Telstra or Optus

Submitted: Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:04
ThreadID: 65901 Views:2513 Replies:12 FollowUps:17
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Hello,

We are about to head to SA and do the coast then head straight up to Perth and do the West coast all the way up to the top end. Which network is the best to go with? Optus or Telstra Next G? Thanks heaps
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Reply By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:11

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:11
Telstra Next G will give you the most coverage.

Cheers Kev
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:26

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:26
Second that Only Telstra unfortunately
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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:29

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:29
Hi Bug
Telstra Next G. Good coverage past Ceduna.

Cheers

Stephen
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Reply By: Ianw - Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:39

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:39
Optus wont work past Pt Augusta
Ian
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Reply By: Tadooch - Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:48

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:48
I agree with the others, and in these times its good to keep your hard earned in Australia, in lieu of sending it to Singapore...go Telstra.
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Reply By: gjcumming - Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:54

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:54
Hello Bug.

I have a Samsung 412 blue tick (regional) on Telstra Next G.

Wife has Nokia on Optus.

Took both Around WA.

Telstra Next G 10 times more service than Optus.

Even Telstra drops out when leaving populated areas though.

Found Next G service when near Aboriginal communities.

Optus only in major towns.

Regards: Grant
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Reply By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:57

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 21:57
Bug,

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I would like to ask a related question- my apologies.

I am off to NZ on Friday. Will my Telstra Next G phone work there ?

thanks ,

Willie.
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Follow Up By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 00:35

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 00:35
Yes it will, but it will run on the GSM network in NZ.
Fred
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Follow Up By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 00:37

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 00:37
Sorry, forgot to add.. you need to have global roaming BEFORE you go to NZ
Fred
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Follow Up By: Member - Heather G (NSW) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 06:57

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 06:57
Yes, global roaming has to be enabled - by phoning Telstra, if it is not already enabled (you will need to have a spare few hours free to do this Lol). It is very expensive to make and receive calls, so beware.
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Follow Up By: stevesub - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 09:54

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 09:54
Buy a pre-paid sim card when you get there - much cheaper than using your OZ phone - believe me. I have a pre-paid NZ sim for when I am there 3 times a year for work.

You do not have the ID hassles to buy a sim there either, just walk in, pay your $$ and walk out- no ID reqd unless they have changed the rules over the last 6 months.

Get the sim from Vodafone as Telecom NZ still runs a CDMA network.

Stevesub
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Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 12:43

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 12:43
Fred, Heather and Steve,

Thankyou all for your info - I will take the Nokia and the charger with me. I will do what Steve suggested and buy a pre-paid sim card.

Fred, do you do any fishing up there ? I used to go barra fishing twice a year before I retired - great times !

Cheers,

Willie.
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Follow Up By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:09

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:09
Hi Willie,
so long as the crocs stay out of my brew, I'll stay out of their water. Haven't done any fishing since leaving the navy at the end of '79. I have seen too many crocs that are bigger than most "tinnies" out there. So I stick to what I enjoy most, 4WD'n, maps & navigation and flying radio control models of about 2mtrs in wingspan.
Fred
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Reply By: Rangiephil - Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 22:05

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 at 22:05
I saw an article in the paper last week that Vodaphone gets access to the Telstra Next G network in April 2009.
But of course you need a next G phone. Mine comes off contract in May so I may look at the Vodaphone plans.
Regard sPhilip A
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Reply By: TerraFirma - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:46

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 14:46
Unfortunately there is no option other than Telstra Next G.

A word of warning for all buyers purchasing a 3G or Next G phone. You must buy a Telstra version of the phone to use with Next G otherwise you will not get access to all of the frequencies required to gain maximum coverage. Do not buy an imported phone or a non Telstra phone otherwise you will be rudely surprised. The reason for this is that Telstra use their own frequencies and they are not enabled on a non Telstra phone.

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Follow Up By: get outmore - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:53

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 15:53
not neccessarily true
dont know all the details but 3 and i think whoever there in partnershops hutchinsen vodaphone or whoever will be on the next G network as of a few months time

dont believe all you hear but i was told the only places you wont get next G on your next G 3 phone will be if the telstra tower is privatly owned like some minesite towers
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Follow Up By: TerraFirma - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 16:10

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 16:10
Sorry you must have a Telstra version of a phone to get all the Next G frequencies, that is the fact. For example you can buy a HTC Touch Diamond from Hong Kong and it will work with a Telstra Next G Sim but not get coverage in all areas. The Telstra version of the same phone gets coverage virtually everywhere.

