That is so right.

When I'm at home I download quadzillions of gigs a month.
[Well, not really - but it seems like it at times ]

I have an ADSL plan that covers that.

On the road, just do a bit of banking, check the emails, and have an occasional very short "surf" to catch up on whats going on around the ridges.

Not much at all, and as you say, buying what you want as needed handles that quite well for a reasonable price.

Better things to do on the road than spend endless hours net surfing.

All excellent points people and I respect your right to choose whomever you want for your provider...I personally do and its not Telstra...to save confusion I will start another thread..."Who has the best broadband internet packages"...and those that have strong opinions can post there.

But for those that have currently for various reasons got Telstra Wireless this post is important and will in most cases save you money so I recommend you look at your options now...

For instance my sister has to have Wireless and Telstra was her only real option and she pays $89.95 a month...this will save her $40 and no contract...she is already off contract.

Firstly please note that TELSTRA and BIGPOND are two competing entities.

Whilst they are both part of Telstra they are not the same.

Bigpond have reduced their prices but Telstra havent.

I am on a 5gig $89 a month with TELSTRA.

When I enquired about swapping to BIGPOND to lower my costs I was told I had to have a 24 month contract to get it.

Maybe the lady will be lucky and not have to get a contract. Good luck.

I was merely pointing out that even with the reduced price they are still not very competitve but if its all you can get I guess you have to put up with it.

Cheers

Graham,
How do you get a Telstra broadband plan, because when I go to Telstra homepage and click on Internet the only info available is about Bigpond plans.
Similarly if you go to Bigpond then the recently reduced price plans actually require you to have a Telstra home phone plus one other service and you have to have one single bill for all services.

Same animal, different spots, same crap service!

Ray.

Sorry hb123 but you are incorrect. The new plans and prices apply to both telstra and bigpond.If you are a new customer you can get it on a 12mth contract,but if you are an existing customer you are stuck with your 24mth contract until it expires.Telstra uses blue usb dongles and bigpond white ones.I also bought an external aeriel that joined to apatch lead that greatly increases your speed and range.Very good when you're travelling in your caravan. It will cost you approx. $90-100

That's interesting Billy the Kid - "Telstra uses blue usb dongles and bigpond white ones."
My USB dongle is white on top - Bigpond label, blue underneath - Telstra Next G label. Paying $30 a month for 1GB, combined bill - Broadband, Home Line, Mobile.

Aha you have to know the secret handshake

You access it from the mobile page.

Telstra sell it as browsing packs and you get a sim card that you can use in a phone or a modem.
Just to confuse the issue completely I use a TELSTRA sim card in an unlocked BIGPOND modem.
The Bigpond USB modems usually have the Bigpond logo on them and have different software to the Telstra ones.
Mine has a different mobile number and I just connect and away it goes. No logon needed.
Its strange cos if you go into a Telstra shop they will sell you Bigpond and dont usually know about Telstra internet.

I also had a PCMCIA modem that was Telstra.

As you say Same s*** different bucket

There's been a few comments here about telstra screwing us because they're the only option outside of capitol cities....

Just remember that these towers outside of the capitol cities, out in the small towns, communities, and what-not that the other wireless internet providers don't provide to (eg vodafone, 3, optus) cost money. They don't magically fall from the sky and they need to be paid for. A network as geographically large as telstras costs money to establish, and maintain, and if you are their customer you're paying for it. The cost isn't compulsory, its just a case of if you want the service, thats the fee.

People who use telstra in town, and don't travel beyond the city limits are subsidising the bush to a degree.

Sean

You make some good points Sean.

I think people are very quick to criticise Telstra, but what we conveniently forget is the "tyranny of distance" that Australia experiences.

Here we are in a continent around the size of mainland USA and with only a bit over 20 million people in it.

Yet some people expect us to have the same system and prices as they do in the States where they have over 300 million people to bear the cost of infrastructure.

Its the same with our roads - we only have so many tax payers to fund them.

I believe for the size of the continent and the population we are well served in most areas of our life.

Crazyhorse
thanks for posting the link. I can only get wireless here and was on the 5 gig @ $90 with bigpond, so swapped today to 3 gig for $50, you have saved me $40 a month. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post the link to this forum.