totally o t wire less broadband

All depends on where you live. Have a look at this SITE it might be of some assistance to you.

This is a very hot topic at the moment have a read at this link

http://newsletters.fairfax.com.au/cgi-bin16/DM/y/eBSz70QTwQN0JhK0Ps8x0Ei

Hi Al,
I have done this exercise a hundred times now but every time balk at the costs involved. You have to buy a modem for the computer (about $300) then sign up at the cheapest rate @$77 per month. For that, you get the slowest speed and the smallest download possible. This means you would be paying excesses every month. The above link will give you the latest costs but from my point of view its just unjustifiably expensive.
Steve

If you are only after moderate broadband usage then get the Virgin broadband and home phone deal. $60 a month and you get a little black box that is totally independent of the Big T.

Gives you 4 Gig of data per month at up to 512Kb/s speed (faster than dial up but slower than ADSL) as well as unlimited (within reason) local and STD phone calls anywhere in Australia. You plug your home phone handset into it and they give you a land line number.

It works using the Optus GSM network so if you are in the footprint of that network you can get it. It is no cost to start as long as you sign up for 24 months.

I got a mate onto it. He has just moved into a rental apartment and is moving again soon. Suits him great. It is certainly not the fastest internet but is way quicker than dial-up.

This is a market area that will see lots more vendors and product over the next year or so. Telstra have a competitive product but charge $$$$ for it.

Cheers
Muddy

Al
No 1 why would you say the subject is O T , If not for Internet connection you would not be using ExplorOz,

No 2 Phantom is 100% wrong,
Go to the Bigpond Wireless on the Net, Look at the Modem prices and the Plan rates,
Modem $249 , needs 240v, I use a 12v to 240v inverter
Mobile cards are dearer,
Plans for Relocatable Wireless Broadband

.

Up here in Leigh Creek I am on the 3G network with Bigpond for wireless broadband.
$249 for the modem and $49 a month for 1GB

It runs off 240 to a 12 volt plugpack so with a quick mod I can use it off my 12 volt camper battery.

cheers

It all depends on your needs!

If you use the net for email, banking, bit of news and so on 256/64 & 1GB is ample...

But if you want to pirate software, DVD's look at Pron and such like dubious pastimes - well you pays the price :-)

It's a bit sad that as soon as somebody mentions Wireless broadband to replace a phone line, all the answers are about Telstra Next G.

There are other wireless plans from Internet service providers, try http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/

and search for Wireless broadband.

Last time I looked, coverage was improving but costs were still higher than ADSL plus line rental, but portable when moving house, as long as the new place is in coverage.

The latest offering in the news today is naked ADSL, should be available Q1 next year. You get a line which has no phone number/dial tone but has ADSL signal. Should save a bit per month.

If you have broadband internet connection, all you need to do to get phone calls is a Skype account for VOIP - we are using this in our office, and like you our home line is hardly used so we are about to cancel our home line and only use the VOIP. We can still have a "home phone number" you simply have an assigned Skype-in number so you still give people your number as a 10 digit phone number (std codes + 8 digit number) and you can still receive calls using a normal phone handset if you wish, or pickup on your computer (using a headset seems to work best), or use a bluetooth earpiece/or headset. To make a call you need to use your computer and access the Skype console you'll get on your desktop but you can setup your PDA if you require more mobility with the handset for making a call just as easily. Skype is widespread so calls between Skype users are free, or the longdistance Skype STD rate is around .2 cents a minute. Seems to be the way to go. By the way, Skype is just one option for VOIP - its also available via iPrimus and various other broadband IPS. hope this helps.

Hows it going Al,

I think I read your post differently to others.

If you are in the right area you can get cable broadband wired to your house while not having a 'phone line'. I have a separate line for each of them .The guy that installed it said it runs Foxtel as well ,something I dont have.

Hope this helps.

Glenn.

Search Google about Naked DSL. Means no need to pay full phoneline rental. I think iinet and internode are about to offer this service for the exact reason you are asking about. Check the Whirlpool broadband forums

Cheers

tez