Telstra To Dump $ 10/20 Post Paid Casual Plans etc.

Submitted: Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 10:19
ThreadID: 136878 Views:2908 Replies:6 FollowUps:6
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What do think the chances of these cheap plans surviving given they are offloading hundreds of old plans ?
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Reply By: Member - DOZER - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 10:32

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 10:32
theres too many other cheap plans they cant compete....i use Aldi, $240 per annum, 64 gig data unlimited calls, and they use Telstra towers../...doesnt work at Birdsville, but does around big smokes where most of the poppulation lives...where Telstra comes into its own is country Aus
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Reply By: Ron N - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 11:15

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 11:15
Going to be interesting to see what they end up with by way of plans.
For decades, Telstra has specialised in devious, complex plans that all operated like pea-and-thimble tricks.

Those plans all offered what initially appeared to be straightforward pricing - but they all had complex charge schemes built in, to rip you off when you weren't watching.

Overseas roaming charges caught out many people who didn't read through every line in the contract.

The basic problem is that the telcos all need you to pay about a dollar a day minimum, regardless of whether you use the phone or not.
Every plan and convoluted charging scheme thought up, is all arranged around this need to get that amount of money out of you.

I got sick of the scheming and hidden call charges, and unexpected data charges - so I went over to Telstras basic pre-paid plan of a dollar a day.
You get the same number of days as you add whatever amount of dollars in credit.
You use more data or make more calls than the minimum specified, and they take the next days payment off you, shortening the period of credit.

It works just fine for me. I keep calls to a minimum, keep data useage to the minimum by ensuring large files, videos, news articles, and other bandwidth-consuming stuff, is mostly downloaded and viewed on my desktop through my landline at minimal cost.
If I need to see important emails, I can view emails on my internet providers webmail page, via my phone.

I don't send emails to my phone, I always envisage my phone getting stolen and some low-life hacker being able to access all my private information, contacts, photos, etc.
I don't need to answer or see all emails within 10 seconds of them being sent, 99% of them are not time-critical.

I've found that the important thing about smartphones is to ensure that only the minimal number of people can contact you, or send you crap that uses up your bandwidth.
Scammers numbers are blocked immediately, I don't answer "private" numbers - if they really need to contact me, they can send a text, and I can see what it's about.

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 18:26

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 18:26
.
Yes Ron, I agree with your limiting data use of your mobile phone. Mine is included in a Business Account with my landline, internet and satphone.
My mobile phone is just that..... a phone, although I may take an occasional photo on it.

I do not answer "Private" numbers on any phone. I they want to talk to me then they can show who they are! It is MY phone... I will choose whether to answer it or not.

And emails are for end-of-the-day viewing. I would never depend on an email for time-critical communication. If it is urgent.... use the phone.

Cheers
Allan

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Reply By: Zippo - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 11:38

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 11:38
The normal industry practice is to "grandfather" current plans that will no longer be offered. However that is no guarantee that Telstra will do that, or whether some will be canned and others g/f-ed.

The following relates to "Telstra coverage" in regional and remote areas - a bit off-topic but Dozer touched on Birdsville/Aldi - so don't read if your interest lies solely with the future of Telstra's mobile plans.

Re coverage, not everybody understands the difference between Telstra's network coverage ("Telstra Retail") and that offered by MVNO's ("resellers" of Telstra-based services) who use the Telstra Wholesale network.

Only Telstra and Boost access the whole Telstra retail network. ALL others - Aldi, Belong (which is Telstra's budget offering), etc etc ONLY have access to the TW network - in their fine print they will say "uses PART OF the Telstra network".

When Telstra took the decision to allow independent reselling, the demarcation was introduced to ensure that Telstra remained the "premium" brand. The actual scoping of the wholesaled section was - rather cynically - aimed to MATCH that provided by the other networks (Optus, Vodafone) without exceeding them in any measurable way as that was Telstra's "premium" territory, and if you wanted that you had to pay the Telstra premium.

Move to the current scene where Optus have been installing a large number of microcells in regional locations (Oodnadatta, William Creek, Marree, Mungerannie and lots more places where Telstra had no presence) over the last couple of years and that difference between retail Telstra and Optus coverage out there has significantly reduced. As of earlier this month, Telstra have started a sort of fightback (see report) but these are subsidised facilities and will be quite limited in number. They are also far more constrained in this "roll-out" compared to Optus who have ready access to the required satellite backhaul capacity.
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 12:03

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 12:03
Zippo - Thanks for that useful information. I've been with "3", Optus, Vodaphone, and "premium" Telstra over the years - and time after time, the Telstra service area was vastly superior to any other provider - so I stick with Telstra for now.

