In news that is both ridiculous and yet unsurprising, Australia’s telco darling, Telstra, has announced that it will be raising the prices of its postpaid and prepaid plans from 5 May 2026.
Most postpaid plans will increase by AU$4 per month. month, while prepaid plans can expect an AU$5 monthly increase.
This is the second price increase in less than 12 months, with the previous coming in July 2025, with most plans increasing by around AU$5 per month. Telstra’s NBN plans were also affected by the previous price increases, but as it currently stands they are unaffected this time around.
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|
The name of the plan |
Data Inclusion |
Current price |
New pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Basic |
50 GB |
AU$70 |
AU$74 |
|
Essentially |
180 GB |
AU$80 |
AU$84 |
|
Premium |
300GB |
AU$99 |
AU$99 |
|
Mobile package |
25 GB |
AU$57 |
AU$61 |
As you’ll see, the Premium plan is unaffected by the price increase, but elsewhere there are increases of up to AU$4 per month. month.
In the case of prepaid plans, the increases vary depending on the length of the plan. Telstra’s six- and 12-month plans, for example, are increasing by AU$20 and AU$45 respectively. But 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 are as follows:
|
The name of the plan |
Current data |
Current price |
New data |
New price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7 days |
3 GB |
AU$13 |
4 GB |
AU$15 |
|
28 days |
15GB |
AU$39 |
20GB |
AU$44 |
|
28 days |
25GB |
AU$49 |
35 GB |
AU$54 |
|
28 days |
35 GB |
AU$59 |
45 GB |
AU$64 |
|
28 days |
70 GB |
AU$69 |
80 GB |
AU$74 |
|
6 months |
70 GB |
AU$180 |
80 GB |
AU$200 |
|
12 months |
165 GB |
AU$350 |
180 GB |
AU$395 |
As is the case with any price increase across any service, Telstra says they are necessary to support “ongoing investment in our mobile network infrastructure, enabling innovation and the rollout of new features that expand connectivity for customers”. The telco is touting its rollout of satellite-to-mobile messaging – which could prove invaluable to customers outside the range of Telstra’s mobile network – as being a prime example of said innovation.
Time to change?
If you’re a Telstra customer and feel like these price increases are a bit of a slap in the face, the good news is that you can still access much of the telco’s expansive network coverage while paying an awful lot less.
Whether you prefer a postpaid or prepaid plan, there are several options available from smaller carriers, called MVNOs, that use what’s 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 mainline network that direct Telstra customers enjoy. The main differences tend to be a cap on the download speed you can achieve – usually between 100 Mbps and 250 Mbps – and they offer a little less in the way of network coverage. However, only people in extremely remote parts of Australia are likely to be affected by this change.
For everyone else, there’s plenty of value to be found and money to be saved by switching to another provider, and I’ve picked out 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.
