Telstra is one of the networks your eSIM may use in Australia. Here is who actually decides which network you get, and what to do with that.
Quick answer
Telstra switched off its 3G network on 28 October 2024; phones now need 4G Band 28 (700 MHz) with VoLTE.
| Item | Telstra |
|---|---|
| LTE (4G) | B28, B5, B3, B1, B7 |
| 5G NR | n5, n78 |
| 5G launched | Live |
| 3G | Shut down |
| Network code (MCC-MNC) | 505-01 |
Checked against the sources on 2026-10-12. Only the bands a source confirmed are listed; the network may run others too.
An eSIM can only use Telstra if your phone supports at least one band in this table. Before you fly, open your model's spec page on the maker's site and compare its LTE and 5G band lists.
Telstra publishes its own coverage map. Look up the street or district you will stay in rather than the country as a whole, because coverage in town and out of town differs a great deal. The map shows Telstra's own network; a roaming plan may not get every technology it shows.
Mobile networks in Australia are licensed, and their spectrum assigned, by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The bands above are the ones it allocates. A problem with the local network's own service goes to the operator first; a problem with your eSIM plan comes to us.
From the supplier record behind each package, 9 of the 70 plans we currently sell for Australia declare Telstra as a network the profile can reach, at 4G. The figure comes from the same catalogue that prices the plan pages, and it moves when the supplier revises the record.
| Network | LTE bands | 5G bands |
|---|---|---|
| Telstra | B28, B5, B3, B1, B7 | n5, n78 |
| Optus | B28, B8, B3, B1, B40, B7 | n8, n3, n1, n40, n78 |
A band shared across networks is one a single phone can use on all of them.
Nearly every travel eSIM is a roaming product: the profile picks a network by an order the supplier sets, not by the buyer. If Telstra is weak where you are, try selecting Optus or Vodafone AU (TPG) manually in the network settings, and keep data roaming on for the eSIM profile.
9 of our plans name Telstra as reachable, but that is not a guarantee. Travel plans run over roaming agreements, so the network depends on the supplier behind the plan, your device and where you are.
At least one of these, LTE: B28, B5, B3, B1, B7; 5G: n5, n78. Your phone's band list is on the maker's spec page for your model, under "Cellular" or "Network".
Yes. Telstra has run commercial 5G, on n5, n78. A travel plan only gets it when the plan permits 5G, your phone supports one of those bands, and you are inside 5G coverage. Miss any one and you fall back to 4G.
Check the carrier name at the top of the screen, or open the mobile-network settings and look at the operator list. If signal is poor, try selecting a network manually instead of automatic, but only one your plan actually supports.
Bob Kanokphon Thongdee
Instagram and TikTok have no web share button, so we open your phone's share sheet or copy the link instead.
Ranked by our value score. Each plan page lists the networks its supplier declares.
20 countries · partner networks
Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Validity starts on first connection at the destination
20 countries · partner networks
Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Validity starts on first connection at the destination
20 countries · partner networks
Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Validity starts on first connection at the destination
20 countries · partner networks
Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Validity starts on first connection at the destination
20 countries · partner networks
Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Validity starts on first connection at the destination
20 countries · partner networks
Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Validity starts on first connection at the destination
