Telstra will be imposing a monthly $15 5G tax for customers who want to access the company’s faster mobile network from 2020.
The telco has just announced a complete revamp of its post-paid mobile plans with no lock in contracts and a view to offering customers more flexibility and the ability to customise plans to suit their needs.
But while giving with one hand, Telstra will also be taking with another by charging a monthly $15 charge for customers who want to use the faster network from July 1, 2020 on plans below $80 a month.
Until then customers who sign up to the new plans will be able to enjoy a free trial on the expanding 5G network.
The announcement of the new plans is part of Telstra’s T22 restructuring strategy to increase the simplicity and transparency of their plans as well as reduce the number of plans from 1800 down to just 20.
The simplified consumer and small business mobile plans will now have no lock in terms so customers now have the freedom to change their plan once a month.
There will also be no more excess data charges with customers able to buy more data or simply have their speeds throttled until the next billing cycle.
Telstra will also offer 24 and 36 months device payment options so customers can pay off their mobile device separately to whatever mobile plan they have chosen.
The plan start at $50 for 15GB of data and moves up to 60GB for $60, 100GB for $80 and 150GB for $100.
These plans have no lock-in contract and are payable month to month which allows customers to move up or down the plans without penalty depending on their usage habits.
All of these new plans also offer 5G network access until June 30, 2020.
But from July 1, 2020 customers on the $50 and $60 plans will have to pay an optional $15 per month to access the Telstra 5G network on their plan. Customers on the $80 and $100 plans have 5G access included in their plans.
Mobile data plans have also been revamped and offer 5GB for $15 per month, 10GB for $25, 50GB for $50 and 100GB for $75.
These plans will also offer customers free access to the 5G network until June 30 2020 before the optional $15 per month to continue 5G access on the cheaper $15 and $25 plans.
Now customers can choose from a range of mobile and data plans and can either choose to bring their own device or add a mobile, tablet or broadband device on a 24 or 36-month repayment plan.
This plan structure has been in place for some time at Vodafone.
Customers can also customise their plan with a range of add-ons, accessories and entertainment options to suit their needs.
“Customers expect to be able to personalise their experiences and only pay for what they want or need,” says Telstra CEO Andy Penn.
“They also want to be able to change their mind month-to-month as their individual needs change. I am extremely proud that Telstra now offers customers that flexibility, so they can tailor their plan to suit their lives.
“This might mean upgrading your mobile plan around school holidays, adding a sport package for footy finals season, adding international data for that overseas holiday or, for our business customers, scaling their plan with the peaks and flows of their business.
“The launch of our new plans coincides with the roll out of the first 5G devices on our network and the ongoing rollout of Telstra’s 5G network.”
