In our database, we're comparing 20 large-data (200GB+) 28-day, 30-day and monthly mobile plans from 14 providers on the Telstra, Optus and TPG networks -- ideal for tethering a laptop, running a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, or as a backup for home internet. Regular prices start from just $40.00 (felix), but the cheapest sticker price is not always the best value -- for hotspot use the number that matters most is cost per GB, since that's what you're actually paying for. To keep every number on this page honest, we calculate prices, rankings, and cost per GB on each plan's regular/ongoing price, not a short-term promotional price that expires after a few months (promotional prices are still shown alongside, just not used for ranking). On that basis the best value plan works out to just $0.167/GB, against an average of $0.234/GB across the database.

What can you do with a mobile hotspot?

Turning on your phone's hotspot -- or using a dedicated mobile Wi-Fi device with one of the SIMs below -- lets you share your mobile data connection with other devices over Wi-Fi. Any non-mobile device that isn't already on its own SIM can piggyback off it, including:

• Laptops and desktop computers -- for work, browsing, and video calls
• Online gaming -- console or PC, though ping/latency can vary more than on a fixed line
• Streaming video -- catch-up TV, YouTube, and other video services
• Tablets, smart TVs, and other Wi-Fi-only devices that don't have their own SIM
• General everyday internet activity -- email, cloud sync, social media, and web browsing

Best value: plans ranked by cost per GB

Sorted from lowest to highest cost per GB of included data, calculated on each plan's regular/ongoing price (not a short-term promotional price) -- the most useful ranking for anyone tethering a laptop or running a mobile hotspot, since it tells you what you're really paying for the data itself over the long run. Genuinely unlimited plans are pinned at the top rather than ranked numerically, since "price divided by data" doesn't mean much when there's no data cap to divide by.

All large-data plans (200GB+)

Compare by network

Data-only plans -- best fit for a laptop-only hotspot

No calls or texts included, so you're not paying for allowances a laptop will never use. If the SIM is going straight into a laptop, tablet, or dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot device, start here.

Talk & data plans

Bundle unlimited standard calls and texts with a large data allowance -- useful if the same SIM might also go in a phone, not just a laptop or hotspot device.

How much data does a laptop hotspot actually need?

How much you save per GB by choosing the right plan

This is not an official industry figure. The $0.234/GB average is based on our own database of current large-data (200GB+) Australian mobile plans and is calculated on each plan's ongoing/renewal price (not a first-term promotional price, since that doesn't reflect what you'll actually keep paying) divided by its included data allowance (true unlimited-data plans are excluded from this average, since cost per GB does not apply to them). Savings shown are estimates only, calculated per GB against this database average, and are not guaranteed. They do not include other possible costs such as shipping, SIM card fees, or activation fees. Your actual saving may be higher or lower depending on your own usage and circumstances -- always confirm the final cost directly with the carrier before purchasing.

Hotspot data cost calculator

Best cost-per-GB plan by network

Also based on regular/ongoing price, not a promotional price.

Frequently asked questions

Last updated: September 2026