The battle for your mobile phone SIM is still raging, you can stick to the major three carriers or hit one of the smaller Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) like Kogan, who today introduced a new unlimited talk & text pre-paid plan.
The Kogan Mobile 1XL plan is actually pretty decent, offering a range of plans lasting 30, 90 and 365 days which include 1GB of data as well as unlimited national calls and text (SMS & MMS). The range of plans is incredibly cheap, with coverage offered from just 50c per day if you choose the 365 plan, but even 57c per day on the 30 day plan is pretty decent.
The plan is being introduced as a way to lessen bill shock that some customers receive after a heavy use, something Kogan founder Ruslan Kogan said was a factor in developing the plan. Mr Kogan said ‘The common message we’ve been hearing from customers is that they want ‘peace of mind’ and no nasty bill shock.’
For smartphone users, data is usually the key factor here. Kogan Mobile does round to the nearest KB when metering data but they don’t appear to offer additional data packs. On the Kogan Mobile 1XL plan, data is allocated in 30 day blocks with the terms stating that if you go through your 1GB of data in the 30 days, ‘access to data will cease until the beginning of the next data 30 day block’.
The Kogan Mobile network is run off the back of the Vodafone 3G network, so it’s best to check coverage maps before switching to Kogan as your provider. It’s also relevant to note it’s a 3G network, so don’t expect those LTE speeds.
If you’re interested in checking out the new plans you can head over to the Kogan Mobile website.
Pity it is still a 3G service.
I’ve been looking for a cheap plan for my daughter but 1GB of data is simply too low. BTW, I’m on Aldi which only uses a 3G network and I find the speed fine for my usage patterns.
The difference is Kogan is using Vodafone’s 3G network whilst ALDI uses Telstra’s. And back in the days of 3G, it was generally regarded that Telstra had the best performing 3G network (remember the NextG). Therefore, the Kogan experience may not be that great.
Perhaps I’m missing something but don’t pretty much all pre-paid plans protect against ‘bill shock’?
In any event, as far as Kogan’s MVNO ventures are concerned, it’s once bitten, twice shy for me.
Yep! Anyone that pays in advance, especially 365 days needs to get their head examined. I hope Vodafone has asked for the money upfront. They still owe Telstra from the last collapse.
I was going to say the same thing. How do you get bill shock on a prepaid plan?
Obviously you have never had a Telstra pre-paid account. Continually getting whacked with “premium services charges” even when I have requested to have them blocked. That Telstra company is a joke.