Wireless Broadband Available Now on 3 Prepaid
Got an SMS this morning from Three, my current mobile phone provider. As a prepaid 3Skypephone user for the last 12 months, I often get SMS-spammed by them so I was a bit hesitated to open it up. It turns out to contain a great news!
Mobile Internet is now available to you! Surf your fav sites like Facebook & Google on the go!
Then it contains a site that is only accessible from within the 3 network. My Skypephone without Internet access is actually pretty useless — except for making and receiving phone calls. It’s certainly a great news for me! Now I can upload photos and update status on Facebook, read my favourite news sites, blog and Twitter on my phone!
Then I saw the pricing.
Yes you read it right. $5/MB within 3′s Broadband zone and $8/MB roaming. I thought I paid Telstra Direct 20 cents/MB 10 years ago was expensive. 3 surely knows how to rip off their prepaid customers!
Well. It does spell a way out. You can either join 3′s new prepaid plans at minimum $29/month (used to be my 6 month mobile spending…) to get up to 150 MB of data ($1/MB from the $150 cap value). Or, I can sign up to X-series Essential $5/month to get 20MB of data. There’s no way I am jumping to their new caps because even $30/2 months for the old prepaid is excessive to me, as I can never make enough calls to use up all the credit. On the other hand, 20MB with the X-Series is a bit restricting. I’ve only used the mobile broadband for a day and I can easily swallow 20MB in one day.
… and it appears that prepaid customers cannot sign up other X-Series packages. I’ll be just fine if I can subscribe the 1GB/month $20 package — but Three knows that if it lets it happen, everyone will just jump on prepaid and load it up with data packs, instead of using the much more expensive mobile calls.
Exactly like what John L at Exetel has described — HSPA mobile broadband is the future, but service providers still want to hold onto the more ludicrous voice calls.
I guess I probably won’t hold onto my 3 phone for too long. Not being able to use mobile Internet cost-effectively is getting more and more annoying. I don’t make much phone calls — I just want Internet access anywhere I go, cheaply. Why should I sign up those capped plans when I am making less than 10 minutes of phone calls per month? Subsiding for other heavy users (think about it — it’s what cap plans are all about)?
Exetel’s HSPA broadband plans are actually quite attractive at the moment. $25 once off activation fee. $5/month service fee, and only 1.5 cent per MB, charged by your exact usage. Then fairly reasonable mobile call rates, but who cares when you can use VoIP over HSPA.
You do need a HSPA-enabled phone though. Too bad my Skypephone only does UMTS. Have to wait until it dies now…
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I don’t think GSM data rate is coming down any soon — it’s an abandoned technology as all carriers are moving to 3G/3.5G networks. Expensive phone? Not quite. See this one
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/7426
Samsung i600 BlackJack – HSDPA, Wifi, Qwerty keyboard, Windows Mobile 5 — $219. Even cheaper than some GSM phones…
I have had 3 pre pay wireless broadband for 4 days, When i brought it the salesman told me it was fast and reliable. Now since having it have found none of this to be correct. It is slow and is definately not reiable with the connection constantly dropping out or not being able to be connected which means i am wasting my money as well as wasting money on phone calls (i only have a mobile) Just today i have logged on a number of times only to have it drop out then when ringing to care line only to be put on hold for quite a while then that drops out. The service is not what i expected at all. Iam a disability pensioner and would have thought id get my moneys worth unless things change i will be changing to optus as ive tried my friends here and it works well may be some one would be kind enough to ring me to discuss this mess 02 96982216 if no follow up is done i will not be recommending 3 to my friends as it appears its not what it cracked up to be thank you
I have only just joined virgin wireless broadband because the wireless iburst is now finished.Why is it that these larger companies are allowed to charge more while providing less, such as charging for outgoing as well as downloads and still charging for excess downloads instead of speed limiting?
I have been in touch with Telstra and my local member to try and get DSL as I am on a rim exchange but the answer from both is ” because the demand is so much we have no intention of providing same”. So much for every Australian having access to high speed broadband.
THANK YOU GOVERNMENT…..THANK YOU TELSTRA AND COHORTS
I have a telstra prepaid wireless broardband internet it will $100.00 for 6gb for 60 days I am thinking I am going to change to 3 prepaid wireless broadband internet or dodo Preapaid internet or oputus wireless broardband internet and what is worth it and has good recepition in brisbane
3 service,what service.600 bytes/sec.10 kb/s.complain,no one is listening.yesterday i lodged a formal complaint with ombudsman.the arrogance of this company is simply unbelievable.the only thing that seems to work is their retail outlets defrauding the public.never an answer to my emails………….teddy,i consider myself lucky when i get 30 kbps.once in 2/3 months i actually got nearly 300kbps.those were the moments.
Im just gobsmaked at Virgin Mobile Broadband ( USB stick ) …. First 29 days ran really well in Southern Brisbane … Day 30 it all changed … Can only use the GPRS system ( 3 times slower than my old bigpond dial up ) … If your Lucky on a Friday or a Saturday night , the congestion clears enough to use the broadband ( still not speeds advertised ) … You ring customer service , they lie to you … First call it was my computer … went and got the computer all sussed out , no viruses , or any probs at all … second call , ” They cant be definate , but they are sure it’s the antenna in my area being serviced , here have $20 credit ” …. Im in this for 2 years … Help ! I want out now ….
Do not touch Virgin Mobile Broadband and because of this experience , I will no longer be using their aeroplanes or anything involved with Virgin … This has been a SKANK !!! How are they getting away with it ? What goes around comes around I guess …
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Playground is the personal weblog of Scott Yang, a Chinese-Australian Christian who works as a software developer in Sydney Australia.
Three is ridiculously expensive!
But HSPA will mean buying expensive phones …
I wonder if GSM data rates will come down anytime soon …