Optus Mobile | Plans, Coverage & Contact

Optus is one of the largest mobile phone carriers in Australia, and one of three mobile network operators in the country. Optus offers a massive range of mobile phone products and services including all the latest iPhone, Samsung, and Google phones, BYO mobile phone plans, and mobile broadband so you can take the internet everywhere you go. To learn more about Optus mobile services, keep reading below.

About Optus Mobile

Optus offers flexible prepaid and SIM-only mobile phone plans, with choices such as data allowance, expiry period, call and text inclusions both national and international, and data rollover and sharing.

Feel free to skip ahead to read about your topic of choice regarding Optus Mobile:

• Optus Mobile Network Coverage
• Optus Mobile Calling + Data Plans
• Optus Data SIM Plans
• Optus SIM Activation
• Recharge for Prepaid Plans

How Good is Optus Mobile Network Coverage – Map

Optus has an extensive network infrastructure that reaches 98.5% of the Australian population with 3G & 4G coverage. This covers major Australian cities along the coast, as well as additional regional and rural coverage throughout the country.

Optus is working on its 5g network rollout and was recently named Australia’s Fastest 5G mobile network for downloads by Opensignal in their 2022 Australian Mobile Network Experience report.

Although its network coverage is slightly less than Telstra Mobile, Optus was also named best overall for network availability by OpenSignal.

Optus 5G coverage

With 5G rolling out across Australia, major cities are starting to benefit from 5G mobile coverage.

Currently, Optus 5G is partially available in:

• Sydney
• Canberra
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Adelaide
• Perth

We recommend: Even if you live in one of these cities, make sure to check if you have Optus 5G available, especially if you want to sign up for Optus 5G home wireless broadband. Even if it isn’t available in your location yet, check frequently because 5G coverage is expanding all the time.

What Plans Does Optus Mobile Offer?

Optus Mobile offers prepaid and postpaid mobile plans as well as new mobile devices.

All Optus Mobile plans are SIM-only, meaning that they don't come with a phone. You will purchase the phone plan and then you can purchase a phone separately.

While this may sound like an inconvenience at first, this is good for people who already have a phone or prefer to shop around for deals on phones.

Optus Mobile Prepaid Plans vs. Monthly Postpaid Plans: With prepaid plans, you will pay upfront and add money to your plan as needed. With postpaid plans, you will pay a set price month by month. Both options are good and just depend on what works best for you.

Here is a look at all Optus Mobile Plans in detail, but first, let's take a look at the winners for the best Optus mobile plans.

Optus Mobile Calling & Data Plans

If you want to be able to call, use WhatsApp, and navigate the web on your mobile device, this is the type of plan you will need. Optus also sells data-only plans, which we discuss later on.

For now, here is look at the 2 types of calling and data plans available from Optus: Monthly & Prepaid.

Optus Prepaid Mobile Phone Plans Discover and compare all Optus prepaid phone plans when you check out our Optus mobile phone guide.

Optus Mobile Data-Only Plans

If you don't need to make calls on your device, you'll be interested in a data-only mobile plan.

Data-only plans are meant for surfing the web and using web-reliant apps like facetime and whatsapp with a SIM-enabled mobile device.

Think: Tablets, Mobile Hotspots, WiFi dongle, etc.

Data-only plans are also known as mobile broadband and use the mobile network to allow you to access the internet on the go, without WIFI. With these plans, you won't be able to make any calls, therefore it's important to keep that in mind when choosing.

Opus Mobile has 2 options for data-only SIM plans:

1. Continuous, monthly plans
2. Prepaid plans that allow you to top-up as needed.

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Guide to Activate Optus SIM Card

If you're wondering how to activate your Optus SIM Card, it's never been easier thanks to the company's online platform: optus.com.au/activate.

Follow these steps to carry out your Optus SIM activation:

1. The SIM card arrives at your house
2. With your SIM in hand, visit optus.com.au/activate
3. Locate the SIM number on the back of the card
4. You will be prompted to enter the SIM number and your personal details
5. Enter your phone number if you will be keeping your current number
6. Choose which Optus phone plan you'd like to buy
7. Proceed to check out where you will enter your payment details and go through an ID verification process
8. After this, your SIM card will be activated

Optus Recharge for Prepaid Plans

Once your prepaid plan is activated, you’ll need to purchase an Optus recharge at the end of each expiry period. You can recharge Optus plans using any of the following methods:

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What are the Best Optus Mobile Plans?

