Go Back  British Expats > Living & Moving Abroad > Australia
Reload this Page >

Comparing Service Providers!

Comparing Service Providers!

Old May 4th 2007, 8:58 pm
  #1  
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: RUGBY W MIDLANDS
Posts: 157
CHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud ofCHELSEAJAMIE has much to be proud of
Default Comparing Service Providers!

Hi everybody,

I know this thread or simular has (prob) been done a hundread times before, but here goes, anyway!

I've been looking into the various broadband/digital tv/phone/bundle options in Aus on the net and like the UK, seems to be a bit of a minefield...with a few noticable differences...

* There doesn't seem to be the competition there is in the UK offering good value bundle packages, (SKY digital tv/basic broadband/home phone £26 month) about the best I could find was TELSTRA BIGPOND, BUT there is NO discount/cash incentive to have all your services in the one place, JUST free texts/minutes on mobile (hope I am correct in saying this?)

* Broadband seems to be VERY expensive compared to the UK if you want unlimited/fast downloads

* Opus appear to be a nightmare if you want to leave them!

Any comments/reconmmendations?
CHELSEAJAMIE is offline  
Old May 5th 2007, 11:59 am
  #2  
BE Enthusiast
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 484
leigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud ofleigh&ivan has much to be proud of
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by JAMIEKERRIE
Hi everybody,

I know this thread or simular has (prob) been done a hundread times before, but here goes, anyway!

I've been looking into the various broadband/digital tv/phone/bundle options in Aus on the net and like the UK, seems to be a bit of a minefield...with a few noticable differences...

* There doesn't seem to be the competition there is in the UK offering good value bundle packages, (SKY digital tv/basic broadband/home phone £26 month) about the best I could find was TELSTRA BIGPOND, BUT there is NO discount/cash incentive to have all your services in the one place, JUST free texts/minutes on mobile (hope I am correct in saying this?)

* Broadband seems to be VERY expensive compared to the UK if you want unlimited/fast downloads

* Opus appear to be a nightmare if you want to leave them!

Any comments/reconmmendations?

TELSTRA :curse: :curse: :curse: A bunch of muppets!

Would be keen to see any other recommendations.
leigh&ivan is offline  
Old May 5th 2007, 12:19 pm
  #3  
Forum Regular
 
Womat's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 219
Womat is just really niceWomat is just really niceWomat is just really niceWomat is just really niceWomat is just really niceWomat is just really niceWomat is just really niceWomat is just really niceWomat is just really nice
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

It might be worth your while to visit the Whirlpool Forum.
http://whirlpool.net.au/


This is the link to Whirlpool's 2006 Australian Broadband Survey:-
http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/1711
Womat is offline  
Old May 5th 2007, 8:09 pm
  #4  
Timelord
 
DrWho's Avatar
 
Joined: May 2006
Location: Lost in space...
Posts: 2,834
DrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by Womat
It might be worth your while to visit the Whirlpool Forum.
http://whirlpool.net.au/


This is the link to Whirlpool's 2006 Australian Broadband Survey:-
http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/1711
Seconded... The best place by far to find out about this stuff...
DrWho is offline  
Old May 6th 2007, 3:47 am
  #5  
BE Forum Addict
 
kevinbloomfield's Avatar
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Mountain Creek, Sunshine Coast
Posts: 1,643
kevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by rodders39
Seconded... The best place by far to find out about this stuff...
And it seems that iinet and internode often come out on top. I use internode and they are very reliable, in fact never had one problem.
kevinbloomfield is offline  
Old May 6th 2007, 4:43 am
  #6  
Timelord
 
DrWho's Avatar
 
Joined: May 2006
Location: Lost in space...
Posts: 2,834
DrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond reputeDrWho has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by kevinbloomfield
And it seems that iinet and internode often come out on top. I use internode and they are very reliable, in fact never had one problem.
And I use iiNet who are equally reliable...
DrWho is offline  
Old May 6th 2007, 5:03 am
  #7  
Gutter Gob!!
 
northernbird's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
northernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by rodders39
And I use iiNet who are equally reliable...
seconded Rodders.
northernbird is offline  
Old May 7th 2007, 1:54 pm
  #8  
I am not a troll!
 
earlneath's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Yorkshire to Melbourne (2007) Melbourne to Sydney (2008) Here to stay!
Posts: 67
earlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really nice
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by JAMIEKERRIE
Hi everybody,

I know this thread or simular has (prob) been done a hundread times before, but here goes, anyway!

