After a few early leaks, Telstra has made their new plans official:
The new Mobile Accelerate Plans launch 4 March and offer:
- Casual Plans. Customers can bring their own device and pay month-to-month, giving them the benefits of the Telstra Mobile Network with no long-term contract commitment.
- Data Share Plans. Customers can share data allowances across multiple devices including a tablet and laptop all on a single bill allowing them to make their data go further.
- BYO and BYO Data Share plans. Customers simply bring their existing compatible mobile to Telstra, and enjoy better value than the equivalent Mobile Accelerate Plan.
- Optional data packs and data share packs to flexibly boost monthly data allowances.
They’re definitely cheaper than the last batch of Telstra plans, though I’d still characterize their data usage as a bit skimpy (the $55 per month plan only comes with 500MB, for example).
One unique feature Telstra is launching on these plans: for an extra $10 a month you can trade in your old handset at halfway mark of your 2 year plan; basically it’s a mid-cycle upgrade for $120. Telstra are the first to try this tactic in the Australian market, though carriers in the US introduced these upgrade paths in 2013 with decidedly mixed results.
Hit the jump for the full details, and we’ll have a full write up on whether these plans are better than the current prepaid offers in the coming days.