SE Melbourne - Which Telco Is Best for SIMs Now? Boost Is Now Expensive with Poor Performance

JSONBourne on 21/10/2025 - 13:44
Last edited 21/10/2025 - 13:47

Hi all,

Been a long time customer with Boost due to the 'superior network' but it honestly feels like this is no longer the case.

Ever since the Telstra acquisition, it seems that 4G and 5G are terrible. I get constant timeouts even though I have full reception. This is in the CBD/suburbs with an iPhone 13 Pro running the latest iOS so I don't believe its location specific related. I do all the standard Aeroplane mode toggle on/off, have tried 4G/5G and all the settings.

Given that they seem to have increased their prices, I'm now looking around. I've heard Optus has the next best network, followed by Vodafone.

I'm currently looking at Amaysim as my next winner. Does anyone care to comment on their experiences that are local?

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Comments

  • Associated87percent @ Boost Mobile on 21/10/2025 - 13:49
    +2

    If you can give me specific locations, I can look into it

    • JSONBourne on 21/10/2025 - 13:50
      +4

      To be honest, I find it generally everywhere. Particularly in the CBD. I remember when Boost used to have the same traffic priority as Wholesale Telstra, but this is clearly not the case anymore. Richmond is particularly bad, anywhere in the CBD is not great. I also have stall issues in the SE suburbs.

      This never used to happen. Same phone, same telco, just a gradual decline in service over time.

      • Associated87percent @ Boost Mobile on 21/10/2025 - 14:44
        +6

        What suburb in South East? But if you’re having issues everywhere, logically it would point to your phone

        • JSONBourne on 21/10/2025 - 14:50
          -5

          I didn't say it happened all the time. But in areas where things are congested, it used to be fine. In the last 1-2 years I get stalls. Friends devices don't have the same issue.

        • JIMB0 on 22/10/2025 - 11:45

          Higher than Dr. Phil again.⚡⚡
          ☁️ ☁️☁️👻☁️☁️⛈️☁️☁️☁️☁️
          🌧️🌩️🌧️🌧️🌧️⛈️🌧️🌧️ 🌧️ 🌧️⛈️

      • Dr Phil on 22/10/2025 - 07:55

        I thought boost had access to the Telstra RETAIL network ????

        • JIMB0 on 22/10/2025 - 11:44
          +1

          ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔☔ ☔ ☔
          😎
          Telstra customers get network priority, unlike OzBargain where any random can cut the queue by replying to the first comment.

      • Besean on 22/10/2025 - 10:12

        I shared your issue. Exactly the same. I ended up shifting to Telstra prepaid itself with the same phone and the issues went away. (East Richmond is still a pain point though).

        My experience is that Boost seems to have the same voice reception as Telstra, but the network priority to Boost with data has dropped significantly. It definitely does not have the same priority as Telstra.

        • JSONBourne on 23/10/2025 - 08:38

          Yep agree, that's what I've seen too.

    • El cheepo on 22/10/2025 - 00:30

      Wubin WA
      Terrible reception for no reason…

      Use to have no issues before.

    • Sinnerator on 22/10/2025 - 07:46

      Did telstra buy boost just to enshitify it, so it is less of a profit threat to telstra?

  • tp0 on 21/10/2025 - 13:54
    +1

    Optus is by far the best in Melbourne. They have 160MHz of outdoor mid-band 5G plus another 40MHz they use indoors. Telstra only have 60MHz total*.

    Go direct on one of their SIM plans to get access to the 5G standalone network.

    *Telstra are very slowly rolling out an additional 80MHz but it's tied to hardware upgrades and is extremely uncommon to find.

    • JSONBourne on 21/10/2025 - 13:56

      Thanks for this, will look into it! Is there much difference between Optus Wholesale and Amaysim? It seems that the Optus resellers all have some great deals going on at the moment.

      $350 for 300gb is a bit up there!

      Amaysim is $199 for 320gb

    • geekcohen on 21/10/2025 - 14:01
      +12

      Optus is by far the best

      Wait until you possibly need 000.

      • theHMASfriendship on 21/10/2025 - 19:57
        +1

        What should I do until then?

        • Associated87percent @ Boost Mobile on 21/10/2025 - 20:14
          +1

          Well Optus has a free trial sim thing

      • paul02 on 22/10/2025 - 07:12
        +1

        People need to get over this, any network can fail and Telstra has been down that road years ago.

        • geekcohen on 22/10/2025 - 07:55

          Yes any network can fail, but its happened to many times with Optus and they have had other network failures. Plus the recently 000 errors were "caused by human error". Not acceptable really. Put systems and processes in place. They have stuffed up way to many times in the last few years to be trusted.

  • paul02 on 22/10/2025 - 07:14

    Look at Lebara, Kogan and others that use Vodafone as now they share coverage with Optus so you get more network.

    • Sinnerator on 22/10/2025 - 07:47
      +1

      isn't that extended coverage for REGIONAL areas only?

  • bbinc on 22/10/2025 - 09:10
    +1

    OP I share your pain. Central Melbourne CBD very poor to no reception on Boost, but fine on my backup Amaysim in the same phone. Same in other inner suburban areas around the bay. When I’ve called to complain I’ m told how excellent the area I’m identifying is. Been this way for several years.

  • ssmith3104 on 22/10/2025 - 10:47

    I am with Vodafone direct. My wife is with Telstra via Woolies. Our iPhones are identical. Generally, out driving, both work well, BUT, inside buildings it is inevitable that it is her Telstra SIM that only gets 1 bar and stops functioning. I then have to make her a hot-spot from my Vocafone powered phone.

  • wako on 22/10/2025 - 12:06

    Now you mention it, I have noticed my service been a lot more spotty. Must be to do with the sale of boost…

  • Sinnerator on 22/10/2025 - 18:32

    avoid Felix, they don't have any bandwidth

  • lazydesi on 23/10/2025 - 08:30

    I thought im the only one with this type of service degradation
    .

    its awful in Adelaide as well, tried optus as a backup and found no issues with them.

    I am also moving my services to amaysim / coles

    • JSONBourne on 23/10/2025 - 08:39

      Yep same here. Will be using Optus network for this next year to try it out.

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