Telstra review

Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026

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Our verdict

Telstra suits people in Australia who want their mobile line and home internet from the network that operates both, with a short commitment rather than a long lock-in. Entry pricing starts at AUD 15 on prepaid recharges, and rolling billing keeps a first decision small.

Key facts

Best for
Short commitments on a network's own Australian mobile and home internet lines.
Seller type
Network (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
SIM-only
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Price from
A$15 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Reference plan prices
$395 Pre-Paid Mobile Plan: $395 per 12 months, 345GB, prepaid 12-month; Unlimited: not offered; $15 Pre-Paid Mobile Plan: $15 per recharge, 5GB, prepaid 7-day (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
5G
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
eSIM
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Data rollover
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Mid-contract price rises
Plan price may change. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Multi-line discount
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Markets
AU (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Legal entity
Telstra Group Limited (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Headquarters
Australia (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Support channels
Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Billing
Rolling, Prepaid
Contract length
1
Official website
telstra.com.au

Broadband

Top download speed (Mbps)
1,000 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Upload speed (Mbps)
100 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Price from
A$15 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Reference plan prices
$395 Pre-Paid Mobile Plan: $395 per 12 months, 345GB, prepaid 12-month; Unlimited: not offered; $15 Pre-Paid Mobile Plan: $15 per recharge, 5GB, prepaid 7-day (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Setup fee
A$0 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Price after contract
A$97 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Mid-contract price rises
Plan price may change. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Exit fee terms
Cancel at any time; early termination charges apply on 24 month term plans; pay out any remaining hardware or accessories in full; $200 non-return fee if the Telstra Smart Modem is not returned within 24 months. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Router
Telstra Smart Modem 4 included for use on nbn and 5G Home Internet plans; Internet Only plans are BYO or $288 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Data cap (GB)
1,000 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Address checker
https://www.telstra.com.au/internet/nbn#sq (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Markets
AU (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Legal entity
Telstra Group Limited (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Headquarters
Australia (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Support channels
Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Technology
Fttp, Fttc, Cable, 5G, Fwa, Satellite
Contract length
1

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaX

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Data rollover is included, so unused prepaid data carries into the next recharge rather than disappearing.
  • eSIM is listed as a feature, so a new number can be issued and moved to another handset by remote activation.
  • A multi line discount is available on sim only plans, which is the straightforward saving for a household already running more than one line.
  • Telstra sells as network, so the mobile line and the home internet sit with the same company rather than a reseller.
  • Billing covers rolling and prepaid (rolling and prepaid) with a listed contract length of 1 month, so a first line is easy to size.

Cons

  • Telstra states the plan price may change, so the entry rate of AUD 15 a recharge is not fixed for a year.
  • Billing runs rolling and prepaid (rolling and prepaid), so there is no contract-billed mobile line here, while yesss! lists contract, rolling and prepaid (contract, rolling and prepaid).
  • On upfront home internet plans the monthly cost after the term is AUD 97, which is worth weighing before committing to a longer block.
  • Internet only plans need a modem supplied or bought in, and early termination charges apply on term plans with remaining hardware paid out in full.
Telstra

Ready to try Telstra?

Scored 8.9 / 10 by TariffCue.

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Who it suits

  • Readers who want the mobile line and the home connection from a single company, with AU as the market and AU as the home base.
  • Households running several lines, since a multi line discount is listed.
  • People who prefer a short commitment: billing is rolling or prepaid (rolling and prepaid) and the listed contract length is 1 month.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Readers who want a contract-billed mobile line can look at yesss!, which lists contract, rolling and prepaid (contract, rolling and prepaid) where Telstra bills rolling and prepaid (rolling and prepaid).
  • Readers who think in instalments and want a prepaid and contract pairing can compare GETESA, which bills prepaid and contract (prepaid and contract).

What it does well

Sim only plans are part of the range, so you can keep a handset you already own and pay for the line rather than for a phone. eSIM is supported, which means a new number can be issued and moved to another handset by remote activation rather than by post. Unused data rolls over, so a quiet recharge period is not wasted. 5G access is listed on the plans. Households already running several lines can pick up a multi line discount on the extra lines. For a reader learning the basics, these are the details that shape daily comfort: no new handset to buy, a number that travels with you, and data that carries over into the next period.

Who runs it

The brand is run by Telstra Group Limited, with AU as its home country, so the company named on a bill is the operator of the network rather than a reseller. Support runs on chat, phone and help centre. In practice that means a question raised in chat can become a phone call with the same company if it needs one, and the help centre holds the documents for both sides of the account. For a household weighing plans, the legal entity name matters at the moment something goes wrong, because that is who the agreement sits with.

How Telstra compares

Where Telstra is available

Available
Australia

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest Telstra plan?+

Prepaid recharges start at AUD 15 on the smallest plan in the range, sold as a short recharge rather than a monthly bill. A larger prepaid bundle is sold as a longer block with far more data, and the prepaid range does not include an unlimited plan. Across the site, that entry price ranks 159 of 258 brands.

Do I have to sign a contract?+

There is no long minimum on the mobile side: billing runs rolling or prepaid (rolling and prepaid), and the listed contract length is 1 month. That makes a first line easy to try and easy to stop. The longer commitments sit in home internet, where term plans exist and early termination charges apply to them.

What happens to data I do not use?+

Unused data rolls over on the prepaid plans, so a light recharge period is not simply lost. The smallest listed plan is a AUD 15 recharge, and the bigger prepaid bundle is sold over a longer block, so rolling data makes the larger allowance easier to justify. Billing stays on the prepaid side throughout.

Does Telstra sell home internet as well as mobile?+

It does. Home internet runs over fttp, fttc and cable, and those plans sit in the same market as the mobile lines, listed as AU. The brand keeps rolling and prepaid billing (rolling and prepaid) on the mobile side too, so the same account can cover the mobile line and the home connection without going through a separate reseller.

How fast is the broadband?+

On the top listed nbn tier, downloads reach 1,000 Mbps with 100 Mbps upload, and the broadband plans carry a 1,000 GB data allowance. Available technology includes fttp, fttc and cable, so homes without a fixed line connection can still be covered. Real speeds depend on the connection at the property.

What happens to the price when a plan term ends?+

On upfront home internet plans the monthly cost after the term is AUD 97. Telstra also states that the plan price may change, so treat any advertised rate as current rather than permanent. The listed contract length on the mobile side is 1 month, which is the part you can change most easily.

Can I leave early, and what about the equipment?+

Internet only plans are cancel at any time, but early termination charges apply on term plans, and remaining hardware or accessories have to be paid out in full. A non-return fee also applies to the supplied modem if you keep it. Mobile billing is rolling or prepaid (rolling and prepaid), so no long mobile term is at stake.

Who runs Telstra, and how do I reach them?+

The company is Telstra Group Limited, with AU as its home country. Support runs on chat, phone and help centre, so questions can be raised in chat, by phone or through the help centre. The legal entity name is the one to quote in a dispute, because that is the company the agreement sits with.

Sources

Compiled from 9 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Unlimited plan price.

Telstra

Telstra

Short commitments on a network's own Australian mobile and home internet lines.

8.9/10See alternatives

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