plan as they intend to close iSIM down.
I may decide, instead to migrate to Slimtel, which runs on the Vodafone network. http://www.slimtel.com.au/index.php?v=Home

[mighty_tiger_79]

vodafone $49 plan which has been mentioned

[Wedgie]

Im with 3, easily the best deals and seemed to always be ahead of their competitors when it came to using technology.
Previously have used Optus, Telstra and Vodaphone but 3 is the only one that has impressed me enough to stay with them. Now have 4 phones/accounts with them (1 for each of the family) and have been with them for about 5 years.
Whenever Ive compared them (and most recently with the Iphone) 3 have always had the better deals.

[dedja]

How do you find their 3G network Wedgie? ... don't you have to be mindful of the Telstra data roamimg charges?

[Wedgie]

How do you find their 3G network Wedgie? ... don't you have to be mindful of the Telstra data roamimg charges?

I find their 3g network fantastic, I use my phone 99% of the time for net browsing and such.

[Ian]

My phone, my partners and my sons phones are all with 3
Me and the Mrs.$29 cap

Mine is the new one,
$150 a month of calls and SMS
200 minutes ($160) of free 3 to 3
free sports pack
+ I've got the $8 internet pack

The Mrs is on the old $29 cap
$120 a month of calls and SMS
120 minutes of free 3 to 3
minimum cost = $20 per month
Son's is the old $19 special

$120 a month of calls and SMS
120 minutes of free 3 to 3

Our daughter is on a pre paid Vodafone, $30 pre paid lasts up to 12 months

[Thiele]

Telstra.

[devilsadvocate]

Optus. $59 deal. Unlimited messaging, $400 included calls. Free calls to other Optus Customers. 700mb data.

Telstra - great network, but the business is clearly so inefficient and wasteful that they have to charge stupid rates for their services. Worst run business in Australia IMO.

[dedja]

Telstra - great network, but the business is clearly so inefficient and wasteful that they have to charge stupid rates for their services. Worst run business in Australia IMO.

Nah, it's their wholesale and network monopoly that allows them to rip us off.

[bundy]

DO DO very average

[dedja]

DO DO very average

LOL, they still in business?

[dedja]

I suspect the market will be less competitive as time passes.

Vodafone swallows Three
Optus owns Virgin
Virgin owns iSim
Telstra do what they like

[GWW]

I suspect the market will be less competitive as time passes.

Vodafone swallows Three
Optus owns Virgin
Virgin owns iSim
Telstra do what they like

When i was checking out the various phone providers just before xmas, i recall going into the "3" shop in the city, and they said that they were now using the Telstra network.