Telecommunication
Why Choose CMobile?
We started CMobile in 2013 after becoming frustrated with the big telcos – confusing plans, expensive bills and overseas call centres that are often unable or unwilling to help. We knew there had to be a better way. So we asked a bunch of older Australians what they wanted in a mobile service provider. This is what they came up with:
-Simple, easy to understand plans that don’t break the bank and have no hidden surprises
-A human being based IN AUSTRALIA answering the phone, who knows how to solve my problem without bouncing me arounddifferent departments.
-A network that works where I live and where I go
-No long term contracts
We took that feedback and created CMobile. CMobile is a 100% Australian owned and operated mobile telecommunications provider that provides clear, low cost plans, backed up by our award winning all-Australian customer support team. CMobile offers a choice of plans on either the Telstra (C Blue plans) or Vodafone (C Red plans) networks. CMobile plans start from as little as $5 per month, and you are always welcome to bring your own
phone number.
With CMobile, you are never locked in to a contract, a plan, or even a network! This means you can change your plan up, down or even change networks whenever you choose. No other company provides this kind of flexibility! No tricks, no gimmicks, just great value and service. If you’re on a budget, it’s very affordable to take a CMobile plan with unlimited calls and text messages to any standard Australian number from just $11.90 per month on the Telstra mobile network.
You are always treated as you should be at CMobile - as a valued customer. Our all-Australian expert support team pride themselves on providing the best service there is. In fact, independent consumer review company www.productreview.com.au named CMobile as Mobile Service Provider of the Year at the end of 2017.
Still not convinced? We are so confident in our service, we’ll even give you your first month’s access fee free! You can try CMobile risk free.
Simply go to www.cmobile.com.au/plans Select your plan, input your details, and add the words Seniors Only in the promo code field to access this special offer. Alternatively, You can call us on 1300 545000 and speak to one of our award-winning friendly staff. All you’ve got to lose is your large phone bill! CMobile. The choice is clear!
UNDERSTANDING MOBILE PLANS
There are 3 main types of mobile plans in the Australian market. Understanding which one is the best for you can save
you plenty on your annual mobile phone spend. Let’s break down the options available:
1. A contract with a large carrier.
Typically these are 24 months duration. If you want the latest iPhone or Android device with all the bells and whistles, but don’t have a spare couple of grand to shell out for the hardware, this is a good option. $80 per month will get you unlimited calls and text plus somewhere around 4Gb of mobile internet data per month, with the latest iPhoneX thrown in. For $10 a month more, the carrier will usually up your data allowance significantly to 10Gb or more. You can walk into any of the major carriers stores, pay nothing, and walk out with a brand new iPhone within half an hour. Very enticing! 24 month contracts also come with pitfalls. You are tied to your carrier for the duration, so coverage needs to be considered. You might have great coverage at your house, but what if you are thinking of travelling? Do you have a weekender, or spend time working at different places, or at relatives’ homes? Two years is a long time to put up with a “black spot” at a place you regularly visit. Secondly, if your phone is lost stolen or damaged beyond repair, it doesn’t affect your contract - you still owe the money. Your options are to pay out the contract, which might be say, 8 months x $80 = $640, or you can buy a handset outright and continue with your contract.
2. Prepaid mobile plans. By their very nature
prepaid plans are far more flexible, and much cheaper than a contract mobile phone plan. You can typically get an unlimited call and text plan with a large mobile internet data allowance for around $20 per month on a prepaid plan. As the name suggests, with a prepaid plan, you pay an amount upfront for an agreed period, and you need to “top up” before that period expires to continue your service. This period can be anywhere from 10 days to 365 days, but the majority operate on a monthly basis. Prepaid plans are a great option if, like most of us, you are on a budget. You pay up-front and therefore cap your spend each month. You aren’t tied in to your carrier for any longer than the expiry of your recharge, so if you aren’t happy with the service, the coverage or anything else, you can move on at any time. On the down side, international roaming is not available on most prepaid plans, and you may not have access to things like a full voice mail service, or premium services. You need to be careful of expiry periods too. Some carriers have replaced monthly expiry periods with 28 day expiry periods. This is no different to when Cadbury quietly changed the size of the family block from 220 grams to 200 grams in 2015. A 28 day expiry period allows the carrier to charge you 13 times over a 12 month period. Sneaky huh?! You also need to be careful to top up before your plan expires or risk you service being disconnected.
3. Month to month post-paid plans
These are commonly known as “BYO” plans, with the BYO meaning bring your own handset. Like a prepaid, you aren’t tied in to a contract, but you get a bill each month as opposed to buying a top up voucher. Plans start as low as $10 per month, and for $10-$12 per month you can get unlimited calls and text within Australia, and 1Gb of mobile data. You aren’t tied to the carrier, you can usually access international roaming, and your plan doesn’t “expire” until you want it to. Also like a prepaid, you may have the up-front cost paying for a handset, but unless you want the new iPhone, you can pick up a reasonable handset for $130 or less these days. So there it is. Each option has its merit and its downside. For me, I prefer the flexibility and price of a month to month post-paid. I come from an era where we didn’t have mobile phones or pay TV. I still consider them luxuries, and I pay the bills with mild resentment. My kids, on the other hand, see these things as necessities. They will happily shell out $80+ per month to have the latest hardware. Go figure.
New home phone alternative ends the pain of nbn™ debacle for Australian seniors
The rollout of the nbn™ continues to cause controversy and pain for Australia’s senior citizens, with many angry they’re being forced onto a network that doesn’t live up to expectations. Some face the frustration of losing a landline number they’ve held for years, while enduring a stressful nbn™ installation.
Up until now there has been no alternative for people who just want a home phone service. Internet phones are susceptible to connection dropouts and power failures – once the internet modem goes down, so does the phone service. This is particularly troubling for our elderly population, who rely on a phone service as their only outside contact if something goes wrong.
The simple home phone solution
The good news is that a simple solution has been developed for seniors across the country, as well as small businesses relying on their familiar landline number. Daktel Australia’s “myhomefone™” looks and feels like a cordless phone, but carries calls over the mobile network, and allows customers to keep their existing landline number.
A huge benefit for people considering downsizing or moving to a retirement village
These benefits become huge when downsizing or moving into a retirement village – simply take myhomefone with you – the number stays the same and no installation is necessary.
According to Daktel’s CEO, David Sweet, “myhomefone™ is an alternative to nbn™-based internet phones. It is designed with the needs of seniors in mind, and has battery back-up for power blackouts, critical for elderly Australians”. Sweet believes “Australian seniors and small businesses shouldn’t be forced into a deal they don’t need, on a network they can’t always rely on”.
Finally, some good news for Australians looking to move away from the troublesome nbn™ project.
