# Boost Mobile (Australia)

Boost Tel Pty Ltd, trading as Boost Mobile, is an Australian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) which offers wireless services on the Telstra network. Founded in 2000, Telstra entered an agreement to acquire the company in December 2024.

## History

Boost Mobile was founded by Peter Adderton in Sydney, Australia in 2000. Optus began licensing the Boost Mobile brand that same year. Paul Keating, former Prime Minister of Australia invested $500,000 for a 29% shareholding.
In 2001, a joint venture between Adderton, Craig Cooper, Kirt McMaster and Nextel brought the Boost Mobile brand to the United States. In 2003, Nextel acquired full ownership of Boost Mobile in the United States, becoming the sole owner of its operations and separating the brand from Boost Mobile Australia.
In 2012, Optus ended its business relationship with Boost; they subsequently switched resell access to the Telstra network, with Telstra reportedly "looking to chase the youth market".
In January 2013, all existing Boost customers were converted to Optus customers and continued to receive services on the Optus network. In March 2013, Boost began to offer products and services under the Boost Pre-paid Mobile brand as an MVNO hosted on the Telstra Next G network. It is the only Telstra MVNO with access to the full Telstra mobile network across regional/rural Australia.
In May 2022, Boost began rolling out 5G service access to all customers with a compatible service and device.
In February 2024, Boost began provisioning eSIMs through their mobile applications. eSIMs were made available for both existing and new Boost Mobile services on iOS and Android smartphones that support eSIM functionality.
In December 2024, Telstra announced it had agreed to terms to acquire Boost Mobile.

## Marketing

Boost has consistently marketed itself through sponsorship and promotion of sporting events, and lifestyle-oriented marketing primarily through social media. The company has continued to target its brand and products at younger demographics; "Since Boost Mobile began in August 2000, we’ve been focused on keeping Aussie youth connected."
In 2018, Boost Mobile formed a partnership with the American-based Stadium Super Trucks to grow the series' presence in Australia. The following year, after the series and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport reached a three-year commercial rights agreement, the series was branded the Boost Mobile Super Trucks for Australian races.
In 2019, Boost Mobile was the naming rights sponsor of Garry Rogers Motorsport in the Australian Supercars Championship. In 2020 and 2021, Boost Mobile sponsored James Courtney in a Tickford Racing Ford Mustang. In 2021 it also sponsored Brodie Kostecki in an Erebus Motorsport Holden Commodore ZB.
In 2022, Boost Mobile became the naming rights sponsor of both Erebus Motorsport Commodores. That sponsorship lasted only one season.

### Criticism

In June 2010, Boost Mobile launched a viral marketing campaign that purported to identify text messaging disorders in order to bring attention to Boost Mobile's offer of 100 texts for one dollar. Australian television programme Media Watch criticized both the campaign itself and certain Australian media outlets that had failed to uncover the underlying marketing campaign, reporting the disorders as straight news. The Age was one of the few publications to recognise that the campaign was a "ruse ... to get the company's name mentioned in the media." As part of the campaign Boost Mobile cited an academic paper co-authored by Dr. Shari Walsh of the Queensland University of Technology. However, Dr. Walsh stated that her paper did not identify any texting disorders and that Boost Mobile was not accurately representing her research.