ANALYSIS: best iPad 3G plans

If you’re planning on shelling out for a 3G-capable iPad, you’re going to need a data plan to go along with it. Thankfully, all four Australian carriers have standardised on the iPad as a prepaid device so it’s easy to compare offerings based on your needs.

The Micro-SIM

To use the iPad on a 3G network, you’ll need to get a Micro-SIM – a smaller version of the SIM card in your mobile phone. There are many stories about how to make Micro-SIMs using a normal SIM and a pair of scissors, but they’re irrelevant as all carriers are now offering the proper SIMs.


Three offers them for free from its stores or for 50c through the mail, and offers 200MB bonus data if you activate the Micro-SIM online or 100MB bonus data if you activate over the phone. Vodafone offers its Micro-SIMs for free through its stores, while Telstra and Optus are selling Micro-SIMs through their shops.

Recharging

Once you’re up and running, you’ll buy iPad data using fixed-price recharges – either online, or via the carrier’s own iPad application – that vary in value depending on your needs. Pricing is as follows:

Carrier	Recharge Price	Included Data	Bonus Data	Valid for	Notes
Optus	$15 $20 $30 $40 $50 $70 $80 $100 $130	500MB 1GB 3GB 4GB 5GB 9GB 9GB 12GB 14GB	1GB (until 30/9/10) on all plans	15 days 15 days 30 days 30 days 30 days 60 days 186 days 60 days 60 days
Telstra	$20 $30 $60	1GB 3GB 6GB
Three	$15 $29 $49 $149	500MB 2GB 4GB 12GB	1GB 2GB 2GB N/A	30 days 30 days 30 days 365 days	2MB off-network 2MB off-network 4MB off-network 12MB off-network Additional data 2c/MB, 50c/MB roaming
Vodafone	$9.95 $14.95 $29.95 $49.95 $100 $150	250MB 1GB 4GB Unlimited 6GB 12GB		30 days 30 days 30 days 30 days 186 days 365 days	Maximum 14GB can be rolled over

Terms and conditions

Reading through each carrier’s terms and conditions reveals a few interesting nuggets. For example, Vodafone mandates “personal use only” and prohibits use of the $49.95 unlimited plan to access peer-to-peer services. Other carriers may put specific requirements on your usage, or set out certain terms for rolling over data from month to month. This makes it worth reading each carrier’s terms and conditions carefully what you’re in for.

Other options

Rollover is one important point: Telstra and Three, for example, will roll over unused data as long as you top up your account before the 30-day prepaid period is finished.

While the prepaid options have attracted the most attention, carriers are also offering month-to-month plans for those with more predictable needs. For example, Optus offers $20 (2GB), $30 (3GB) and $60 (8GB) plans, while Three has $15 (1GB) and $29 (3GB) plans.

Which plan is right for you?

The nice thing about the predominance of prepaid plans is that, if your needs change throughout the year, you can easily switch from one carrier to another.

For now, however, the iPad is an unknown quantity and it may be a good idea not to overcommit. You may want to just start with a cheap option – for example, Vodafone’s 250MB $9.95 recharge – and work your way up from there. If you’re like most people, you may be surprised how little 3G data you actually use, especially if you’re going to be connecting via WiFi in your home most of the time.

If you’re planning on doing a lot of video watching via YouTube or other sites, you’ll want to weigh up your options more carefully. Vodafone has the drop on its competitors with a 4GB, $29.95 prepaid plan, or you can opt for its unrivaled $49.95 unlimited-usage plan if you’re full-on with the video, or expect to be moving large files around or doing remote access into your computer a lot.

Mid-tier users may find the best option is to shell out a little bit more upfront for the peace of mind of having data that doesn’t expire after 30 days. Three and Vodafone each offer 12GB per year – 1GB per month, on average – of iPad data per month, for $149 and $150 respectively – effectively giving you two months’ access for free when compared with buying a $15 or $14.95 prepaid recharge every month. With Optus, $160 will buy you 18 GB of data spread across two 186-day prepaid deals – a bit more of an annual cost, but with an extra 500MB per month that may well prove useful.