5G for everyone: Amaysim adds 5G to most of its mobile plans

The expansion of Australia’s 5G networks has grown significantly in the past couple of years. Gone are the days of limited (and expensive) 5G devices and plans, and now more phone manufacturers and telcos are extending 5G access to more Aussies.

Amaysim, which is owned by Optus, has taken the next step in the space of 5G plan access. Customers on the brand’s $30, $40 and $50 28-day plans now have access to the Optus 5G network included, at no extra charge.

Citing the current economic climate, Head of Amaysim, Renee Garner, said in July that the expansion of 5G on Amaysim’s plans brings even more value to customers, not to mention access to the latest in mobile technology.

“Most 5G market offerings are currently out of reach for many Aussies because they come with a premium price tag. We’ve ditched that constraint by offering exceptional 5G network access on our Unlimited plans $30 and above, at no extra cost,” Ms Garner said.

“As always our customers are our number one priority and 5G access is just another reason why we think every Aussie should make a break for Amaysim and take advantage of affordable mobile plans with generous data inclusions and a whole lot of customer love.”

This expansion sees the end of Amaysim’s previous singular 5G phone plan, which cost $55 per month for 60GB of data and 5G network access. That also means that access to 5G with Amaysim will now be available from just $30 per month.

Amaysim refreshes its plan range

In addition to the 5G rollout, Amaysim has now refreshed its phone plan range as of August 28, 2023. New plans that have been added include:

• A new $18 plan with 10GB of data (over a 28-day expiry)
• A $170 long-term plan with 150GB of data (over 12-month expiry)
• A $220 long-term plan with 200GB of data (over 12-month expiry)

With the addition of the new $18 plan, Amaysim has retired both the $15 and $20 28-day plans. This means the cheapest phone plan from Amaysim will now cost you $18 per 28 days with 10GB of data, unlimited data banking and 4G network access only.

Amaysim has also retired its previous long expiry lineup, which includes the removal of its $150 six-month plan. Long-term Amaysim plans will now cost more  — albeit with bigger data inclusions — with the $120 with 60GB and the $200 with 180GB 365-day plans replaced by the $170 with 150GB and $220 with 200GB plans.

Compare Amaysim plans

Keen to see what kind of value for money you can get from an Amaysim plan? The following table shows a selection of published Amaysim prepaid phone plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.

Cheaper 5G for Aussies, but there is a catch

While customers on a $30, $40 and $50 plan can now enjoy 5G mobile network access, there is a catch.

From the same date as the 5G expansion, Amaysim will be introducing speed caps to all of its mobile plans. This means that, while you might have access to the super-fast 5G network, the speeds you can reach will be capped.

For customers on the $30 and $40 plans, data speeds will be capped to 100 megabits per second (Mbps), while the $50 plan will include a speed cap of 150Mbps.

Both the 100Mbps and 150Mbps speeds should be more than fast enough for most Aussies using their phone to stream video, scrolling socials and playing mobile games. However, considering that 5G is capable of theoretically reaching around 1Gbps, it’s further evidence that telcos aren’t quite prepared to give Aussies free reign on 5G networks.

Telstra subsidiary Belong offers 5G network access across all of its mobile plans, however 4G and 5G speeds are capped at 100Mbps across its $25, $35 and $45 plans, and at 250Mbps for its $55 plan. Telstra itself allows uncapped 5G speeds only on its two most expensive Upfront plans, with a 250Mbps speed cap on its Basic plan (which will soon see a price increase from $58 per month to $62 per month).

5G speed caps are also quite common on many of the 5G home internet plans out there. So, while telcos are happy to give customers access to the growing mobile technology, there seems to be a reluctance to offer that without a catch.

However, with its $30 entry price, access to 5G with Amaysim’s plans is still significantly cheaper than many of the 5G-specific phone plans on the market, and is a step in the right direction for affordability and network access.

Compare other 5G phone plans