Mobile phone tariffs
 

So, just arrived in Oz, and quickly discovering that mobile costs are more than in the UK! I bought my HTC Wildfire new, unlocked, and got a sim ony deal with Three that gave me 300 mins calls, several thousand texts, and 2GB of data.

I'm currently living in Griffith, NSW, so pretty out of the way. Coverage as ever is important but so is data use. I don't actually make many calls or send many texts, I do use the web (BBC News etc), Twitter, email, and the like. Back home I generally used between 800mb-1gb data per month, but I also had a work email account which I don't now.

I had planned on using my Wildfire here, so I brought it with me, but I now understand that Telstra at least have this thing called "Next G" and my phone is no longer supported as of a week ago. I'd happily buy a new phone (htc desire c) but that's $229 I currently can't really afford. Had I known though I would have left my old phone at home and sold it on eBay...

Any suggestions? (Don't say iPhone). Good tariffs? Good providors to look at? Telstra seem to be the biggest, but that doesn't necessarily mean best...

Cheers

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

Well living where you do they almost certainly would be the best...particularly if a decent data connection is important.

Unfortunately they are always the most expensive...and things that every other carrier includes, like international SMS, are always extra on top of cap plans.

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

Have a look at Optus. Not sure of this coverage where you are, but I have payg. Was 30 dollars to recharge it, got 5gb of data and after the recharge, my available balance was over 450 dollars.

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

I've just signed up with liveconnected...$11.99 per month, comes with decent talk text and data. In real terms, much cheaper than the UK.

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

If you live and travel outside the major cities then Telstra is really your only viable option - coverage by the others is poor to non-existent.

My 2-year-old Wildfire works fine on Telstra, so I'm not sure what your problem is.

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

I'm coming to the unfortunate conclusion that Telstra is the way to go - but only for the coverage. Other tariffs on other operators are more attractive, but out here in the sticks I don't want to break down on some back road and have no phone signal...

The problem with the phone is apparently to do with Telstra's "Next G". I have don't a little reading up and I still don't fully understand. It is something to do with frequencies. Something to do with 2100/850 - both of which the Wildfire supports. I think basically the person in the shop is briefed in what to tell people, rather than being 100% tech savvy and able to precisely advise customers.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/627147
http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-pho...ion/earlier3g/

This page http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/net...heck-imei.html lets you put in your IMEI number and it lets you know if your phone is NextG compatible. Apparently my Wildfire is not, despite the fact that it does support the 850 band that NextG works on... perhaps I just need to get a sim or try my wife's new sim in my phone and see what happens.

Really rather confused.... :confused:

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

Mine is the same age. Are you able to check exactly the type of connection you have? (Go to your phone settings / about phone / status / mobile network type).

When I tried my wife's brand new "NextG" sim (and also my mother in law's) in my phone it said I had only an Edge connection (i.e. poor, only marginally better than 2G, let alone 3G or better). I would be interested to see what you get & where you are getting it.

Cheers

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

I have NextG card which works in my Iphone 3GS fine. I put $30 a month credit on it. I don't call on it much as the rates are high. But I can do plenty of texts and use the data for calls and browsing and it last until the period expires rather than I run out.

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

Hi. The NextG sim "works" (apologies for use of quote marks!) in my phone too. The problem is that is does not give a full fast data connection. So yes your sim works too, but are you able to check exactly what kind of data connection you have?

I have now gone for an Optus prepay SIM. The coverage is not quite as good as Telstra, but it is a great deal (for me). My Optus Prepaid Social $30/month gives me 250 minutes of calls and this includes international back to the UK and 22 other countries. Perfect for quick calls home. It also includes unlimited eBay and Twatter (both of which I use), unlimited calls to other Optus phone (else it comes out of my 250mins allowance) and unlimited SMS. Also none of this NextG mess - the sim gives me a fast HSDPA connection straight off.

Cheers for all the replies :)

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

I got Telstra because I work on FIFO and it gives the best signal, and OPTUS doesn't work even in my house just on the outskirts of Perth.
I don't know what you mean with the internet settings The 'About' section doesn't have anywhere where it says the data connection type I don't think.

It says network - Telstra Mobile
Line - Telstra
Carrier - Telstra 12.0
Version 5.1.1 (9B206)
Modem Firmware - 05.16.05

In all honesty i'm not sure what you mean, but I would be grateful if I could get a bit of info on here I can find this. I am looking at getting a new phone in the next couple of weeks.

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

I use Amaysim - you can get the SIM in Woolies for $2 - which is pay as you use: reasonable rates and if you use it as little as I do they don't debit your account and hold it over 'till the next month. Data is $10 per Gb but I rarely use it so don't credit the account with that.

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

It would be an interesting exercise to compare the NextG speeds with HSDPA in a rural area like Griffith. So see if you can find someone or get hold of a phone allegedly connected to NextG and compare in the same locale with yours @..... http://www.speedtest.net/mobile.php

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

I'd be wary of reading too much into speedtest results.

Since my 3 service moved to Vodafone infrastructure the performance has significantly degraded. Yet speedtest consistently reports download around 5Mbps...meanwhile I can barely browse simple web pages without painfully long waits with seemingly nothing happening. This is a repeatable result with various devices, OSs etc - the only constant is VF.

I can only assume they prioritise speedtest.net traffic on their backhaul!?

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

I've just tried my Pennytel sim, which piggy backs on Vodafone and got 1 Mb down and 312 up. Which seems fine for streaming youtube video and listening to spotify. I've not had an issue thus far.

35 bucks per month, unlimited calls and texts within Aus and 5 gigs of data PMonth.... I access my home Pennytel account to make free calls to the UK... and would be able to call 70 other countries free if I wished. My Pennytel home account costs me 18 bucks per month and runs on top of my IInet Naked plan.

Re: Mobile phone tariffs
 

I've signed all my family up with these - runs off Optus. Very please with them and so much cheaper than Virgin:thumbup: