Sydney eSIM
In Sydney you connect to Telstra or Optus, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 76 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Telstra and Optus
- Typical speed in Australia
- 76 Mbps typical, 20 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- yes, non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Sydney
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $5.89 | $5.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $2.96 | $8.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $2.18 | $10.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $1.59 | $15.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $1.19 | $23.89 | |
| 50 GB | Never expires | $0.94 | $46.89 |
How Australia compares across Oceania
- Regional typical speed
- 30.5 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, Telstra, Optus
- 5G
- Yes, non standalone
- Next slowest nearby
- New Zealand, 68 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 5: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth
Landing at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)
- Airport
- SYD / YSSY
- Distance
- 9 km from the centre of Sydney
- Wifi on arrival
- Free wifi in the terminal"Sydney Airport Free WiFi" is available throughout T1 International; the airport states the service is not encrypted.
Getting into Sydney
- T8 Airport & South Line (Airport Link) - International and Domestic Airport stations (SYD), about 13 minutes. Runs through tunnels, where a signal drops
- Taxi and rideshare to the Sydney CBD (SYD), about 20 minutes
- Sydney Buses routes 350, 420 and night route N20 (SYD)
Underground and on the metro
Sydney Metro runs 1 lines. It opened in 2019. The operator does not publish whether the tunnels carry a mobile signal, so we do not claim either way.
Worth knowing about Sydney
- Both airport railway stations sit underneath the terminals and are reached from the arrivals level, so arriving passengers go straight underground.
- A station access fee of $18.61 per adult trip is charged on top of the Opal fare at the airport stations and is not included in the daily or weekly travel caps.
- Airport trains run only between about 5am and midnight; route N20 covers the airport between midnight and 4am.
- Sydney Metro, opened in 2019, is a separate driverless system from the suburban trains and does not serve Sydney Airport.
- T1 International is separated from the domestic terminals by a runway, and the airport advises allowing 30 minutes to over an hour to transfer between them.
- Adults can pay for airport trains and buses with a contactless credit or debit card with no setup, tapping on and off each trip. Only one card can be used per passenger.
- The Opal 60 minute transfer does not apply at the airport stations, so tapping off and back on within the hour counts as two journeys and two station access fees.
- Adult and child Opal cards are sold at the airport stations with a $35 minimum top up, but concession Opal cards are not, so eligible travellers must apply online or link their entitlement to a bank card beforehand.
- Since 3 November 2025 a trial fixes taxi fares from the Sydney Airport ranks to the CBD at $60 for a standard or wheelchair taxi and $80 for a maxi taxi, including tolls and levies. The trial runs for 18 months.
- For the domestic station, take the lift or escalator near baggage carousel 1 in T2 or T3. From T1 Arrivals, leave by Exit A, turn right and walk to the end, or use the lift near check-in desk A.
- Sydney Metro describes continuous mobile phone coverage throughout its driverless network, and each train has two multi-purpose areas for prams, luggage and bicycles.
- Connecting to Sydney Airport Free WiFi in T1 means answering a few questions, accepting the terms and clicking Proceed, after which a sponsored message appears before you reach the web.
- Google Maps Indoor Live View works in both the international and domestic terminals, using augmented reality to guide you to gates, baggage claim, shops and restrooms.
- Route 350 runs from the Domestic Terminal to Bondi Junction via Mascot, Maroubra and Coogee at least every 10 minutes during the day, seven days a week.
- DART Express Shuttle runs from T1 International to Central, Hyde Park, Kings Cross, Darling Harbour and The Rocks. Book online or at the kiosk in T1 Arrivals A.