Unwired is the only mobile provider to offer a non-cellular network. This puts it at a distinct disadvantage – where established providers such as Telstra and Optus have an existing cell network, Unwired has to rely on WiMax-like technology.

In the future this should mean higher speeds at longer distances, but for now the reality is underwhelming. Unwired claims excellent coverage in urban areas and speeds “up to” 1Mb/s, but in our speed tests it was unacceptably slow, averaging just 24Kb/s in our download test and 22Kb/s in our uploads test. These may still be faster than dial-up, but only just, and it was slow enough to make checking email or running Google Docs infuriatingly slow.

Your choice of hardware is fairly wide, but you have to pay for it. The chunky ethernet modem we tested with costs $129, and its USB-only counterpart costs the same. Those looking for more portability can opt for a $59 PC Card.

If speed is unimpressive, at least Unwired’s data plans are well-priced. Its higher-capacity plans are particularly attractive – its top-end, 30GB plan costs $100 per month, some ten times less than Telstra’s (admittedly faster) 30GB plan. Unwired is also the only provider here to allow a choice of download speeds, starting at 256Kb/s and going up to 1Mb/s.

While you might not see these speeds, Unwired offers a seven-day money-back guarantee, as well as the option to try its service at your address before plonking down your credit card. If you’re thinking about choosing Unwired, we wholeheartedly recommend trying it first.

Unwired also offers a number of more flexible plans than the 3G providers. For instance, you can buy a $169 “starter kit”, which includes a modem and a seven-day broadband voucher including 200MB data. After that you can buy vouchers which expire after seven, 15, 25, 45 of 75 days, with data capacities of 400MB, 1GB, 3GB, 6GB and 10GB respectively, all at a download speed of up to 512Kb/s and an upload speed of 128Kb/s. These plans could be useful if you’re an intermittent internet user – the 75 day plan works out at just over $1.30 per day.

But for most, Unwired is a little ahead of its time – it currently doesn’t match the coverage of 3G networks. And, even where there’s a decent signal, our tests suggest it won’t provide anything like the speed needed for satisfying browsing. It might be good value, but for now, 3G rules the roost.