What's the best wireless or mobile Internet in Australia?
June 5, 2011 5:10 PM Subscribe
What's the best/cheapest wireless Internet or mobile broadband plan in Sydney? I want to stop using my 3 Mobile Broadband, but I'm not sure what to replace it with. There's no phone line in my apartment, so that's not an option. I'll mostly be using it for downloading games and music.
In my experience, Telstra is by far and away the best in terms of speed, latency and coverage, but also the most expensive. I have used Vodafone and 3, and using telstra is a dream in comparison.
posted by Admira at 5:26 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by Admira at 5:26 PM on June 5, 2011
I have been using TPG for about 15 months now (since I came to theis country, basically). It was highly recommended to me by colleagues. I haven't had any problems with their speed or uptime etc.
But yeah, whirlpool forums are probably the best place to do more research. They have a Plan Search tool that is quite nifty.
posted by vidur at 5:54 PM on June 5, 2011
But yeah, whirlpool forums are probably the best place to do more research. They have a Plan Search tool that is quite nifty.
posted by vidur at 5:54 PM on June 5, 2011
N'thing Whirlpool. When I went through this a few months ago, Virgin Mobile/Virgin Broadband was the cheapest option. They (like most of the providers) use the Optus network, which has good coverage but lower speed than Telstra.
Are you sure it's your only option though? Even if there's no existing phone connection in your apartment, if there ever _was_ a phone connection then you may well be able to get NakedDSL. Whirlpool will also show you your options there; Internode is highly recommended, although my experience with them recently has been less than stellar.
posted by coriolisdave at 6:27 PM on June 5, 2011
Are you sure it's your only option though? Even if there's no existing phone connection in your apartment, if there ever _was_ a phone connection then you may well be able to get NakedDSL. Whirlpool will also show you your options there; Internode is highly recommended, although my experience with them recently has been less than stellar.
posted by coriolisdave at 6:27 PM on June 5, 2011
Internode? Optus network. Note that the 9gb plan has the lowest price per Gb.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:51 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:51 PM on June 5, 2011
Nthing Whirlpool. Take a look at their Australian Broadband Survey 2010, which has lots of charts and data about customer satisfaction, service quality, etc, for all the major providers.
Let me also second the recommendation to look into Naked DSL (broadband without a phone line). Nobody I know with mobile internet has been happy with the service -- it's slow, it costs more for less, and they typically meter uploads as well as downloads. Look at the customer ratings in the Whirlpool survey for Telstra Next G, for example, as compared to Telstra's regular service.
As a data point, I've had ADSL in Sydney since 2000. I've been with Telstra, People Telecom, Netspace and Internode, and Internode has been the best, though I understand Telstra is a lot more reliable now than when I used it.
posted by Georgina at 7:25 PM on June 5, 2011
Let me also second the recommendation to look into Naked DSL (broadband without a phone line). Nobody I know with mobile internet has been happy with the service -- it's slow, it costs more for less, and they typically meter uploads as well as downloads. Look at the customer ratings in the Whirlpool survey for Telstra Next G, for example, as compared to Telstra's regular service.
As a data point, I've had ADSL in Sydney since 2000. I've been with Telstra, People Telecom, Netspace and Internode, and Internode has been the best, though I understand Telstra is a lot more reliable now than when I used it.
posted by Georgina at 7:25 PM on June 5, 2011
If you get good Optus coverage where you are, I don't know a cheaper way to buy data over it than through Exetel.
The mobile phone networks really are an insanely expensive way to buy bits, though. If one of your neighbors has a phone line, could you perhaps split the cost of an ADSL2+ service with them and get at it via wifi?
posted by flabdablet at 9:08 PM on June 5, 2011
The mobile phone networks really are an insanely expensive way to buy bits, though. If one of your neighbors has a phone line, could you perhaps split the cost of an ADSL2+ service with them and get at it via wifi?
posted by flabdablet at 9:08 PM on June 5, 2011
I looked in to this on the weekend..on Whirlpool, funnily enough. And it's Internode, hands down , it seems.
posted by taff at 11:04 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by taff at 11:04 PM on June 5, 2011
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posted by pompomtom at 5:22 PM on June 5, 2011 [1 favorite]