Amaysim is the latest provider to launch a 5G plan, but despite being a budget brand, it’s a distinctly premium proposition. The telco’s 5G plan sits at the top of its standard prepaid family, offering 60GB of data for $55 per 28-day recharge.
In addition, the plan also includes data rollover and unlimited standard international calls to 42 destinations:
The value of Amaysim’s new 5G plan comes down to how much you want 5G. You can get better data-for-dollar even within Amaysim’s own plan range. For example, Amaysim’s $50 recharge gets you a 120GB allowance, and the same international call and data banking perks.
Here’s how the two compare:
It becomes a question of if you’d trade half your data allowance and pay an extra $5 per recharge for next-generation connectivity. 5G certainly can be a lot faster than 4G, but we’re still yet to see a killer app than genuinely demands the improved speeds.
If you’ve got your heart set on a 5G plan, here’s how Amaysim compares to other Optus MVNOs:
SpinTel currently has the best 5G deal on the Optus network. You’ll pay $46 per month for 120GB for your first six months, and $56 per month thereafter. Optus’ cheapest plan is $49 per month with a 30GB allowance, while Amaysim is somewhere in the middle.
You get more data than Optus’ cheapest plan, as well as international calls, but since Amaysim plan has a 28-day expiry, you’ll need to recharge 13 times per year. That means you’d be paying $715 for the year if you were to stick with its 5G plan. That ends up being more expensive than Optus’ $59 plan with a 100GB allowance.
If you’re looking for cheaper 5G, it’s worth considering the Telstra network. All of Belong’s plans now have 5G connectivity, but with speeds capped to 100Mbps. While that’s quite the catch, you still benefit from 5G’s improved latency and network capacity.
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.