I've been looking into the various broadband/digital tv/phone/bundle options in Aus on the net and like the UK, seems to be a bit of a minefield...with a few noticable differences...

* There doesn't seem to be the competition there is in the UK offering good value bundle packages, (SKY digital tv/basic broadband/home phone £26 month) about the best I could find was TELSTRA BIGPOND, BUT there is NO discount/cash incentive to have all your services in the one place, JUST free texts/minutes on mobile (hope I am correct in saying this?)

* Broadband seems to be VERY expensive compared to the UK if you want unlimited/fast downloads

* Opus appear to be a nightmare if you want to leave them!

Any comments/reconmmendations?
I went with AAPT for a month for land line and realised that their prices for calls were too high. Now I have put the landline back to telstra and have invested in a VOIP modem (voice over internet) for my outgoing calls. You plug your phone in the back of it. Works well if you have a cordless phone, less well I suppose if you have various phones plugged in all over the place. Calls are very cheap, there are different providers and if you don't mind playing about with the controls you can even specify a different provider for local calls, mobile calls and international calls. I am finding World Dial Point decent and cheap at 2.2c per minute to the UK and 8.9c for local calls, 9.9c for national calls. These prices are for calls to ordinary land lines.
Internode, the service provider also provide their own service which costs slightly more and another is PennyTel. Another interesting possibility which VOIP opens up is having a UK local number which people can use to call you from the UK. This means they only pay the price of a local call - just remind them to remember the time difference. I have not done this yet but these guys seem to offer a UK local phone number for free. If anyone tries it please let me know how you get on. More info on the Whirlpool site.

This does require a bit of an investment in setting up, but it seems worth it to me. Our landline rental is $26 a month with Telstra and for the Internet with Internode I pay $80/month for 20mb ADSL2+ with a 40gb download cap
earlneath is offline  
Old May 7th 2007, 9:47 pm
  #9  
BE Forum Addict
 
kevinbloomfield's Avatar
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Mountain Creek, Sunshine Coast
Posts: 1,643
kevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by earlneath
I went with AAPT for a month for land line and realised that their prices for calls were too high. Now I have put the landline back to telstra and have invested in a VOIP modem (voice over internet) for my outgoing calls. You plug your phone in the back of it. Works well if you have a cordless phone, less well I suppose if you have various phones plugged in all over the place. Calls are very cheap, there are different providers and if you don't mind playing about with the controls you can even specify a different provider for local calls, mobile calls and international calls. I am finding World Dial Point decent and cheap at 2.2c per minute to the UK and 8.9c for local calls, 9.9c for national calls. These prices are for calls to ordinary land lines.
Internode, the service provider also provide their own service which costs slightly more and another is PennyTel. Another interesting possibility which VOIP opens up is having a UK local number which people can use to call you from the UK. This means they only pay the price of a local call - just remind them to remember the time difference. I have not done this yet but these guys seem to offer a UK local phone number for free. If anyone tries it please let me know how you get on. More info on the Whirlpool site.