I know Optus are getting much better for service coverage - Vodaphone, I believe, is still dragging its feet in 3rd place - and possibly one of the more interesting insights, is seeing who has been purchasing the newest bandwidths that the Govt has been auctioning, since the conversion to digital TV has freed up a range of analogue bandwidths in the radio spectrum for other uses.

You can find out about the recent bandwidth auctions by Googling "Spectrum auctions list - ACMA".
Without fail, Telstra has purchased vast amounts more bandwidth in those auctions, than any other single service provider - NBN included.
This to me, says that Telstra is setting out to ensure it remains the major service provider for mobile communications for the foreseeable future.

Another feature of mobile communications that has had a major beneficial impact, is the rollout of the Govts "Mobile Black Spot" programme.

By the end of this year, with the completion of Stage 2 of the MBS programme, a total of 765 additional mobile repeater towers will have been added to the system, meaning that a lot of country areas that previously had mobile communication gaps, will have them eliminated.

I understand that the Govts aim is to try and ensure that mobile coverage extends to the entire length of every important arterial road in Australia, as good communication for emergency services attending crashes, disasters, fires, etc., is deemed critical.

Mobile Black Spot programme - latest round, November 2017

Cheers, Ron.

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Reply By: Nacho - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 13:01

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 13:01
What I failed to put in the post....these cheapies are what people use in their Iridium sat phones....this is who will be most affected, if it happens.
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Follow Up By: Zippo - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 17:48

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 17:48
That is definitely the case (and concern). I'm one of those $10 users. If that isn't retained or grandfathered, I/we may have to look at the Pivotels of the world to see what else is viable.

"We live in interesting times." (Robert Kennedy, in quoting an old Chinese proverb in June 1966).
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Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 18:16

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 18:16
I was recently looking around having missed the low-cost deals from Telstra.

The best short term deals I could find were

- TR Telecom's Seasonal Traveller. 6 months minimum contract. I got an 04xx mobile number which gives free inbound calls, but I don't see a reference to that now. Maybe it's gone.

- and Pivotel's Pivot 50. They still offer an 04xx mobile number as far as I can tell, perhaps with free inbound calls - you'd need to check. No minimum term if you pay $50 up front.

Telstra offers a $35 mobile plan, but it is a 12 month contract and if it works the same as my regular Telstra SIM in my satphone, about $4.00 a minute both inbound and outbound.

All a big step up from $10 :-(
FrankP

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Follow Up By: Nacho - Friday, Jun 22, 2018 at 13:49

Friday, Jun 22, 2018 at 13:49
Yeh Zippo I'm doing some homework now....other networks available with cheap plans and handsets, but of course not as good as Iridium. I would certainly miss the unlimited texts on the current $20 plan but wouldn't miss my brick.
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Reply By: Member - Supersi - Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 20:40

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018 at 20:40
I can confirm that Telstra are not issuing new $20 casual plans. I cancelled mine last night and the Telstra person tried to convince me not to cancel it as they aren’t offering this plan anymore - if you already have one all is good.

I’m moving to a Pivotel $50 plan - it has a normal 04 mobile number.
Incoming calls cost the person calling you the cost of a normal mobile call. And no cost to you.
50c texts and calls that you make are $1.98 per minute plus 40c flag fall.
AnswerID: 619743

Follow Up By: Baz - The Landy - Friday, Jun 22, 2018 at 08:42

Friday, Jun 22, 2018 at 08:42
Hi Supersi

Something that you could consider with your Pivotel Plan is to divert your normal mobile phone through to your Satphone when you anticipate being out of range of the mobile phone network.

Most providers, at least Telstra and Optus, allow free diversions and free calls to other mobile phones. As your Pivotel has an Australian mobile number it should cost you nothing, dependent on who your mobile phone is with.

I've covered it in the following blog.Diverting to Satphone.

Enjoy your travels,

Cheers, Baz - The Landy
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Reply By: Member - Supersi - Friday, Jun 22, 2018 at 19:49

Friday, Jun 22, 2018 at 19:49
Good point Baz, I’ll be doing that. Thanks for the reminder.
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