Vaya getting in on Pokémon Go craze with “monster” data plans

Budget telco Vaya is getting in on the Pokémon Go phenomenon with new "monster" month-to-month smartphone plans design for gamers. The two hero offers include an AUD$45 plan with 10GB of data, and unlimited talk and text; and an AUD$65 per month data only plan with a 30GB allowance.

In addition, Vaya has revamped its existing family of data only plans. AUD$10 gets you 1.5GB per month, AUD$25 gets you 5GB, and AUD$45 gets you 15GB. Excess data is billed at AUD$10 per GB.

While smartphones can use a data only SIM (provided you're happy forsaking a phone number), they're more commonly placed in cellular enabled tablets, laptops, and portable modems. That being said, the ubiquity of data-driven messaging and calling apps could very well make phone numbers a thing of the past for some. Doubly so for iPhone users upgrading to iOS 10, which will allow VoIP apps to hook into Apple's phone app. As it stands, the biggest barrier to a data only future is the fact that many forms still require you to have a phone number (although select apps can provide a "virtual" number).

Vaya's new plans are available from today. Vaya is powered by Optus's 4G network.

Read more: How much data does Pokémon Go use?