Vodafone's coverage is now the same as Optus

Fergus Halliday - Digital Content Editor

Last updated 17 April 2026

The Vodafone network now covers 98.5% of the Australian population.

That’s a small increase on the 98.4% that the carrier used to yell about, but a meaningful one that puts it in line with Optus. At least when it comes to 4G coverage.

At the time of writing, it’s not all that clear whether the extra tenth of a percentage point came from though.

Reached for comment about the increase in coverage by WhistleOut, a Vodafone spokesperson didn’t provide any details – only acknowledging that the carrier has “updated our coverage to align with Optus."

Back in 2025, Optus and Vodafone signed a network-sharing agreement that let the two share infrastructure. As a result, Optus got access to a little bit of extra network spectrum in regional Australia. Meanwhile, Vodafone was able to boost its own metrics when it comes to coverage from 95.4% to 98.4% of the Australian population by giving its customers the ability to use the Optus network in places where its own coverage didn’t reach.

In any case, WhistleOut understands that this small shift in the way that Vodafone advertises its coverage might not be borne of any major changes on its part. It's entirely possible that the culprit behind this change is as simple as additional investment in the infrastructure that powers the Optus–TPG MOCN network-sharing arrangement over the past twelve months.

Although achieving parity with Optus represents a significant milestone for Vodafone, it's far from the biggest development when it comes to Australia’s coverage maps.

Earlier this year, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced introduced new standards that mean that areas with signal strengths below -115dBM are declared as not having usable services, and as such, can't be shown on coverage maps.

And although Optus and Vodafone’s coverage may now be the same, there’s still plenty that differentiates the two network providers. Vodafone’s plans tend to be cheaper while Optus’ come with additional perks like the ability to save money on your streaming subscriptions by bundling them through SubHub.

If anything, the biggest winner here might be Vodafone’s MVNOs. Here's a comparison of the cheapest plans (with at least 15GB of data) on the Vodafone and Optus networks:

Vodafone network plans
Optus network plans

Lyca Mobile Editor's Pick	Lyca Mobile Editor's Pick Unlimited Plan S 50GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: $15 for first 6 renewals when you activate this plan. Offer ends 31.12.26. T&Cs apply $15.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
iiNet	iiNet 30GB Small Plan 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $15/mth for first 6 months, then $30/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied
TPG Editor's Pick	TPG Editor's Pick 30GB Small Plan 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $15/mth for first 6 months, then $30/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied
Kogan Mobile	Kogan Mobile Small Monthly Plan 25GB data On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network $23.00 Per 30 Day Renewal Go to Site	$23.00 Per 30 Day Renewal	Go to Site
Lebara Mobile	Lebara Mobile $25 SIM Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices $25.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$25.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
felix mobile	felix mobile felix 25GB Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps On the Vodafone 5G/4G Mobile Network Deal: Get 50% off your first 3 mths when you switch to felix. $15/mth for first 3 mths, then $30/mth. Use promo code FELIX50. T+Cs apply $30.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Go to Site	$30.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Go to Site
Vodafone	Vodafone $40 Prepaid Plus Recharge 90GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes 60GB bonus data for first 3 recharges + $5 off with every Automatic Recharge $40.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$40.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied

SpinTel Editor's Pick	SpinTel Editor's Pick $23 Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT WhistleOut Special: Enjoy $11 off for the first 6 months for new customers - $12/mth for first 6 months, then $23/mth $12.00/mth Min. cost $12 Go to Site	$12.00/mth Min. cost $12	Go to Site
OnePass mobile	OnePass mobile 28 Day Plan - 22GB 22GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $12.50 - Get 22GB for only $12.50 for the first 6 recharges! Recharges $25/22GB. New customers only. T&Cs apply $12.50 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$12.50 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
Yomojo	Yomojo Starter 29GB Plan 29GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps On the Optus 4G Plus Mobile Network $24.90 Per 30 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$24.90 Per 30 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
Dodo	Dodo Small Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $25.00/mth Min. cost $25 Go to Site	$25.00/mth Min. cost $25	Go to Site
Coles Mobile	Coles Mobile Prepaid $25 for 28 Days 22GB data On the Optus 4G Plus Mobile Network $25.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$25.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband Saver 5G SIM Plan 20GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $30.00/mth Min. cost $30 Link not supplied	$30.00/mth Min. cost $30	Link not supplied
amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 15GB Plan 15GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $30.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$30.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
Optus	Optus $60 Optus Choice Plus Plan 100GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply. $39.00/mth Min. cost $39 Go to Site	$39.00/mth Min. cost $39	Go to Site

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Fergus Halliday

Digital Content Editor

Fergus Halliday is a journalist and digital content editor at WhistleOut Australia. He’s written about technology, telecommunications, gaming and more for over a decade. He got his start writing in high school before interning at magazines like CRN Australia and freelancing for publications like the AU Review, Gizmodo, Kotaku, GamesHub, Press Start, ScreenRant, Superjump, Nestegg, and more.

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