Australia, The Great Adventure

Mobile & Internet access

Thought I’d better get an article started about our mobile and comms options.

We can, of course, go cheapie cheapie, or super expensive!!!

Cheapie cheapie:
Normal mobiles - only coverage in built-up areas.
Laptop for offline work (already own the laptop).
Internet at libraries (USB key to transfer stuff to/from laptop).

Super expensive:

Just had a call from Telstra - to review our account options…

This is what they suggested:

Mobiles - NextG network - covers 98% of population - whatever that means! Includes the CDMA network plus more. Would need new phones for that (ours will be 2 years old by the start of the trip, so about due for an upgrade - Carla’s is getting very ‘clunky’). Cheapest bundled plan is $79!

Internet - two options here:
Option 1. Bigpond wireless internet via PCMCIA card or USB in laptop. (Normally costs about $300, but current offer for free). This uses the NextG network.
Monthly plans are:

• [256kbps] 10 hours for $35. Excess: $0.80 per 5 mins (not capped)
• [550kpbs ~ 3.0 Mbps] 20 hours for $55. Excess: $0.80 per 5 mins (not capped)

or if I prefer data plans:

• [256kbps] 200mb for $55. Excess: 0.30 per mb (not capped)
• [256kbps] 1gb for $85. Excess: 0.30 per mb (not capped)
• [550kpbs ~ 3.0 Mbps] 500mb for $85. Excess: 0.30 per mb (not capped)
• [550kpbs ~ 3.0 Mbps] 1gb for $115. Excess: 0.30 per mb (not capped)
• [550kpbs ~ 3.0 Mbps] 3gb for $185. Excess: 0.30 per mb (not capped)

And commit for 36 months and get the card for free.

Option 2. Use NextG mobile to connect laptop to internet.
Need to purchase a “Data pack” (”Browser pack”).
Monthly plans (data only):

• 5mb for $5 + $1 per additional mb. (not capped)
• 20mb for $10 + $1 per additional mb. (not capped)
• etc, etc

Of course, it all depends on how much traffic I will be using, and I have no idea!

Edit: I just noticed something… My anti-spyware update is roughly 5mb per day. If I connect every day (which I am unlikely to, but this is worst-case scenario), then that is 150mb per month just in that! Not to mention the emails, with the occasional attachment, the graphics-heavy web browsing, the occasional audio, and even video download, etc. etc. I think that for sure the 200mb $55 BigPond Wireless Internet plan would be woefully inadequate. With my current 1500 speed fixed line broadband, I use anywhere between 1 and 2Gb per month.

Maybe I should go for the timed plans. Maybe 20 hours per month (1~2 hours every 2nd or 3rd day) would be sufficient? I can treat it like dial-up - ie. save everything internet-related up for doing in one big bunch, connect to do it, then disconnect again. I can also run a local web server, so I can run tests and develop stuff locally, and only connect when it is all ready to go.

Now, I’m sure other companies are offering some good stuff. I am reasonably comfortable with the idea that Telstra’s network has the most coverage, but I expect that there are other resellers who can do me a better deal on the plans (although I can’t find any on Whirlpool).

Whirlpool results:
Here are the results of a search on Whirlpool for wireless plans Australia wide, with at least 500Mb included.

nb. Soul uses the Optus 3G/HSDPA and Optus GSM networks.

Just for fun, I put together this coverage map for NextG. Yup, just as I thought, 98% of the population is a long way short of 98% of the country!

Just for some more fun (I don’t get out much, do I?!) - here are the Vodafone and Optus equivalents.

Vodafone 3G coverage map
Here was a plan through Crazy John’s:

• 1Gb for $60 + $0.10 per additional mb. (not capped)

Commit to 24 months and get a free Express Card to plug into the laptop.

Optus GSM coverage map

As for Dodo, Virgin and 3, they pretty much only cover the major capitals; Dodo has plans to cover some of the very major regionals as well by the end of 2008. So really, for our purposes, those ISPs are not suitable.

Another one, Soul Communications, resell the Optus wireless network. In their words: “The Soul Wireless Broadband uses the Optus network. Depending on the user’s location, Soul Wireless Broadband will automatically select the best available network from Optus GSM, Wi-Fi and 3G.”

So, over to you. What are your thoughts? What experience do you have that would help here? What should I avoid? What should I investigate?

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