Secondly this is not a case of don't believe what you hear, this is fact. I have tested this and it is fact. Non Telstra phones do not support 850Mhz which is required to get coverage outside of metro areas.

Hope you understand "Get Out More"
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Follow Up By: get outmore - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 16:57

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 16:57
I think you will find when the Next G network gets opened to 3rd party providors you should have no problems walking into a 3 or vodaphone shop and picking up a multiband including 850mhz phone

the latest 3 modems I am led to believe are already capable of picking up 850mhz

when the deal goes through and with the right simcard Telstra should not be the only option for truly mobile broad band .

by dont believe all you hear i mean all of my info is from "3" dealers
as is always the case the fine print needs to be seen to see if everything is going to be as good and as cheap as they have been telling me
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Follow Up By: get outmore - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 17:07

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 17:07
as for getting phones from OS to work on next G

AFAIK telstra set up the next g with a unique frequency no where else used. This is what resulted in the poor choice of handset initially and very crappy quality.

This was a boom for telstra as the ZTE phones were dieng by the truckload. they would not provide any service or warranty on them.
This left people needing a phone service they were locked into a 2 year contract with no other option than to........................................... buy another ZTE phone.

My missus had several die and took them into Telstra shops. they wouldnt touch them, best they would do is offer $20 off another one.

initially telstra offered the ZTE phones on 2 year plans only no pre paid. During this period they were replacing phones that died but as soon a phones were able to be bought outright all exchanges/loan phones/warranty stopped
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Follow Up By: TerraFirma - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:15

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:15
Yes well aware the network is opening up in the future but right now it hasn't. At this point 3 phones do not support 850mhz, so once again you must buy a Telstra version of the phone if you want Next G. If you buy an Optus Iphone it will not support Next G, whereas the Telstra Iphone does. So until we have the network opened officially, you "must" buy a Telstra version of the phone of your choice.
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:15

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:15
You can at the moment by unlocked phones which work on either network

I bought a Nokia 6120 which is unlocked and actually came in a Telstra box all sealed up and all. This is an 850mhz Next G model
The Optus equiv is the Nokia 6121 which is a 900mhz optus Next G eqiv.
However some Nokia N95's have both the frequencies in them as my son bought one 2 weeks ago.
Unique Mobiles in Brisbane sell these in various configurations.
I emiled them and asked which model was Telstra next G and which was Optus (Vodafone) and the reply was that the N 95 was both.

It does pay however to ask.

As far as using your phone in NZ BUY a SIM as if you use your Aussie sim over there it works like this.
You ring a number down the road in NZ the call goes from your phone to Australia then back to NZ to the local number.
Something to do with charging. At least that was what I was told when I queried the horriific charges.
And it gets charged both ways on the one call.







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Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:54

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:54
"The Optus equiv is the Nokia 6121 which is a 900mhz optus Next G eqiv. "

The Optus Network has nowhere near the coverage area of the Telstra Next G network - even the Optus coverage maps in the Internet make that very clear.
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 19:47

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 19:47
I fully realise that
However the two phones are identical except for the fact that one has the 850mhz and the other has the 900mhz which is why I stated that it was the equivalent model.
Nothing was mentioned about coverage being equal.
I think we are all aware of that discrepancy.




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Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:58

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 18:58
HTC make two versions of the Touch Dual.

If you buy the non-Telstra version (USB socket on the side) you will not be able to access the 850MHZ NextG network and you will be limited to GSM network limited coverage.

The Telstra version has the USB socket at the bottom under a big rubber cover.



AnswerID: 348768

Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 19:01

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 19:01
I wouldn't believe any promises by sales that the phone will have 850MHz coverage - remember, these are the same people promising that your phone will access a satellite once it's out of range of a tower !!!

Get it in writing on the contract !

AnswerID: 348769

Reply By: robertbruce - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 21:19

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 21:19
The telstra 7.2 modem is the way to go... Ive travell/worked for two years with the fullsized testra plug-in modems and never not being able to connect...
AnswerID: 348786

Reply By: Kumunara (NT) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 21:24

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 21:24
Bug



Unfortunately Telstra is the way you will have to go. They have far better coverage outside the metro area than optus

Telstra is one of the worst companies I have dealt with.




Tjilpi
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Follow Up By: Member - George (WA) - Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 21:43

Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 at 21:43
I will second that. absolutely hopeless when you want service. Cheers
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Follow Up By: bug - Wednesday, Feb 18, 2009 at 17:13

Wednesday, Feb 18, 2009 at 17:13
Thank you everyone for your help. Such a shame we have to use Telstra as we have found them to be the worst company to deal with. Their customer service is horrible.
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