amaysim arrived in 2010 with a fresh approach to mobile phone and mobile broadband plans. By stripping back the concept of a data to its essentials, amaysim customers can surf the web on their iPad or laptop without worrying about bill shock or long contracts. amaysim operates over the Optus network, which offers coverage to 97% of the Australian population. Browsing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Myspace and eBay is unlimited.
amaysim emerged as a new Australian mobile operator in 2010, offering cheap, simple mobile phone and mobile broadband plans. The founders are a group of Australian and European entrepreneurs, who had success with a similar business model in Germany, France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Pros
• Anytime data
• Optus network covers 97% of Australians
• Prepaid, no bill shock
Cons
• No dongle available
• Telstra covers a larger area of Australia
Popular plans
amaysim's 1GB prepaid plan, available as a microSIM for iPad or as a SIM for a USB modem (dongle), costs just $9.90 for 30 days. This is a popular plan for customers who spend most of their time on a Wi-Fi network at home or in the office but need a little data when out and about.
At the other end of the scale, amaysim offers 10GB for $99. The advantage of this plan is the 365 day expiry, which means you have a year to use all the data. This is perfect for occasional users who might want no data at all in one month, but 2GB for the next month.
Availability
amaysim operates over the Optus network, which covers every Australian state and territory, except for the Northern Territory. Optus provides coverage to 97% of the Australian population, although in some areas an external antenna may be required. 3G Dual Band is offered where available, with the service switching to 3G Single Band or 2G in some areas. Optus is also rolling out a 4G service, which will give amaysim customers faster data speeds if used with a compatible modem or device.