The Winner is:

• Optus Prepaid 4G Optus Flex Monthly

After reviewing all of the plans on offers, we think the best Optus Mobile plan is the prepaid 4G Optus Flex Monthly plan. Here's why:

1. This plan comes with 30GB of data which is more than enough to watch videos, make video calls and WhatsApp-style voice calls all without WiFi.
2. This plan comes with a monthly expiry period which is more convenient than a shorter period.
3. As the plan is prepaid, it comes with data rollover. This means that if you don’t end up using all the data, it rolls over to the next months and keeps accumulating. (< 200GB)
4. At $30 a month, it offers all of the right benefits, including unlimited calls and texts, without breaking the bank.
5. You get access to the Optus 4G network which is plenty fast enough to use for watching videos and making video calls with good enough quality.

This is why, for us, the best Optus Mobile plan right now is the prepaid 4G Optus Flex Monthly plan.

The Runner-up:

• Optus Monthly Large Choice Plan Plus

Of course, we also had to include a month-to-month plan in our winners' guide! For us, the best monthly Optus Mobile plan is the Large Choice Plan Plus. Here's why:

1. This plan comes with 200GB of data which is enough for a whole family of average phone users.
2. This plan is only $10 more than the medium plan but comes with 120GB more data than the medium plan.
3. This plan is monthly, which means that you can avoid the headache of constantly having to do an Optus recharge when you run out of credit.
4. It comes with unlimited international calling to 35 countries, which is great if you travel or contact family, friends, or business acquaintances in other parts of the world.
5. You get access to the Optus 5G network.

If you aren't looking for a prepaid plan, then the Monthly Large Choice Plan Plus is our pick for the best Optus Mobile plan on a monthly contract.

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Optus Monthly Mobile Phone Plans

As mentioned above, Optus SIM-only mobile phone plans are month-to-month plans with no lock-in contracts.

With these plans, you will need to purchase a device separately, or already have a device ready for use.

All monthly mobile plans from Optus include:

• Endless data with no excess data charges at 1.5Mbps
• Data sharing with eligible plans on your account
• 5G network access with a 5G-compatible device
• Unlimited standard national talk and text to Australian mobiles and landlines, and voicemail
• International talk, text, and roaming on select plans

Optus Prepaid Mobile Phone Plans

Optus offers lots of prepaid mobile phone plans, with flexible expiry periods, data, and call & text inclusions.

All Optus Mobile prepaid plans come with 200GB of rollover data as well unlimited calls & texts to standard national numbers.

When you first sign up for an Optus prepaid mobile phone plan, you can choose any of their SIM starter kits, and then change and recharge your plan as you want.

Optus prepaid plans come in 3 categories:

1. 4G Flex Plans
2. 5G Flex Plans
3. Epic Data Plans

Here's a look at them all.

1. Optus 4G Prepaid Mobile Plans

Optus Flex prepaid gives you the choice to purchase a set daily, weekly, or monthly amount of data for your phone.

This is good if you plan to use different amounts of data throughout the month, or if you run out and just need a quick, temporary top-up.

2. Prepaid Optus 5G Mobile Plans

These plans are similar to the Flex 4G except you get access to faster speeds on the Optus 5G network.

3. Optus Epic Data Plans

The Epic Data plans are considered Optus' premium prepaid plans.

You can get the same amount of data with these plans as found in some of their other prepaid plans, but with the Epic Data plans you also get international calling, Internationational roaming, and premium SMS included in the plan at "no extra charge".

These plans would be good for frequent travellers or to top up with if you plan to travel this month, etc.

Optus Mobile Broadband Plans - Data SIM

We can't forget Optus Mobile data plans, also known as Optus mobile broadband.

With the data-only mobile plans, you won't be able to make phone calls using these plans, but if you have a tablet, mobile hotspot, or mobile broadband modem you can use these to connect to the internet on the go. You can also use this plan for a standard phone, but as mentioned before, you won't be able to make or receive phone calls.

Optus mobile broadband plans are available month-to-month with many different price points, data inclusions, and the option to include a mobile broadband dongle or modem.

Optus SIM-only mobile broadband plans are month-to-month data-only SIM cards with a mobile broadband plan.

All Optus Mobile Broadband plans come with:

• No lock-in contract
• Endless data with no excess data charges at 1.5Mbps speed
• Data sharing across eligible plans on one account

Optus tablets and iPads While Optus SIM-only mobile broadband plans are bring-your-own-device, you can pair your Optus data SIM with any of the latest tablets or iPads from optus and pay it off over 12, 24, or 36 months.

