Best Broadband and phone?

Sarahj · 03-12-2007, 06:45 AM

Hi everyone ...

I've just arrived in Sydney and am about to settle into a new flat, but need to get telephone and broadband service set up as soon as possible. I'm hearing all sorts of horror stories about Telstra and Optus, so wondered if anyone could give me any advice on positive experience, package costs etc. Ideally no more commitment than 12 months, although 24 months would be doable if pushed!

Thanks a mil!

Sarah

**calNgary** · 03-12-2007, 07:19 AM

Telstra and optus are the big 2 and so you hear more of them.Its only lately smaller companys have started offering the same services,personally ive used Telstra since arriving and have Bigpond broadband and not had any problems ,their helpline is great and staff can understand you !! Optus dont offer broadband in all areas,even telstra cant cover some areas so its not always a case of who is cheapest.I would ask around and see who the main provider seems to be for the area your in,hope this helps a bit
Cal x

The Broughtons · 03-12-2007, 08:28 PM

Hi,

We got our phone line with Telstra - the absolute cheapest package you could get. We then signed up for broadband with iinet and got their voice over internet package for an extra $9.95 a month. This means we plug a phone line through our modem and make phonecalls through the broadband rather than pay through telstra. It works out a heck of a lot cheaper - especially ringing the UK, I was on the phone to home for about 20 minutes and it only cost 80c. The only downside is if I want to ring anyone that does the 'now press 3' style phone answering, I have to unplug the phones and dial out via my telstra line.

Check out iinet online (if you can get online anywhere) for a better idea on what they offer.

Felicity

fairbloodydinkum · 07-01-2008, 06:01 AM

current optus deal we have is fast unlimited broadband...telephone calls and line rental all in one..
$100 a month...nothing more to pay...

beats having two accounts coming in..and saves a fortune..

Life on easy street · 07-01-2008, 06:49 AM

Unfortunately there is a lack of real competition in the phone industry in Australia.
So they charge what they like and care very little about the service they provide.

At least that is my experience so far with Australian Phone industry

If Optus broadband is anything like their mobile phone service I would not touch
Optus .

fairbloodydinkum · 07-01-2008, 07:20 AM

yes, must agree with you there...as long as it's all running ok..life is good..untill you get a problem...then you will need a lot of patience trying to get through to techies..and this is not just optus..but bigpond and others...
and thats only if you get someone that speaks english of course..and are not sitting on some island somewhere that reads their instructions by the numbers......ask them something out of the ordinary..and they haven't a clue what your on about half the time...but even complaining about it..the answer is 'equal opportunity..'

Quoll · 07-01-2008, 08:00 AM

I am with Optus for mobile and a local cable - Transact - for broadband and landline.

I would be thinking about 3 as an option if I only needed central urban areas - they seem to have some good facilities and I do like their usb broadband option especially if you are likely to move around in the next year or so, until you get really settled.

We rarely use our landline phone any more - we can generally get by with the mobile and keep under the cap especially if we use the international cards or skype for calls home.

Curlysoo · 13-01-2008, 01:18 AM

Isnt Skype the cheapest way of making calls back to the UK .. with them being free?

Dont know cheapest broadband supplier, but sister in law is with Foxtel for cable tv and BigPond for her ISP.

The Picketts · 13-01-2008, 12:16 PM

I am with Telstra for the phone and have Bigpond broadband and apart from some teething troubles installing my own modem have had no problems. Found the technical helpers very friendly and patient. I use Skype which is free but only to others who are also Skype registered otherwise you can use it to call landlines/mobiles but you have to put credit on your account - the calls are still very cheap. I also buy Oz-call vouchers at the newsagents etc where you dial a local number, put in a PIN number then the number to be dialled - I find this the cheapest and easiest way to call landlines in the UK and NZ - I don't have to sit at my computer to make the call and have a conversation that anyone else can hear!!

I hear Virgin have set up a phone/broadband package but unfortunately this isn't available where I live yet. Hopefully when my two year contract with Bigpond is up I will have more choice in the market place.

Cheryl

5immo · 01-02-2008, 08:57 AM

I have just signed to virgin. $60 a month for broadband and phone line with free national and local calls. Its also a wireless box and works like a mobile phone as you dont actually plug it in a phone socket. Its not the greatest speed etc but at that price i cant complain, not good if you like downloading music etc but great for emails and stuff.