Living in a regional or remote area in Australia doesn’t have to mean you are restricted to a dial up internet connection. There are many options for a broadband internet connection for 98% of Australians. Commitment from the Australian Federal Government through the National Broadband Guarantee also works to ensure equitable access to broadband internet in regional and remote areas.
ADSL broadband connections
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While it may be unlikely that any Australian broadband provider has installed ADSL2+ in regional and remote areas it is still often possible to receive and ADSL broadband connection with most providers. ADSL uses Telstra’s copper lines to transmit a broadband data signal to your home and depending on the distance of your house from the telephone exchange you may be able to reach download speeds up to 8000kbps. If you are more than five kilometres from the telephone exchange it is likely your broadband provider will not be able to provide a service. This is due to the high level of transmission loss that would leave your broadband connection running too slow to be worthwhile. No matter which Australian broadband provider you choose, if you are too far away from the exchange data transfer speeds will decay too much and be too slow to use.
Compare Broadband lets you compare prices of ADSL broadband internet connections available in your area.
3G and Mobile Broadband networks
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The Telstra Bigpond 3G network boasts the broadest coverage for mobile broadband in Australia. Mobile broadband uses the mobile phone network to transfer data and provide a fast broadband internet connection. If you have mobile phone reception will Telstra in your area, chances are you will be able to receive mobile broadband.
Many providers such as 3, Vodafone, Exetel, Dodo, Telstra Bigpond and Optus offer mobile broadband plans with within areas covering the majority of the Australian population. Depending on which provider has mobile coverage in your area will determine which provider can offer you a mobile broadband service. Mobile broadband signal can be interfered with by mountain ranges, infrastructure and the layout of your home so you will need to check the coverage in your area before signing up to a Mobile Broadband plan.
Satellite
If Mobile Broadband or ADSL broadband is not available in your area, you may want to consider a satellite broadband connection. With the Federal Government’s National Broadband Guarantee you may even be eligible for government assistance on the installation costs of a Satellite broadband connection.
Because the monthly cost of Satellite Broadband is still relatively expensive compared to other broadband options if you are able to receive an ADSL or Mobile Broadband connection these are generally a cheaper option.
Satellite broadband connections can be affected by weather conditions and cloud coverage that make them less reliable than an ADSL broadband connection over the phone line.
You can browse all the available broadband plans in your area on Compare Broadband to help you find the best deal.
