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{"id":113,"date":"2023-08-02T05:24:54","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T05:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.studentjobboard.com.au\/blog\/?p=113"},"modified":"2023-09-19T06:19:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T06:19:30","slug":"australian-sim-cards-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studentjobboard.com.au\/blog\/australian-sim-cards-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Guide to Australian Travel Sim Cards for International Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’re about to head to Australia as an international student. (Congratulations<\/em>, by the way!) You know you need a travel SIM card, but you\u2019re not sure which provider to go for or how to set your new SIM up.<\/p>\n

Don’t fret \u2013 this guide has got you covered. Here we\u2019ll answer all your Australian SIM card questions: why you need one, prepaid vs postpaid, the best providers, activation and recharge, managing data and more.<\/p>\n

Travel SIM cards – The basics<\/h2>\n

For those new to the game, SIM (subscriber identity module) cards are the little chips that give your phone a number, allowing you to take and make calls, send and receive messages, and access the internet.<\/p>\n

In terms of interacting with your phone, SIMs work the same in Australia as they do anywhere else in the world. It\u2019s wise to check that your phone isn\u2019t \u2018locked\u2019 to a network in your country, as that may mean it won\u2019t work with an Australian SIM card (though it may be able to be unlocked).<\/p>\n

SIM cards come in three sizes: standard, micro and nano. All modern phones now use the nano size.<\/p>\n

Phone networks in Australia<\/h2>\n

Australia has just three mobile phone networks: Telstra<\/strong>, Optus <\/strong>and Vodafone<\/strong>. But there are dozens of phone service providers, called mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which use the three main networks to carry out their business (sometimes with slightly lower coverage):<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Network<\/strong><\/td>\nCoverage of Australian population<\/strong><\/td>\nMVNO coverage<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telstra<\/td>\n99.4%<\/td>\n98.8%*<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Optus<\/td>\n98.5%<\/td>\n98.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodafone<\/td>\n96%<\/td>\n96%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*Just one MVNO, Boost, gets access to the full Telstra network<\/em><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find a fast-growing 5G network in cities, but the further you move from civilisation, the lower bandwidth your signal will be. Networks are stretched thin by the wide brown expanse that is the Australian landmass. Telstra, the network that boasts the best coverage, says it covers 99.4% of the Australian population, but that equals just a third of the total Australian landmass (2.6 out of 7.6 million square kilometres).<\/p>\n

This may not worry you as an international student living in a metro area \u2013 you probably won\u2019t find yourself walking across the Simpson Desert \u2013 and if you\u2019re planning a long road trip, most networks try to ensure highway signal is decent across the country.<\/p>\n

Why SIM cards are crucial for international students<\/h2>\n

Do I even need an Australian SIM card as an international student?<\/em> It\u2019s a fair question, as many international students get by without one, and WiFi is solid and plentiful in Australian cities.<\/p>\n

At its core this is predominantly a question of convenience<\/strong>. Relying on WiFi is fine when you\u2019re at home, but as soon as you step outside you\u2019ll need to find a publicly accessible signal to reconnect with the world.<\/p>\n

A SIM card helps you to maximise your time<\/strong>. While you\u2019re on public transport you can do university work or chat on WhatsApp with friends. You can jump on Student Job Board<\/a> to search and apply for that casual job in Sydney<\/a> or Melbourne, or research prospective employers and businesses. You can then make or take calls with those potential employers using an Australian number, which adds to your legitimacy and likelihood of success.<\/p>\n

SIM cards are also a valuable item in emergencies<\/strong>, from the slight, like booking a quick Uber at the end of a night out, to the serious, like calling an ambulance due to a health issue.<\/p>\n

All in all, the benefits of having an Australian SIM card comfortably outweigh the rather low cost.<\/p>\n

Prepaid SIM cards vs. SIM only plans<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve brought your phone from home, and for the purposes of this exercise, we\u2019ll assume that it is \u2018unlocked\u2019 \u2013 i.e. it isn\u2019t tied to a particular carrier (check this before you leave home). So which travel SIM plan should you choose?<\/p>\n

The first question is whether to go for a prepaid or postpaid (SIM only) plan:<\/p>\n