Mobile plans are changing. There's now a large number of phone plans in Australia that have a speed limit, or speed cap. That is, a maximum speed they're capable of.
This is a big shift in the way that mobile plans are sold, and makes them similar to the NBN. You're not just picking a data allowance, you're picking your speed too.
This is a brave new world for mobile plans, so we're taking a look at the main speeds on offer to help you work out which is right for you.
Mbps stands for megabits per second, and is a universal method used to measure how fast data travels along the network. More Mbps means a faster connection, less means a slower one.
20Mbps mobile plans

20Mbps mobile plans are the slowest you'll get in Australia, but this speed is offered by just one provider: felix mobile. felix has a plan where you genuinely get unlimited data, but the catch is the 20Mbps speed cap.
While 20Mbps is slower than the speeds 4G is capable of (at least 50Mbps in metro areas), it's still fast enough for almost everything you'd want to do on your phone. You won't have any issues scrolling through socials or streaming video.
20Mbps might feel a bit slow if you're regularly downloading apps on the go or using your phone as a portable hotspot.
Here is felix's unlimited plan plan:
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felix mobile
|
felix mobile
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
$40.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
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$40.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
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100Mbps - 150Mbps mobile plans
100Mbps and 150Mbps plans have become the standard for almost every provider powered by the Telstra network. Cheaper plans from telcos like Superloop, Exetel, and Everyday Mobile are all subject to a 100Mbps speed cap.
You can get a little more speed by opting for a prepaid plan from Telstra, Belong, Boost Mobile, Tangerine, or More. Most of these plans are capped to 150Mbps.
Optus also limits the majority of its prepaid plans to 150Mbps. On the Optus MVNO front, Southern Phone's 5G SIM-only plans and all of amaysim's plans are capped at 100Mbps, as are most Swoop and Moose Mobile plans. Aussie Broadband and Yomojo have faster 150Mbps plans available.
These plans have speeds equivalent to or faster than an NBN 100 plan, making them plenty fast for almost any mobile use case - especially given you're typically only using your phone for one thing at a time.
If you see a plan with speeds capped to 100Mbps or 150Mbps, don't be put off by this. It will still be more than fast enough for anything you can do on your phone.
Here's a selection of plans with either a 100Mbps or 150Mbps speed cap:
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#1
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SpinTel
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SpinTel
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
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$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
|
|
|
#2
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OnePass mobile
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OnePass mobile
28 Day Plan - 22GB
$12.50
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$12.50
Per 28 Day Renewal
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Link not supplied
|
|
#3
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Moose Mobile
|
Moose Mobile
Moose 23 SIM Only
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
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$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
|
|
|
#4
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Swoop
|
Swoop
30GB SIM Only 5G
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
|
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
|
|
|
#5
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Lyca Mobile
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Lyca Mobile
Unlimited Plan S
$15.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$15.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
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Link not supplied
|
|
#6
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iiNet
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iiNet
30GB Small Plan
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
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$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
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TPG
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TPG
30GB Small Plan
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
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$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#8
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Yomojo
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Yomojo
Starter 29GB Plan
$24.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$24.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
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Link not supplied
|
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#9
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Dodo
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Dodo
Small Mobile Plan
$25.00/mth
Min. cost $25
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$25.00/mth
Min. cost $25
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|
|
#10
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Lebara Mobile
|
Lebara Mobile
$25 SIM Plan
$25.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$25.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
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Link not supplied
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250Mbps mobile plans
250Mbps plans have become a "premium" option on Telstra-powered providers, as well as the speed cap on Telstra's entry-level Upfront plan. Optus' most expensive 28-day prepaid recharge also has a 250Mbps speed cap, as do the most expensive recharges from iiNet and TPG.
In general, most of us won't benefit from upgrading from a 100Mbps or 150Mbps plan to a 250Mbps plan - at least in terms of speed. The main reason we'd take the higher speed plan is if you also need the larger data allowance it comes with.
Mobile broadband plans on smaller Telstra network providers also tend to be capped to 250Mbps.
Here's a selection of mobile plans with a 250Mbps speed cap:
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#1
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iiNet
|
iiNet
100GB Large Plan
$22.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
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$22.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
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Link not supplied
|
|
#2
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TPG
|
TPG
100GB Large Plan
$22.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
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$22.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
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SpinTel
|
SpinTel
$47 Mobile Plan
$47.00/mth
Min. cost $47
|
$47.00/mth
Min. cost $47
|
|
|
#4
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EZEE Mobile
|
EZEE Mobile
EZEE Max Plan
$55.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$55.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
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Link not supplied
|
|
#5
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Belong
|
Belong
160GB Mobile Plan
$59.00/mth
Min. cost $59
Link not supplied
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$59.00/mth
Min. cost $59
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Link not supplied
|
|
#6
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ALDI mobile
|
ALDI mobile
$59 Mobile Plan
$59.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$59.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
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Boost Mobile
|
Boost Mobile
$59 Prepaid
$59.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
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$59.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
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#8
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Aussie Broadband
|
Aussie Broadband
Premium 5G SIM Plan
$60.00/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
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$60.00/mth
Min. cost $60
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
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Everyday Mobile
|
Everyday Mobile
$60 SIM Only
$60.00/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
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$60.00/mth
Min. cost $60
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Link not supplied
|
|
#10
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Tangerine Telecom
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Tangerine Telecom
160GB 5G Mobile SIM
$60.00/mth
Min. cost $30
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$60.00/mth
Min. cost $30
|
Uncapped mobile plans
Until recently, uncapped plans were the industry standard. An uncapped plan allows download speeds as fast as your network type and network coverage allow. For example, we've seen speeds over 1Gbps on the Telstra 5G network.
