Telstra expands shared data plans

Telstra has finally unveiled shared data plans for consumer users, starting at $20 a month on top of the cost of a regular phone service.

Now with sharing.

Customers must be signed up to an Every Day Connect mobile plan, which ranges from $50 to $100 a month BYOD, or from $60 a month with a handset included.

To share the quota included on that mobile plan, users have to pay an extra $10 a month, and then a further $10 a month for SIMs for each device that is to share the quota pool (up to a limit of three devices).

Devices that share in the data pool can't be handsets, meaning the extra SIM cards can only be used in "tablets or laptops" or other devices with data-only SIM slots, Telstra said.

Included quota on Telstra's mobile plans ranges from 1GB up to 3GB. Telstra is offering a temporary sign-up bonus of 1GB of extra data allowance, but only for the first year.

Excess usage is charged at 10 cents a megabyte.

Telstra flagged the impending availability of shared data plans aimed at consumers back in April.

The carrier has offered its business customers a similar capability since August 2011.