Read details on affordable access to wireless broadband, and Australia's future high-speed WiMAX network.
Unwired has announced a pre-paid broadband Internet service that will be made available on the 21st of June.
The service provides access speeds, download caps and pricing similar to Unwired’s lower tier Internet plans. Recharge vouchers (which work in the same way as prepaid mobile phone vouchers) are available in steps from $9.95 to $99.95, with the more expensive vouchers providing more days of access time and greater download caps. A 100MB Unwired mailbox is included.
The maximum quoted speeds for all recharge vouchers are 320K downstream and 64K upstream, which are all shaped to 32K downstream and 32k upstream when the included download allowance has been reached.
If you already have an Unwired modem and wish to start using the service, you won’t be able to simply grab a prepaid voucher and hit the web. You’ll need to buy a prepaid Internet pack which includes an Ethernet modem and seven day voucher for $196.
Unwired did not rule out other modem styles eventually being made available, however confirmed that for the time being Ethernet modems were the only option available in the prepaid packs.
When asked about future support for WiMAX and if customers would be able to use the forthcoming networking technology to connect directly to the Unwired network without proprietary modems, a spokesman for Unwired responded: “We anticipate that the introduction of WiMAX-enabled chips will ultimately supersede the need for a modem. In the future we see Pre-paid being a big part of the way customers will pay for wireless broadband with the introduction of WiMAX devices.”
Both prepaid Vouchers and starter kits will be available from selected retail outlets including 7-Eleven, Video-Ezy and Mobil.
Unwired Pre-paid Vouchers
| Cost |
Access Days |
Download Cap |
| $9.95 |
7 |
150MB |
| $19.95 |
15 |
400MB |
| $34.95 |
25 |
700MB |
| $59.95 |
45 |
1.3GB |
| $99.95 |
75 |
2.5GB |