Just in case you hadn’t noticed, the world is kinda falling to pieces around us. We’re polluting our waters, air, and creating more waste than we know what to do with, but luckily it’s not all acid-rain clouds.
Sustainable or green business models are becoming more prevalent across a range of industries, and the telecommunications sector is no exception.
In this guide we explore Australia’s green telcos and their sustainability practices.
- What is a green telco?
- Why you might decide to pick a sustainable telco
- Belong
- felix mobile
- Telstra
- Optus
- Southern Phone
What is an ethical green telco?
This term loosely refers to a telecommunications company which adopts green, or sustainable business practices in order to be an environmentally friendly company.
Most companies have a sustainability plan or policy in place that aims at reducing the impact that the daily running of the organisation has on the planet. The scope of these kinds of policies and procedures vary from encouraging recycling in the office, through to a commitment to carbon neutrality.
Every organisation handles it differently, but when it comes to the environment we also know that lots of little steps amount to make a big impact.
Why you might decide to pick a sustainable telco
Internet and mobile phone companies create a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, almost the same as the aviation industry does.
Going with a green or sustainable telco is a way to help offset the footprint we leave on the world. It gives voice and power to the planet without you having to do anything outside of your usual routine. You could describe it as passive activism.
We see this all the time when people decide to shop locally in order to support small businesses, or choose an electric company that invests in renewables, or opt for a cruelty-free beauty brand, but it may not be something you’ve considered in relation to your phone and internet providers.
Choosing a telco is generally boiled down to a cost to benefit analysis. What can you get and how much do you need to pay in order to get it? Many of the providers featured in this article will give you great value deals, but they also come with a side of environmental consciousness.
What does it mean to be Carbon Neutral?
Carbon Neutrality refers to the act of offsetting carbon emissions by supporting projects that remove the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere as an organisation emits, therefore negating the effects that the operations have on the atmosphere.
To be deemed carbon neutral, organisations must attain a Climate Active certification. In Australia, businesses choose to purchase carbon offset credits which support various certified environmental projects that contribute to neutrality.
Belong: Australia's first carbon neutral provider
Belong was the first Australian telco to become entirely carbon neutral in 2019. Now the provider allows users to stay accountable through its Carbon Thumbprint app.
Your ‘Carbon Thumbprint’ - a term dubbed by the provider, is the amount of greenhouse gas you personally contribute through use of the mobile network. This is measured based on the emissions associated with mobile infrastructure, like towers and cables but also takes the mobile phone itself into account.
The app is available to download on Android and Apple devices.
Belong offers both mobile and broadband services, here are the telco’s mobile plans plans.
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Belong
$34.00/mth
Min. cost $34
Link not supplied
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And here are Belong’s NBN plans.
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Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
Link not supplied
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felix mobile: a tree per person, per month
felix mobile launched in late 2020, with just one plan and a promise to be a telco that gives back to the environment. Dubbed simple, digital and sustainable the telco has just one phone plan, is entirely carbon neutral, powered by 100% renewable energy and pledges to plant one tree per subscriber, per month.
The one plan is as simple as it gets; unlimited talk, text and mobile data (with speeds capped at 20Mbps) for just $35 per month. Originally the speed cap was 5Mbps, which we found to be too slow to be sustainable (the irony is not lost on us) but after just one month the provider upped that to 20Mbps which is much closer to standard 4G speeds.
You can read more about felix mobile here.
The provider's goal is to plant one million trees within it's first year, so it's going to need quite a few subscribers to make that happen. If you want to support the planet while also supporting your social media habit then this is a great option.
Telstra: now fully carbon neutral
Big T wasn’t far behind Belong in becoming carbon neutral, officially clocking the title in June 2020. Telstra contributes to the Southern Aurukun Savanna Burning Project in QLD, the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Project in WA and a variety of renewable energy projects in India.
The telco offers a range of phone and internet services. Here are Telstra's NBN plans.
Here are Telstra’s SIM-only mobile phone plans.
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Telstra
$74.00/mth
Min. cost $24
Link not supplied
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Optus: focusing on waste reduction
Not all providers are carbon neutral, but the vast majority embed sustainable practices into the day to day operations. Optus for example has taken active steps towards reducing waste within it's enterprise.
Most notable is a redesign on SIM card packaging by the provider saves around 50 tonnes of cardboard each year, and recycling 98.5% of the provider’s e-waste.
Here are Optus' NBN plans.
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Optus
FTTP, HFC
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
Link not supplied
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Here are its SIM-only phone plans.
Southern Phone: bundle and save the planet
Southern Phone is a smaller MVNO that supplies broadband and mobile services for regional Australia. The provider is a subsidiary of the AGL Energy group which invests heavily in solar energy and renewables.
AGL Energy is currently on a pathway to decarbonisation which began this year and is predicted to end in 2050. As opposed to the aforementioned telcos who offer carbon neutrality included within the plans, AGL allows options for customers to voluntarily support the reduction of carbon emissions and these are now available on products labelled 'carbon neutral.' Southern Phone plans are included in these options.
Here are Southern Phone's NBN plans.
Here are the provider's SIM-only plans.
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
Thousands of internet plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
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