Modern technology gives us many things.

We’re staying loyal to our mobile providers – but is it costing us money?

Australians are a loyal bunch when it comes to picking and sticking with their mobile provider despite the opportunity to switch telcos and get a better deal, according to the latest research from Finder.

Comparison site finder.com.au says the average Australian has been with the same provider for 6.5 years.

Only a third (38 per cent) have switched telcos in the last three years.

For 14 per cents of customers, they’ve been with the same telco for up to 5 years with 26 per cent not switching for between 6 to 10 years.

One in five Australian smartphone users has been with the same provider for more than 11 years when the choices were much more limited.

That means that two in three Australians (62 per cents) have been with the same provider for at least four years.

Today, the category is a lot more crowded companies like Amaysim, Kogan Mobile and Aldi competing with the big telcos for your mobile phone dollars.

It wasn’t that long ago when 2GB was considered a lot of data on a plan and unlimited talk and text was only offered by the top tier plans.

Now it’s a completely different story and staying loyal to your provider could actually cost you money.

Baby boomers have shown the most loyalty and admitted being with the same provider for 8.4 years on average.

In comparison, Gen X customers have stuck solid for seven years while Gen Y users have stayed put for 5.5 years.

But how much of it is the fact that Australians are creatures of habit?

Small Kid Playing on Smartphone

The finder.com.au survey was conducted among 2,306 respondents which showed that 47 per cent have stayed faithful because they were happy with their provider with 23 per cent indicating they haven’t switch because they believed they were on a good deal.

But 10 per cent admitted switching was just too much of a hassle while six per cent said they found it all too confusing.

Many Australians don’t realise the smaller SIM-only telcos actually operate on the major networks – Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

But if you are looking for a better deal here are some tips from finder.com.au:

  1. Know what you’re getting for your money. Look at your data allowance and assess whether you need more, less or the same data per month. If you’re paying for 20GB a month and only using 10GB there may be an opportunity to go down to a cheaper plan.
  2. Take a look at how you use your device and whether you use a lot of data on the move. Maybe you do more talking and texting that streaming. This is another way for you to assess your mobile habits and find a plan that can cater to them.
  3. Compare how your current plan stacks up against the competition. Do you need a lot of data? Do you make international calls? Do you travel overseas? Are there any inclusions like Spotify or Apple Music? Can I use the services data free? These are questions you need to ask. Call your provider and see what they’re willing to do to keep you as a customer.