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Optus Mobile Broadband - Monthly Data-Only SIM

Mobile broadband walks a fine line between a mobile phone plan and an internet plan. However, we have included it in this article so that you are aware of all of your options.

You can read more about Optus mobile broadband in our Guide to Optus Mobile.

Optus SIM-only mobile broadband plans are a month-to-month mobile broadband service on the Optus network. Optus SIM-only mobile broadband plans are on a no lock-in contract and can be used with any mobile broadband device.

With an Optus SIM-only mobile broadband plan you get:

• Endless data at 1.5Mbps speed with no excess data charges
• Data sharing across all eligible Optus plans on one account
• Optus Sport + Fitness
• Optional international roaming

Although we wouldn't recommend Optus mobile broadband as a replacement for your home internet, mobile broadband is a great choice for connecting tablets, iPads, hotspots and WiFi dongles to the internet while on the go.

Unlike Optus home wireless broadband where you have a modem that needs to be plugged in, Optus mobile broadband comes on a SIM card that can be used with any compatible device, even a mobile phone.

The main difference between this and a phone plan is that you will only receive data with mobile broadband. In other words, you won't be able to make calls or texts.

Optus SIM-only mobile broadband plans are bring-your-own-device. However, customers can bundle a mobile broadband plan with any of the latest tablets or iPads which can be paid off in 12, 24, or 36 months.

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Optus Mobile Phones With a Plan

You can no longer buy Optus Mobile phones with a plan. This can seem confusing at first because Optus Mobile sells mobile phone plans, and it sells mobile phones, but it no longer sells plans that include a phone and calling/data plan together.

You can still purchase mobile devices from Optus Mobile on their website or at an Optus store. One of the benefits of buying an Optus mobile phone is that you can pay it off month by month.

Optus Mobile financing plans come in 12, 24 or 36-month increments, depending on how quickly you want to pay off the device. Logically, the longer you pay, the cheaper your payments will be each month.

Optus also sells prepaid mobile phones from Samsung, Motorola, Oppo, and more. When you purchase a new Optus mobile phone, you’ll get an included SIM card and a free $30 recharge included.

How Does Optus Compare to Other Companies?

Optus offers a wider variety of packages than other companies which is great for families as there is something for everyone's needs.

Another benefit of being with Optus is that you can bundle your home internet, your mobile plan, and your home phone, as well as get access to streaming TV (like Optus Sport) all through the same provider.

Therefore, when comparing Optus Mobile to other companies it's important to consider what exactly you are looking for. If you want 5G service, Optus is a great choice as it has several affordable plans and uncapped data speeds.

However, if you are looking for a simple and basic plan, you may want to take a look around at some other options. It can also be notable difficult to contact optus, if this is something high on your list.

Here is a look at the pros & cons of Optus Mobile:

Is Optus a Good Deal?

As with any review, you may be wondering: Is Optus a good deal?

This really depends on what you are looking for. For example, Optus is a good deal if you are looking for 5G access, but if you are looking for a cheap no frills plan, maybe not.

If you ask "Is Optus Affordable?", then we would say yes, Optus is affordable.

Optus is certainly not the cheapest mobile provider out there, but it's also not the most expensive.

You can still get a great deal at Optus, as we mentioned in the section above, but it depends entirely on what you are looking for. Optus may be a great deal if you are looking to bundle all of your services into one. However, if you are looking for a cheap phone plan, then you would have more luck looking at another provider on the Optus network.

Other Providers on the Optus Network

Since Optus runs its own network, it has higher operating costs than other mobile companies making their plans a bit more expensive in the process, to cut costs, Optus sells access to its network to other mobile phone companies who then use the Optus network to provide service to their customers. These companies are referred to as MNVOs.

Plans from MNVOs are often cheaper and simpler than Optus plans, but if you’re not interested in a new phone, or a plan with all the bells and whistles, choosing an MVNO can help you save money.

Here is a list of companies (MVNOs) that run on the Optus network who may offer cheaper deals with the same coverage:

• Amaysim
• Catch Connect
• Circles.Life
• Coles Mobile
• Dodo
• Exetel
• GoMo
• iPrimus
• Moose Mobile
• Southern Phone
• SpinTel
• Vaya
• Yomojo

Is the Optus Mobile Network Any good?

Another important point to consider when comparing Optus to other providers is the network coverage in your area. Below you will find the Optus Mobile coverage map.

All MNVOs on the Optus network should have the same coverage as well.

You can read all about the new 5G coverage offered by Optus in our Complete Guide to Optus 5G.