This does require a bit of an investment in setting up, but it seems worth it to me. Our landline rental is $26 a month with Telstra and for the Internet with Internode I pay $80/month for 20mb ADSL2+ with a 40gb download cap
Hi, I use that Sipgate service and I have a UK number here in Australia. Great for rellies, friends etc because they can call me at the same cost that they would pay to call me when I lived in the UK.
For outgoing calls howabout trying Engin (www.engin.com.au) they offer cheap calls (free local and national) for a fixed monthly cost. I've spoken to people who's bills were $200 a month and now are down to $40 or so.
kevinbloomfield is offline  
Old May 7th 2007, 10:45 pm
  #10  
Gutter Gob!!
 
northernbird's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
northernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond reputenorthernbird has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

I usually get a phone card from the newsagents for my calls home to those that don't use skype. Costs $10 which gives me 1000 minutes to call home and to use within 3 months, pretty cheap if you ask me.
northernbird is offline  
Old May 7th 2007, 11:31 pm
  #11  
 
Siren & Brian's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Hillarys, Perth
Posts: 3,973
Siren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond reputeSiren & Brian has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

What they said, but for everyone, dont use Bogpond as a ISP. They talk in megs for downloads rather than gigs.
Siren & Brian is offline  
Old May 22nd 2007, 1:53 pm
  #12  
I am not a troll!
 
earlneath's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Yorkshire to Melbourne (2007) Melbourne to Sydney (2008) Here to stay!
Posts: 67
earlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really niceearlneath is just really nice
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by earlneath
Internode, the service provider also provide their own service which costs slightly more and another is PennyTel. Another interesting possibility which VOIP opens up is having a UK local number which people can use to call you from the UK. This means they only pay the price of a local call - just remind them to remember the time difference. I have not done this yet but these guys seem to offer a UK local phone number for free. If anyone tries it please let me know how you get on. More info on the Whirlpool site.

This does require a bit of an investment in setting up, but it seems worth it to me. Our landline rental is $26 a month with Telstra and for the Internet with Internode I pay $80/month for 20mb ADSL2+ with a 40gb download cap
I now have sipgate working and we have a phone dedicated to receiving calls from the UK on our local UK number - people struggle to get their heads round how it works but its great as many people now are on the bundles where you pay a fixed fee per month for all your calls to UK landlines.
Pennytel (link above) have an untimed call monthly plan option which is A$5 per month. With this the price of calls to the UK and 19 other countries is fixed at 8c per call regardless of length plus you get 50 calls to UK, US, Canada and France free. That's a pretty good offer!
I have not yet signed up for this as it only costs 1.3c per minute to call a normal UK landline with them anyway, which is rather cheap!
earlneath is offline  
Old May 22nd 2007, 4:03 pm
  #13  
Banned
 
GinaUK's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Tapping (Perth)
Posts: 2,619
GinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond reputeGinaUK has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by kevinbloomfield
For outgoing calls howabout trying Engin (www.engin.com.au) they offer cheap calls (free local and national) for a fixed monthly cost.
Kevin,

the link you gave for "Engin" isn't working . I tried "engine" but that's not it either.

Could you check it please and re-post the link? Thanks.

Gina
GinaUK is offline  
Old May 22nd 2007, 5:00 pm
  #14  
Going for a ride
 
furkew's Avatar
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Monbulk, Victoria.
Posts: 2,838
furkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond reputefurkew has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by GinaUK
Kevin,

the link you gave for "Engin" isn't working . I tried "engine" but that's not it either.

Could you check it please and re-post the link? Thanks.

Gina

http://www.engin.com.au/public/index.asp
furkew is offline  
Old May 22nd 2007, 9:49 pm
  #15  
BE Forum Addict
 
kevinbloomfield's Avatar
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Mountain Creek, Sunshine Coast
Posts: 1,643
kevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond reputekevinbloomfield has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Comparing Service Providers!

Originally Posted by GinaUK
Kevin,

the link you gave for "Engin" isn't working . I tried "engine" but that's not it either.

Could you check it please and re-post the link? Thanks.

Gina
works for me!

Word of warning though - do not buy an engin series 3 box. They are based on a Netgear DG834 router and we have found them to be total crap. We are resellers for Engin and I will not sell these boxes. However the Series 1 and 2 work great. Haven't tried the others.
kevinbloomfield is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.