Customers can buy 100MB of Optus 4G data for $9 monthly under a new plan announced by Vaya, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).
The $9 plan from Vaya provides 100MB for the month and $50 credit for talk and text. At a call rate of 90 cents per minute, that equates to less than an hour of talk time or 200 SMS messages.
On cost, the Vaya 4G plan beats a $20 4G plan recently announced by Exetel that includes 200MB data and $200 talk/text.
However, smartphone users hoping to watch videos may want to avoid either plan. Watching one 5-minute YouTube video at 480p (standard definition) will use 20MB, and the same video in 1080p HD will consume 62MB, according to WhistleOut.
Consumers that exceed the data limit must pay 4 cents per extra MB on the Vaya plan.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network has warned consumers to beware of cheap plans offering minimal data.
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Customers seeking more data can opt for Vaya’s $16, $22, $34 or $45 plans.
The $16 plan includes 500MB data and $200 talk/text. The $22 plan includes 1.5GB data and $650 talk/text. The $34 plan includes 2GB and $850 talk/text. And a $45 plan includes 3GB and unlimited talk/text.
In comparison, Boost Mobile offers a $40 plan including 3GB data and unlimited talk/text on the Telstra network, but does not offer 4G speeds.
In addition to the smartphone plans, Vaya announced a range of 4G data plans aimed at tablet users. Customers can choose between 10 GB for $33 monthly, 15GB for $53 or 20GB for $73.
Customers who buy a “Power Plus” plan can purchase additional data at any time for $7 per GB.
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