Rubenerd

For the last few years, I’ve been using a TPG SIM and been relatively happy. My $18 for 1GB plan was long since replaced with higher data rates and prices, but fortunately they grandfathered their existing customers.

Things were going relatively well, until I started hearing rumours that TPG were to buy Vodafone’s Australian operations. TPG resells the Optus network; Australia’s second largest mobile operator. I used Vodafone in Adelaide in the mid 2000s, but their performance was never stellar.

Turns out, the rumours were wrong about business plans, but for customers the reality is the same. TPG have entered an agreement to resell Vodafone instead, with all their new plans defaulting to them. We're told existing customers will be offered a switch to Vodafone, but they’ll continue to honour existing Optus plans.

This raises the question of whether existing customers on grandfathered plans will be able to keep their existing price points and cap, while moving to Vodafone. Or if we don't want to, whether we can stick with Optus. Given our plans are no longer offered, it’s likely we may not be offered a telco switch at all.

I’m still happy with my iPhone 5S and would prefer to stick with what I have. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, otherwise I may head over to Virgin Mobile, another Optus reseller.