mobile networks

[twinkletoes35]

Hi all

 

I have been looking at mobile networks in oz and I sort of find it a little baffling from pay as you go to pre pay's to contracts, own phone to getting a new handset, can anyone give me an idiots guide?? lol

 

thanks

 

TT xx

[Guest guest33730]

Hi all

 

I have been looking at mobile networks in oz and I sort of find it a little baffling from pay as you go to pre pay's to contracts, own phone to getting a new handset, can anyone give me an idiots guide?? lol

 

thanks

 

TT xx

 

It would take a bit of time to try to explain it all TT, however my suggestion would be to get your UK phone unlocked (they HAVE to do this for you if you tell them you are moving overseas). Then when you land, go into a phone shop (we went to vodaphone) and get a prepaid sim which will keep you going until you have worked out who gives the best coverage in your area and which contract will suit you best.

 

Hope that helps

 

Daniel

[Guest ver]

Prepaid sim is a simcard for the phone that you top up. Increments vary but:

 

for example I'm on telstra $40 prepaid sim. This means I top up every month $40 (from buying topups from various outlets, or via credit/debit card) There is no contract as such but the $40 expires in a month and then you top up again. Included in this $40 is a 'bonus' of $260 that will be a combination of calls and texts. So in theory I have $300 to 'use' on calls and texts. So that is a prepaid sim.

 

I suggest this is a decent way of getting acquanted with the way mobile networks work here. I think better deals are when you go for a contract with BYO (Bring Your Own) so its 12month contract with a monthly payment of X amount but you get a better bonus (more $ bonus and a better data plan - ie internet use which can vary from 150mb upwards) However you will need several forms of ID and utility bills etc. All of which I don't have.

 

I think the big players in Melbourne are Telstra, Optus and then you have 3/Virgin in that order of heirarchy. So telstra is the best signal etc.

 

Now hope this makes sense so far.....

 

For me mobile internet and browsing is important to me so I went with a $40 prepaid that gives me 300mb and the $260 bonus in the month. Out of my paid $40 I can purchase plus packs. Each plus pack can have a variety of options - more data, calls, texts, international calls etc. So I can 'buy' these packs that come out of my $40 so thats a handy benefit.

 

Hope this helps

[Quoll]

Check out http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/ for the low down on providers and packages.

 

It really does depend on where you live and what use you will want to make of your phone. If you are going out in the mulga then Helstra (oops Telstra) is the one to opt for but it is quite a bit more expensive than some of the others. If you never leave the metropolis then 3 is a good bet but as soon as you set foot outside the city and need roaming then big charges can come in. You may find that you get your mobile as part of a landline/broadband/tv type package - depends on where you live

 

Personally I have Virgin - uses the Optus towers so reasonably good coverage except in areas that I go to where nobody has coverage and reasonable service with readable bills.

 

I second the imperative to get your phones unlocked BEFORE you leave UK (you can usually find someone who will do it at very little cost if your provider wont do it for you free) because getting them unlocked in Aus is nigh on impossible.

[twinkletoes35]

we are moving to Townsville, North Queensland so if anyone knows anything about the coverage there would be most grateful TTxx

[Guest]

Townsville has good coverage from all the major networks, Telstra, Optus, Virgin, Vodafone. You can pick up 3G in most areas, the further out you go the weaker it gets.

Mobile phone coverage across North Queensland can be really quite local, go 20 kms outside Townsville and you won't get anything at all....but to be fair hardly anything lives 20 kms outside Tvl anyway.

I am still using the quick and easy option of pay as you go Vodafone, cost about $100 for the phone, sim card and some credit from Woolies when we first landed. It works fine and is quick and simple, and you will need a contact number for loads of reasons when you get here, not a big fan of mobiles anyway so it works for me, costs about $30 per month (if that) for 'i'm gonna be late, put my tea in the dog' type texts and local phonecalls to see if anywhere is open long enough to want to sell stuff to me.

We also went for Vodafone 3G for the laptop with a similiar setup when we got here...quick, simple but not overly effective. It worked to keep us in touch tho.

Much debate about the best deals etc, as there is in UK, but consensus seems to be that Optus/Virgin have the better coverage as you get slightly more rural....bear in mind it doesnt take much to be very rural round here

 

Ignore the hint of cynicism, don't read anything in to it... i actually love the place