The speeds you get on an uncapped plan will depend on your provider, your coverage, and your device. While an uncapped Telstra plan can get stupidly fast speeds on 5G, an uncapped plan from Vodafone with a 4G-only device might only get you speeds as fast as 100Mbps, for example.
If you're picking between a plan with a speed cap and an uncapped plan on the same provider, we'd typically recommend the capped plan - unless you need the extra data on offer from uncapped plan.
Here's a selection of uncapped mobile plans with at least 20GB:
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#1
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Kogan Mobile
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Kogan Mobile
Large Monthly Plan
$20.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
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$20.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
|
|
|
#2
|
Coles Mobile
|
Coles Mobile
Prepaid $25 for 28 Days
$25.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$25.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
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Optus
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$39.00/mth
Min. cost $39
|
$39.00/mth
Min. cost $39
|
|
|
#4
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Vodafone
|
Vodafone
$40 Prepaid Plus Recharge
$40.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$40.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
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Telstra
|
Telstra
$74 Basic Upfront SIM Plan
$64.00/mth
Min. cost $64
Link not supplied
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$64.00/mth
Min. cost $64
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Link not supplied
|
|
#6
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Boost Mobile
|
Boost Mobile
$74 Prepaid
$74.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
$74.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
|
#7
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OnePass mobile
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OnePass mobile
365 Day Plan - 200GB
$149.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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$149.00
Per 365 Day Renewal
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Link not supplied
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How to check your current mobile internet speed?
You can use the tool below to find out what internet speeds you're currently receiving on your phone. Just make sure you disconnect from your WiFi so you're actually testing your mobile connection, rather than your internet.
Internet Speed Test
Is your internet fast enough? Test internet speeds at your location with a single click.
Your last speed test was Mbps on .
Your Internet Speed Is
Latency
Upload Speed
An error occurred and we can't perform the speed test.
What affects mobile internet speeds?
Mobile internet speeds are far more prone to fluctuation than NBN speeds. Just because you're paying for a 100Mbps plan doesn't mean you'll see 100Mbps all the time.
By and large, two main factors impact mobile internet speeds: coverage and congestion.
If you're in a poor coverage area or too far away from a mobile tower, you're going to see slower speeds than you would in ideal conditions. Similarly, if too many people are using your mobile network of choice at the same time, you might experience slower speeds due to congestion.
The device you're using and whether you're connected to a 4G or 5G network will also impact your mobile speeds.
These are the most popular NBN 50 plans with WhistleOut users this week:
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#1
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Belong
|
Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited
All Fixed Line nbn®
$55/mth
for first 6 mths, then $91/mth
Min. cost $55
|
$55/mth
for first 6 mths, then $91/mth
Min. cost $55
|
|
|
#2
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Dodo
|
Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
All Fixed Line nbn®
$57.99/mth
for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
|
$57.99/mth
for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
|
|
|
#3
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Tangerine Telecom
|
Tangerine Telecom
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value Plus NBN 50/20
All Fixed Line nbn®
$64.90/mth
for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth
Min. cost $64.90
|
$64.90/mth
for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth
Min. cost $64.90
|
|
|
#4
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iiNet
|
iiNet
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Liimitless
All Fixed Line nbn®
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
|
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth
Min. cost $79.99
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
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Moose NBN
|
Moose NBN
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn 50/20 Premium
All Fixed Line nbn®
$59.80/mth
for first 6 mths, then $83.80/mth
Min. cost $59.80
Link not supplied
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$59.80/mth
for first 6 mths, then $83.80/mth
Min. cost $59.80
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
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Flip
|
Flip
All Fixed Line nbn®
Unlimited Family nbn50
All Fixed Line nbn®
$68/mth
for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth
Min. cost $68
|
$68/mth
for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth
Min. cost $68
|
|
|
#7
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Superloop
|
Superloop
All Fixed Line nbn®
Extra-value nbn50/20
All Fixed Line nbn®
$69/mth
for first 6 mths, then $89/mth
Min. cost $69
|
$69/mth
for first 6 mths, then $89/mth
Min. cost $69
|
|
|
#8
|
TPG
|
TPG
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
All Fixed Line nbn®
$69.99/mth
for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
Link not supplied
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$69.99/mth
for first 6 mths, then $89.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
More
|
More
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value Plus NBN
All Fixed Line nbn®
$100/mth
Min. cost $100
Link not supplied
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$100/mth
Min. cost $100
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Origin Broadband
|
Origin Broadband
All Fixed Line nbn®
Experience nbn® 50
All Fixed Line nbn®
$79/mth
for 6 mths, then $109/mth
Min. cost $79
Link not supplied
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$79/mth
for 6 mths, then $109/mth
Min. cost $79
|
Link not supplied
|
Alex Choros