As ADSL2 is not available in this area and I live more than 3 km from the nearest exchange and ADSL1 is only marginally faster than dial up, I was considering prepaid mobile.
I also live in a renowned black spot for mobile phones and wish to know if you could guarantee coverage if I did so. Optus promised coverage but had to refund my money when they were unable to provide satisfactory service.
27/06/2011
The ADSL1 broadband market has continued to improve given the high demand for the service. ADSL1 is not only popular in regional areas, but also in metropolitan areas where some properties with infrastructure issues are unable to get ADSL2+. Because of this, speeds on ADSL1 have continued to improve, with some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offering speeds of up to 20Mbps (ADSL2+ is 24Mbps). This is extremely fast compared to Dial-up which is usually only up to 56Kbps.
Mobile broadband is a great option for very light users, customers who need internet on the go, or for those who are too far away from the closest exchange. However, speeds tend to fluctuate depending on factors such as network coverage and internet traffic. The maximum speeds will not generally be higher than what is possible on an ADSL1 service, and will usually be much slower (except for perhaps the Telstra mobile broadband service which is reasonably fast but also reasonably expensive). I would recommend opting for ADSL1 broadband instead of mobile wireless since many mobile broadband carriers use the Optus network to provide coverage (and other providers apart from Telstra offer less coverage).
If you need more than about 5-10GB per month, it will also be a cheaper option to go with ADSL1 (particularly compared to prepaid mobile wireless). The possible downside of ADSL1 is that you will need to have an active home phone line, which may be inconvenient if you already use your mobile phone instead. However, you can bundle your ADSL1 and broadband services together to receive a discount.
Fast ADSL1 broadband plans (unbundled – broadband only and BYO phone line)
TPG Off-Net 10GB (peak) + 40GB (off peak) Up to 8Mbps $49.99
iiNet ADSL1 Home-1 Plus 5GB (peak) + 5GB (off peak) Up to 20Mbps $59.95
iPrimus Starter Plus (Zone 1) 20GB (peak) + 20GB (off peak) Up to 8Mbps $59.95
Fast ADSL1 broadband plans (bundled with a home phone)
iiNet ADSL1 Home-1 Plus 5GB (peak) + 5GB (off peak) Up to 20Mbps $79.90
Dodo ADSL2+ Regional $74.80 5GB (peak) + 15GB (off peak)
Call us on 1300 106 571 to find out more about TPG’s off-net plans. Call iiNet directly on 1300 106 571, or iPrimus on 1300 137 794. You can reach Dodo to on 1300 136 793 to find out more about their dirt cheap Regional ADSL2+ plans.
