Felix Mobile. When the company first launched in November 2020, it was offering endless 4G data capped at 5Mbps up and down, which was then boosted to 20Mbps capped download and upload speeds in December 2020.

Colleague Sam Varghese wasn't impressed with the initial 5Mbps up and down speeds, noting quite rightly that he was getting much faster speeds from his Telstra-powered Boost mobile SIM, but I certainly was impressed, and especially so when the cap was then increased four-fold to 20Mbps a month later.

The reason I was impressed is because Telstra only offered (and still only offers) 1.5Mbps capped speeds for unlimited data once you've used up your full-speed data limit, and 5Mbps, at the time, was more than three times the speed.

My sister was using a Telstra $15 per month data SIM with 1.5Mbps capped speeds (after 5GB of full-speed data) to connect to work, watch streaming media and more, and it worked. Sure, the Netflix would occasionally buffer, and sometimes get fuzzy, but it usually went back to a HD-like image, and she used that very happily for more a couple of years.

More than tripling the speed to 5Mbps would have meant HD quality streams all the time, barring congestion on the network, but increasing the speed to up to 20Mbps should mean no problems, even with some congestion, and Felix Mobile users on Whirlpool have attested to that. 

Now, it is important to note that Felix Mobile doesn't have VoLTE, so your phone calls will be made over the 3G network, and it doesn't do VoWiFi either, so you can't use your home Wi-Fi network to route calls should you be in an area with less than stellar Vodafone 4G coverage, but if that's the case, you'd take advantage of Felix Mobile's 7 day happiness guarantee and port to a different provider, although you'd then not be able to get up to 20Mbps of endless 4G data.

I have since shifted my sister to a Vodafone $45 per month SIM with 100GB of full speed data that then goes down to a capped 10Mbps speed once the full speed data allocation is used up, and she's even happier than ever, and if you go to Vodafone's $65 monthly plan, you get 500GB of full speed data before it speed caps to 25Mbps.

These days, if you use FaceTime Audio, WhatsApp or some other VoIP service to make calls to the friends and family you speak to on a regular basis, you can get HD-voice like voice quality anyway, so what's the difference if you have VoLTE, or not?

Sure, when you make calls to people to their landline or mobile numbers you don't normally call via FaceTime Audio, WhatsApp or something else, you'll be on 3G quality voice calls, but it's not as if you can't talk to people - you can talk just fine! It just won't sound as clear as an HD-voice call will sound, but this isn't a real issue for the vast majority of people.

So, if you need an endless 4G data service capped at speeds of up to 20Mbps when uploading and downloading, then Felix Mobile's latest "first month free" deal may well be one you'll be interested in.

You can use the SIM in your phone's second SIM slot, or in a spare phone, and if you need to tether to other devices, you can do that too.

The terms and conditions state you can't use the SIM in a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot modem, as the service isn't meant to be a replacement for an NBN service, but Whirlpool users have been doing that, and as of now, Felix Mobile isn't clamping down on that usage as yet. Of course, Felix Mobile might decide to do that at any time, so be warned, but if that were to happen, users could simply put the SIM back into a phone and tether away.

Felix Mobile also uses the marketing trick that it is a carbon-neutral MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), with its site stating it has planted 77,100 of the one million trees around the world, and you also get some seeds in the envelope that contains the SIM card when you sign up.

You need to sign up via the Felix Mobile app, (iOS here and Android here) and naturally, you can port your existing number across, or you can get a new number, it's up to you.

So, what did Felix Mobile email me about this morning concerning the first-month free deal for new customers? Here's what they said:

FIRST MONTH FREE - TALK ABOUT PEACHY!

Felix has today announced a peachy offer for all new customers - switch today and you'll get your first month free!

• Stream, scroll and swipe as much as you like with felix' one simple plan. What you'll get;
• Unlimited data at speeds up to 20Mbps
• Unlimited calls and texts
• Trees glorious trees, with one tree planted for each month you’re active
• No lock-in contract, no exit fees

Simply apply the promo code FLX008 when checking out via the felix mobile app. New customers only. Offer ends 13/8/21, then $35/mth. For use in Aus. For more information visit www.felixmobile.com.au.