As we've reported previously, prepaid broadband is a good option if the idea of a 24-month contract puts you off. While Telstra is just one of the players in the market, and a pricey one at that, their network coverage leads the field.
Telstra has announced a new modem for pre-paid wireless customers, costing $179 for speeds typical speeds of 550Kbps to 3Mbps. There's also a non-Turbo modem which costs $129.
Both modems come with $10 of included credit, which won't get you far, but what's getting some attention are some pre-Christmas offers, including 1GB of bonus data if you activate the service before December 31. Telstra also promises customers can double their data alllowance if they recharge $40 or more before December 31 2009.
Telstra's recharge prices are high in comparison to the competition. You'll need to spend $80 for 3.5GB if you want to get the most out of social networking, photo uploads and the occasional viewing of YouTube videos. Spending $50 will get you a paltry 625MB.
While this mightn't be a concern if network coverage is your main priority, it's worth also keeping in mind that not all Telstra wireless modem speeds are alike. New pre-paid modems will have typical download speeds of 550kbps to 3Mbps, compared with up to 8Mbps for the BP Elite modem.
Costs compared
It's worth keeping in mind that Telstra do have the largest network and so their coverage areas will provide the best access. City slickers might not care, but some rural residents will ultimately see prepaid as a blessing, no matter how expensive the prices may seem.
To put the costs in perspective: 3.5GB will cost you significantly less at other ISPs. Dodo charge $40 for 3GB, Virgin charge $50 for the same, but with 60 days to use it, and Optus and Vodafone all hover around the $50 mark for similar amounts of data.
Telstra:
150MB/ $20/ 30 days
225MB/ $30/ 30 days
300MB/ $40/ 30 days
625MB/ $50/ 30 days
750MB/ $60/ 30 days
3.5GB/ $80/ 30 days
6GB/ $100/ 30 days
Dodo:
3GB/ $40/ 60 days
7GB/ $70/ 90 days
Virgin:
1GB/ $30/ 30 days
3GB/ $50/ 60 days
6GB/ $100/ 90 days
Three
2GB/ $29 / 30 days
4GB / $49 / 30 days
12GbGb/ $149/ 12 months
Vodafone
500MB/ $19/ 30 days
1GB/ $29/ 30 days
3GB/ $49/ 30days
Optus:
1GB/ $30/ 30 days
2Gb/ $40/ 30 days
3GB/ $50/ 30 days
6GB/ $100/ 60 days
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