The websites we opened point to three networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Other brands run on them, such as ALDI Mobile, amaysim or Boost. We do not rank them by quality or measure coverage here. Everything is in alphabetical order, with what each website says on 5 November 2026.
We could not check the Optus website, and Belong's was down for maintenance. There is also a list of providers in Services.
Which brands are there and which network do they use?
This is the network each website mentions, and one plan seen on it. It is not a selection of the cheapest. First-payment offers are not included, because they expire:
| Brand | Network it mentions | eSIM | One plan seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALDI Mobile | Telstra (wholesale) | Yes | A$28, 30 days, 12 GB |
| amaysim | Optus | Yes | A$30, 28 days, 15 GB |
| Belong | It is a Telstra division. Website down for maintenance | Not seen | Not seen |
| Boost Mobile | Telstra prepaid | Yes, only in its app | A$39, 28 days. Data not seen |
| felix | Does not name it. It belongs to TPG Telecom | Yes | A$30 a month, 25 GB |
| Kogan Mobile | Does not name it | Yes | A$23 a month, 25 GB |
| Lebara | Does not name it | Yes | A$35, 28 days. Data not seen |
| Optus | Its own. amaysim mentions it | Not seen | Not seen |
| Telstra | Its own | Yes | A$15, 7 days, 4 GB, no international calls |
| Vodafone | Its own. It belongs to TPG Telecom | Yes | A$40 to A$60. Days and data not seen |
The network pages of Kogan and Lebara link to tools on vodafone.com.au, but neither expressly says it uses that network. So we do not put it in the table.
Telstra adds a detail about its plans: they are only for use in Australia. Vodafone, amaysim and Lebara, among others, include international calls in some plans, with different destinations for each.
What ID do they ask for?
The ID depends on the provider, and the pages do not always agree:
- Vodafone: says that people who do not live in Australia use their foreign passport and give an Australian residential address. It does not accept expired documents.
- Telstra: its page for travellers accepts an international passport or ImmiCard at purchase. Its general identification page, however, does not mention a foreign passport for prepaid. A 2015 PDF of theirs did accept an "international passport with a valid Australian visa".
- Optus: we could not check it.
Tourism Australia sums up the process like this: go to the provider's shop with your passport.
Will my phone work in Australia?
It depends on the model, and an incompatible phone can end up without service. Telstra explains that it closed its 3G network on 28 October 2024, and that since then the law requires it to block phones that cannot call emergency services:
- What Telstra asks for: 4G on band 28 (700 MHz) and VoLTE, including emergency calls over VoLTE.
- Phones from another country: they may be blocked or have less coverage. Telstra says travellers are blocked as soon as they switch the phone on, if it is not compatible.
- If it is blocked: no calls, data or SMS, not even to 000. Wi-Fi keeps working for data and apps.
- Vodafone: says your phone must be compatible with the frequencies of its network and refers readers to its coverage map.
How to call emergency services is in seeing a doctor and 000.
How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?
You check by dialling *#06#, according to Telstra, Boost and amaysim: if an EID number appears, 32 digits according to Telstra, it is compatible. Telstra warns that some compatible phones do not show it. It also warns, like Boost, that a phone bought abroad may not work with eSIM. On an iPhone, Telstra says to look in Settings to see whether "No SIM restrictions" appears, which means it is unlocked.
Other details about activation:
- Vodafone: there are 30 days to activate an eSIM and 365 for a physical SIM.
- Telstra: when activation finishes it shows a QR code, and asks you to have the phone to hand. If you bring your number from another company, it can take up to four working hours.
Where do you buy one?
You buy online or in a shop. Vodafone mentions more than 20,000 points of sale and shops at Sydney, Brisbane and Perth airports. Telstra mentions its website, its phone line and its shops, and its page does not mention airports. Boost, amaysim and Lebara advertise their offers online only.
What about the bank?
Some banks ask for an Australian number to open the account. It is in the bank account guide, and what usually comes after is in the first week.
What have we not been able to confirm?
These details are missing:
- Everything about Optus: plans, eSIM and ID. We could not check its website.
- The general rule. The regulator's website, ACMA, did not respond either, so we only give what each provider publishes.
- Real coverage. Each provider publishes its own map and we have not measured anything. Telstra says it is only a guide.
- The network of Kogan, Lebara and felix. Their pages do not name it.
- Whether Vodafone and Optus block in the same way. We have only read Telstra.
Prices change and offers expire, so the valid figure is the one each website shows on the day you buy.
Sources
All opened on 5 November 2026.
- Traveller SIM, Telstra (company)
- Coverage, Telstra (company)
- Coverage, Vodafone (company)
- Prepaid offers, Telstra (company)
- Identification, Telstra (company)
- 3G closure, Telstra (company)
- Activate prepaid, Telstra (company)
- Activate in store, Telstra (company; PDF from February 2015)
- Prepaid, Vodafone (company)
- Visiting Australia, Vodafone (company)
- Activate your SIM, Vodafone (company)
- Coverage, Lebara (company)
- Coverage, Kogan Mobile (company)
- ALDI Mobile, amaysim, Belong, Boost Mobile, felix, Kogan Mobile and Lebara: home pages (company)
- How to set up your life in Australia, Tourism Australia (official, tourism; modified in May 2025)