In ridiculous but not surprising news, Australia's telecoms sweetheart Telstra has announced it will be raising prices on its postpaid and prepaid plans from May 5, 2026.
Most postpaid plans will increase by AU$4 per month, while prepaid plans can expect a monthly increase of AU$5.
This is the second price increase in less than 12 months, with the previous one coming in July 2025, when most plans increased by around AU$5 a month. Telstra's NBN plans were also affected by previous price increases but, as they currently stand, they are not affected this time.
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|
Plan name |
Data inclusion |
Current price |
New price |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Essential |
50GB |
70 Australian dollars |
74 Australian dollars |
|
Essential |
180GB |
AU$80 |
AU$84 |
|
Premium |
300GB |
99$ |
99$ |
|
Mobile package |
25GB |
57 AUD |
$61 |
As you'll see, the Premium plan is not affected by the price increase, but elsewhere there are increases of up to AU$4 per month.
In the case of prepaid plans, the increases vary depending on the duration of the plan. Telstra's six-month and 12-month plans, for example, will increase by A$20 and A$45 respectively. However, as a small gesture of goodwill, Telstra is increasing the amount of data included in these plans. The full range of prepaid plans with new prices is as follows:
|
Plan name |
Current data |
Current price |
New data |
New price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7 days |
3GB |
13 AUD |
4GB |
AU$15 |
|
28 days |
15GB |
$39 |
20GB |
44 Australian dollars |
|
28 days |
25GB |
$49 |
35GB |
54 AUD |
|
28 days |
35GB |
$59 |
45GB |
64 Australian dollars |
|
28 days |
70GB |
69 Australian dollars |
80GB |
74 Australian dollars |
|
6 months |
70GB |
180 Australian dollars |
80GB |
200 Australian dollars |
|
12 months |
165GB |
AU$350 |
180GB |
AU$395 |
As is often the case with any price increases on any service, Telstra says they are necessary to assist “continued investment in our mobile network infrastructure, enabling innovation and the rollout of new features that expand connectivity options for customers.” The telco touts its rollout of satellite-to-mobile messaging, which could prove invaluable to customers beyond the reach of Telstra's mobile network, as a prime example of such innovation.
Is it time to change?
If you're a Telstra customer and feel like these price increases are a slap in the face, then the good news is that you can still get access to much of the telco's extensive network coverage by paying much less.
Whether you prefer a postpaid or prepaid plan, there are several options available from smaller telecommunications companies, called MVNOs, that use what is known as the Wholesale Network. You can see our guide to the best mobile plans on the Telstra network for more information.
This is technically different to the full core network enjoyed by Telstra direct customers. The main differences tend to be a limit on the download speed you can achieve, usually between 100 Mbps and 250 Mbps, and offering a little less in terms of network coverage. However, only people in extremely remote areas of Australia are likely to be affected by this change.
For everyone else, there's plenty of value to be found and money to save by switching to a different provider, and I've selected my three favorites below. Alternatively, if you want to consider switching networks, be sure to check out my guide to the best SIM-only plans.
