Calling all Australians!

[yelnref]

Can anyone give advice as to the best sim card options / carriers to go with in Oz? I'm gonna be in Melbourne for six months. Data is probably more important to me than calls, but the option of both would be nice (if only data I'll be using Skype for calls).

International texts would be good, but not essential.

I have an unlocked iPhone 5.

Thanks!

 

[MorphMan]

Can anyone give advice as to the best sim card options / carriers to go with in Oz? I'm gonna be in Melbourne for six months. Data is probably more important to me than calls, but the option of both would be nice (if only data I'll be using Skype for calls).

International texts would be good, but not essential.

Read up or Ask here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/114

Note you won't get LTE/4G on your US iPhone 5.

Of the mainstream brands with real shops and networks:

Best coverage: Telstra.com (or since you don't need 4G, boost.com.au for Telstra network with only 3G)
Best Value: virginmobile.com.au / optus.com.au
The one everyone makes fun of but will probably be ok in the city: vodafone.com.au


There's also heaps of resellers.

 

[ReanimationN]

Telstra is ridiculously expensive, but offers by far the best reception and data speeds. Optus is less expensive, but still offers decent reception and speed and Vodafone's network is all over the place. In some areas (where it's been recently updated), it's fantastic, in others, it will be a source of continual frustration.