Phone & internet
Phone and internet
Which telco to pick, why coverage matters more than price outside the city, and how to leave the airport already on an Australian number.
Updated
An Australian SIM was the second thing I sorted after landing, before I even saw the house. And that makes sense: without a local number you can’t open a bank account, receive job texts, or properly use rideshare apps.
Almost everyone here is on prepaid with a monthly recharge, and it carries none of the stigma it has in Brazil. A 24-month postpaid contract only pays off if you’re staying and want the handset bundled in.
What nobody tells you
Coverage matters more than price. In Perth, any telco works. The real question is whether you’ll do regional work. If the answer is yes or maybe, pick something on the Telstra network — Boost gets you there for less.
A virtual operator is the same network. Boost, Amaysim, Catch and Kogan own no towers; they rent from the big three. The call quality is identical, what changes is support and extras.
Six or twelve month recharges are much cheaper. If you already know you’re staying, paying for a year up front often costs about half the equivalent monthly rate.
Ask for an eSIM. You can activate it before you even land, which saves the trip to the store on day one — exactly the day you’re jet-lagged and dragging a suitcase.
Keep the number. A lot here is tied to your phone: bank, myGov, job agencies. You can port your number if you switch, but avoid chasing a new deal every few months.
The short list
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Telstra
PriceyThe best coverage in the country by a wide margin — and the most expensive. If your work takes you out of Perth (farm, mine, remote site), it's the only one that genuinely works everywhere.
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Optus
Standard What I useGood coverage in Perth and around it, at a much lower price than Telstra. It's what I bought on day one, still at the shopping centre, and it handles city life fine.
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Vodafone
CheapThe cheapest of the three network owners, with solid city coverage and weak regional reach. Great value if you stay in the metro area.
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Boost Mobile
Cheap What I useRuns on the full Telstra network but costs far less than Telstra. The smartest move if you want Telstra coverage without Telstra pricing. Yearly recharges are cheaper still.
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Amaysim, Catch Connect and Kogan
CheapVirtual operators reselling the Optus or Vodafone networks. Aggressive pricing, especially on 6 or 12 month prepaid packs. Support is online only.
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Belong
StandardPart of the Telstra group, on the Telstra network, at a mid-range price. It also sells home internet, which helps when the house needs NBN.
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NBN (home internet)
StandardThe fixed network is national and you pick a retailer on top of it — Telstra, Optus, Superloop, Aussie Broadband, Belong. In a sharehouse there's usually already a plan running and you just chip in.
Prices, plans and rules change fast — and I am one person with one experience. Treat this as a starting point, not as official advice.
