Boycott Telstra – go on, you know you want to

Boycott Telstra is the only way this behemoth will ever learn. Thankfully, customers who have had a gutful of poor service and premium prices are acting.

Although the monster corporation will barely notice as it treats consumers like a pimple on an elephant’s bum—you know, a minor irritation that will go away if ignored. Fines don’t work either—they just raise prices to cover it, and we end up paying.

Yahoo!finance reports that this latest increase Telstra mobile and internet customers – pay more from 1 July is the third since August 2024. Optus is increasing prices from 4 June.

Reddit reports Telstra customers threaten to boycott after third price hike since August: ‘Just lost me as a customer’.

In the words of Twisted Sister, “We’re Not Gonna Take it anymore. Or as Clive Palmer said, “Australia ain’t gonna cop it” (there is something seriously wrong when you agree with Clive).

The song should act as a rallying war cry to ditch Telstra in every possible way. The problem is that Optus, Vodafone and NBN all provide poor service. They slavishly fawn over shareholders at the expense of customers. It reminds me of what that little leprechaun did to destroy Qantas. Despite being a Life Member, I will never fly with it again.

If you boycott Telstra, what are the mobile alternatives?

A lot depends on how much stress and how high you want your blood pressure to be. I divorced Telstra long ago, and my mental health is far better for it! In short, do you want cheap or service?

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all have MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators). Telstra owns Belong and Boost Mobile, and support is from Telstra (more incessant wait times for a useless offshore call centre). I have not heard of anyone using a Vodafone MVNO, but most are simply brand names owned by Vodafone (Felix, iiNet, Lebara, and TPG) and use the same Indian call centre.

Telstra resells its inferior, capped, lower coverage,  wholesale mobile network to its MVNOs. Read Telstra’s Retail Vs Wholesale mobile plans – the catches you need to know. Add to that Telstra 5G Bandwidth Slicing – winners (them) and losers (you), and Telstra’s mobile coverage called out – an extreme fantasy. You begin to see the digital divide that Telstra has created for its direct customers who pay much more, but often don’t need it.

Optus and Vodafone resell their networks with the same coverage. We are not sure about data speed caps, but that is less important.

MVNOs we trust

I have been a Woolworths Everyday Mobile customer (Telstra network) for years. I enjoy a far lower cost and a 10% discount on a monthly shop to $500. The speed caps don’t bother me, and the lesser coverage is not an issue as I tend to stick to the capital and regional areas.

 Friends have Coles Mobile (Optus) and are very happy.

Both have human call centres that are helpful and share your pain when it involves asking Telstra or Optus about network issues. But it is Whistling Dixie (engaging in unrealistic, hopeful fantasising) that the Telco may actually do something about a network complaint or fix a blackspot.

Many have gone to Aussie Broadband (Optus). They love its human call centre staffed by locals who really want to help.

NBN alternatives

The fact is that all NBN resellers use the same NBN ‘river’. Some resellers (like Telstra) build their infrastructure around the NBN to avoid paying for all the data you use. Read NBN switching – tired of Telstra, Optus and Vodafone?

The article shows how easy it is to switch. Here, the only issue is the service level you want. For example, Buddy (owned by Aussie Broadband) offers lower prices as it only has online service. But it is a great provider as it uses Aussie BB’s infrastructure and billing systems.

The article also looks at 4/5G and Starlink alternatives.

CyberShack’s view: Boycott Telstra – it’s the only way to protest

We’re Not Gonna Take It anymore. It is time all you rusted-on Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone users looked at the alternatives. Go on, give them the finger, and move away.

They have long raised prices with impunity, but the latest ones since August 2024 are the most ridiculous I’ve seen. Forget the fact that data should be getting cheaper, not more expensive.

For rusted-on users, I remind you of the frog and boiling water fable. It is a metaphor for people’s inability or unwillingness to react to or be aware of sinister threats that arise gradually rather than suddenly.