The major cell phone (wireless) companies in Australia?

Question

I'd also be interested in your experiences....are some companies better than others? (BTW I'm going to live in Oz a few years and will be calling the US a lot.)

Answer 1

I have found that AAPT gives the best customer service and also phone coverage.

I have been with them for 5 years and have not had any dramas with them.

They either work off the Vodaphone or Optus network, Im lucky as Im on the Vodaphone network.

If there is ever an issue with my bill they will fix it straightaway.

I have been with Telstra and Optus previously, and would recommennd AAPT to anyone.

My mum is with the 3 network, and they are absolutely useless. I will ring her and her phone wont even register my call.

I am currently on a $50 per month plan which gives me $500 worth of calls and text messages. I find calling the states is relatively cheap on this plan too.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

They are not called cell phones in Australia, they are mobile phones. Call them cell phones and a lot of people will not know what you are talking about. The major companies are Telstra, Optus and Vodaphone. Telstra is the biggest and owns all the infrastructure which the others use. There are other companies which pop up from time to time. I use Telstra and have few problems with them but I have had problems with Optus. You will find other people where the reverse has happened. Check out all the companies when you are getting your mobile and look for the best deal for you. The deals change regularly but you will find one that suits you.

Answer 4

Telstra owns most of the networks all over the country so you will find telstra has the best coverage and deals. Optus sucks and they get worse after that. I would suggest buyinf NextG Mobile from Telstra this has the best coverage for the whole country. Do nt buy a 3g phone as they don t work a outside capital cities and also they NextG has the same features but work everywhere. When I say 3G phone does not work I am saying the 3g features dont work but you will get some poor digital coverage, whereas NextG runs of 850 mhz which has greater range and coverage.

Answer 5

telstra
optus
three
vodafone
virgin

Telstra and Optus seem to have the best coverage however both don't seem to be as flexible with their plans as the others. The coverage of the others are fine if you are in a major city but can be dodgy in rural areas.

Three is the only genuine 3G network in Australia. Optus and Telstra claim to have a 3G networks but their networks are no where near as superior as the Three network.

I think that calling o/s from your mobile will be quite expensive and there are cheaper options. You may be better off getting a landline (in addition to your mobile) with Telstra or Optus and look at specific international plans for the USA. If you get your landline + mobile + internet all with the same provider they will give you discounts for bundling them together.

PS: although we don't call them cell phones here you can still call yours that as we all know what you are talking about :)

Answer 6

Vodafone
Three (3)
Telstra
Optus

are the major ones...

Vodafone was really good to me at first then they sent me a $700 bill saying they forgot to bill me for calls I had made over numerous months.... (their error and they wouldnt give me an extended time period to pay and were demanding the money immediatly) because of their rudeness I cancelled my service with them...

I am with three now and they charge in 30 seconds timeslots if you make a 31 second call you will be billed for 60 seconds. Their coverage is not that great either....not recommended

I would recommend either Telstra or Optus. I have been with them before too and had no problems. They prob also now offer the best valued services (e.g. free calls so selected numbers etc)....

I use my cell phone here to call the U.S. often aswell and believe it or not it is actually quite cheap. It is cheaper to make a call with your cell to the U.S. than it is to call around Australia....weird???

Answer 7

I have had good success with Telstra & Vodaphone. By the way www.Letsgotoaustralia.com has a free e-book to educate you on Australia and help you learn about the culture and the different places to live.

See you here!

Answer 8

Optus
telstra
Vodafone
Virgin
Three

Personally i think vodafone are the best. I was on Virgin but they sucked a bit, like a bit of a rip off. But get pre pay as you can control your spending, otherwise you get hit with a huge 1000$$$ bill. Most of the time too plans rip you off!!

Answer 9

yeah like tentofield said....

totally agree

oh and dont call them cell phones, you need to learn the australian slangs/words before you come too