Question 1

Can I transfer my existing number to E.Tel?

Accepted Answer

Yes, transferring your number is easy! Simply provide your account details from your current mobile service provider when you activate your SIM. Transferring your mobile number takes about 15 minutes if your provided information matches at your current provider, which means you can start saving straight away.

Question 2

What network does E.Tel operate on?

Accepted Answer

E.Tel Mobile operates on the fast and reliable Optus network which covers 98.5% of the Australian population. We're so confident about our network that we offer a 30 day network guarantee, see https://www.etel.com.au/coverage. We don't just offer amazing rates on such a high quality network, our speed is also uncapped!

Question 3

Can I make international calls?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all our plans can make international calls, including free international call minutes to 75 countries including:
 
Algeria, American Samoa, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bermuda, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea South, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mariana Is, Martinique, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Is, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam
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That's impressive value considering our incredibly low monthly fees! Check your plan's Critical Information Summary to find out your plan's included value for international calls. Once you use up the free international call minutes, you can continue to make international calls at the standard international call rates, which can be found here.

Question 4

Is there international roaming?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! We're here to help make your holidays easy, all E.Tel services can have international roaming activated when you simply give us a call a few days before you travel. Charges for international roaming depend on which destination you visit, and the best thing about it is that you only pay for what you use; perfect for people who mostly need to receive calls or texts and use maps from time to time. See our international roaming page for further information.

Question 5

Is there a contract term?

Accepted Answer

With some of the lowest monthly fees in Australia for SIM only mobile plans, we don't need a contract term because you won't want to leave! Cancel at any time and your mobile plan will cease when your current period ends.

Question 6

How long does it take to receive my new E.Tel SIM?

Accepted Answer

If you order an eSIM, you get it immediately in your mailbox so you can start saving with our mobile plans straight away! If you need a physical SIM, Australia Post takes approximately 2-7 working days depending on your area. Express Post is available for a small fee.

Question 7

What happens when I run out of data?

Accepted Answer

Please check your plan's page and Critical Information Summary to find out the rates and charges of your plan. You can also log into your account to find the Critical Information Summary. If you need further assistance, please contact us by emailing support@etel.com.au.

Question 8

How can I read and understand my E.Tel bill?

Accepted Answer

We've created an easy step-by-step guide with pictures to help you understand your E.Tel bill.

You can access it here. If you have futher questions, feel free to contact us!

Question 9

What's the billing cycle and charge?

Accepted Answer

You'll be billed on the same day each month—no more 28-day cycles that shift around and end up charging you 13 times a year instead of 12!

Monthly Plan Users
At E.Tel we like to keep things simple. Our monthly plan Billing Cycle is from the first day to the last day of each month. The Monthly Plan fee is charged in advance. Your first monthly fee and all your service inclusions are adjusted on a pro-rated basis (proportionally) depending on the remaining days of your service start month.

Example: If you join on the 26th of August, your first month's charge, data allowance and allowance for included services is multiplied by 6/31 (6 = remaining days in August, 31 = total days in August.

Question 10

Protecting against unauthorised transfers

Accepted Answer

Protecting our customers is our top priority. To protect our users from unauthorised ports, an additional identity verification process is used to verify the rights-of-use holder has authorised the request. We will confirm that you are the rights-of-use holder by one of the 2 methods:
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We will send a unique verification code directly to service number to be transferred via SMS, you will need to reply and SMS with this exact code to authorise the transfer.

We will call the number to confirm the requesting person has direct and immediate access to the mobile device used in association with the mobile number and ask for direct authorisation, and verify the user's information matches the transfer requester's details. You must also provide the correct unique verification code sent to the service number over the phone during the same call to authorise  the transfer.

Question 11

E.Tel protects you against Unauthorised High-Risk Transactions

Accepted Answer

To protect you from unauthorised high-risk transactions, additional identity authentication processes will be used to authenticate your identity, before we undertake any of the following high risk transactions:
Any transaction that may result in you losing access to your service such as porting or sim swaps.
Changing your account information or security information.
Adding or removing a person as an Authorised Representative
Disclosing of your personal, business or account security information
Addition of ongoing, or a large one-off charge being applied to your account.

In cases where we reasonably suspect that someone has unauthorised access to your inbox, we may impose even more stringent security measures to protect you.

Question 12

What devices get blocked after the 3G shutdown?

Accepted Answer

As the 3G network has shut down on the 28th of October, phones that only support 3G will no longer work in Australia. However, the 3G shutdown also affects some 4G and 5G phones.

Phone is 4/5G but no VoLTE
Many phones manufactured overseas, while they may support 4G or 5G data connections, may still face issues with voice calls in Australia. This is often because these devices rely on 3G networks for voice calls, especially for emergency calls (like dialing 000). The government has mandated that the carriers block these devices for safety reasons.

VoLTE but incompatible
Although some overseas phones technically support VoLTE, their VoLTE versions might not be compatible with Aussie networks. Different countriews have varying VoLTE protocols and frequency requirements, meaning some of these won't be able to make voice calls over Aussie 4G networks.

You can find more information about this on our 3G shutdown info page.

Question 13

What is MMS and is it included?

Accepted Answer

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is a service that became popular back in the early 2000s that lets you send photos, videos and audio clips through mobile networks. Though it has seen recent decline with the rise of WhatsApp, Messenger, and iMessage for sharing multimedia, there are still people who use MMS to send media.

E.Tel offers unlimited standard national calls, SMS and MMS on all Value Plans.

Question 14

Where can I get an E.Tel SIM card?

Accepted Answer

If you order an eSIM, you get it immediately in your mailbox so you can start saving with our plans straight away! If you need a physical SIM, Australia Post takes approximately 2-7 working days depending on your area. Express Post is available for a small fee. 
If you prefer to pick up a SIM in store, give us a call at 1300 383 588 and we can help you find the nearest store to you.

Question 15

Do you have plans that come with a mobile phone?

Accepted Answer

At this stage all of E.Tel Mobile's plans are SIM only plans, which means that you will need to have your own mobile device. Note that typically, the total cost to you for a mobile phone would usually be lower if you had purchased it outright from a store, rather than signing up for a phone plan that comes with a mobile device.

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Frequently asked questions