Mobile phone coverage

Looking for a new phone/plan and currently have a Telstra Next G.
Im sure this may have been asked previously and had search but nothing helpful popped up.

Are there any other networks that offer the same Australia wide coverage or better without going for Sat phone or do I need to be stuck with Telstra?

cheers


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Reply By: snow - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 15:46

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 15:46
Not in my experience, unfortunately.
AnswerID: 421979

Reply By: Cruiser 2091 - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 15:59

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 15:59
Telstra has the best phone coverage however there are many places even on main highways where you wont get reception.
If you want reliable communication anywhere in Australia then. you turn to HF radio
Best regards
AnswerID: 421982

Reply By: Goldfind (Dunsborough) - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 16:09

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 16:09
Clanky
Telstra is the best, but you will only get reception within a certain distance from a main town site, If you are travelling through Oz and need a bit better reception, you will need a large external antenna (about a metre long)and also you need a phone with an external plug to take the antenna. Not all phones have this plug.
Even with the antenna you will not get reception wherever you go. For instance Karijini is very difficult, I had to hunt around for a high spot to get intermitant reception
Wayne H
AnswerID: 421984

Reply By: Clanky - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 16:18

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 16:18
Thanks for the replies, and your all your thoughts are along the same lines as mine.
I just wanted to see if there was a competitor to haggle a better deal.

CHeers


AnswerID: 421987

Follow Up By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 18:30

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 18:30
You will need a Telstra Next G phone with a Blue Tick, and an antenna to get coverage in more remote areas and then it is only about 40/50kms from a Tower.

Pedro
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FollowupID: 692368

Follow Up By: Clanky - Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 11:24

Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 11:24
Is there any particular 'Blue Tick' phone models I should look for, or stay away from? Yes, I will be getting an external antenna

Thanks for all the replies, they have been very helpful
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FollowupID: 692439

Follow Up By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 12:36

Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 12:36
Blue Tick are only issued by Telstra.
Check out this linkInfo on Blue Tick phones

I have the T165 which was superceded by the T165i . I have has no problems with it and use it as a modem for internet access.

Pedro
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FollowupID: 692451

Follow Up By: Wal Footrot - Sunday, Jun 27, 2010 at 14:16

Sunday, Jun 27, 2010 at 14:16
I have the Samsung A411. This has now been superseded by the very similar looking C5220. The 411/5220 is excellent in the more remote areas. it is simple to use and costs less than $100.
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FollowupID: 692634

Follow Up By: Clanky - Sunday, Jun 27, 2010 at 21:08

Sunday, Jun 27, 2010 at 21:08
Cool bananas. I already have the A412 and it has been pretty reliable so far.
I am guessing this is just the next model on from yours, and should be ok.
cheers
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FollowupID: 692679

Reply By: skulldug - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 19:53

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 19:53
Clanky,

Coverage yes. On every other aspect - worst I have ever experienced.

Skull
AnswerID: 422007

Follow Up By: Paul G K (vic) - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 21:07

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 21:07
Skull
Can you please explain
Paul
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FollowupID: 692389

Follow Up By: skulldug - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 22:08

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 22:08
Hi Paul,

Telstra has copped a lot of criticism for their lack of customer service, although on this site people are fairly forgiving because in the outback there are no alternatives. I have had such a bad run that I have decided to dump them rather than spend a cent on such an un-Australian company.

I got rid of our home phone because of repeated service calls - problems not rectified and no customer complaints number to call or so long on hold that it is not worth the wait. I dumped them for my personal mobile because they couldn't figure out how to bill me once my credit expiry date needed to be up-dated and their website didn't work so I lost the favourable plan I was on for a more expensive one (coincidence or not - I don't know?). I got rid of my USB modem with Telstra because they wouldn't honour the warranty until I had spend hours on the phone at my expense while a delightful but un-skilled Indian fellow led me through the service manual step by step. When replaced, the new dongle had the same problem and finally replaced again with acknowledgement that it was a known problem.

I have written on this forum the details of a loop of customer service calls that details the wasted time and money just trying to reach customer complaints.

So, now I have naked VOIP coms at home with no problems. My work mobile is still with Telstra and only a month ago, it started going to message bank after a very short time. It took weeks to get the number of rings increased so I could answer it. It has been suggested that this is intentional so you sped more money getting the message and returning the call.

I would rather give my money to some hard working Indians than a corrupt Australian company that rips them off and me as well.

Others may have had more luck, but that's my story.

Cheers

Skull
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FollowupID: 692397

Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 23:27

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 23:27
I don't understand why Telstra gets singled out.

I just signed up with Virgin for mobile broadband as I am working away from home for a month, they asked me the main address where I would using it & assured me that they had excellent coverage, when I rang their help line to ask why I was having so many problems with speed & drop outs, I was told that it was a black spot with little or no coverage. Thank you!

So guess who I am with now?
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FollowupID: 692404

Follow Up By: olcoolone - Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 10:01

Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 10:01
I hate Telstra with a passion, but between the Yellow Pages, White pages and Telstra we spend a hugh amount of money in advertising and telephone/data connections.

But they do offer the best options, product and coverage so we have learnt to live with them.

The big difference is most people deal with residential and Big Pond who offer the worst service available using people who can't understand basics and have limited power to act.

We deal with Telstra Business and the service is very good.....they use Australian call centres, support staff and you don't have to speak to 20 different people to get an answer.

For example: We had a problem on our only Big Pond mobile broadband and it had taken us 5 hrs and 16 people to tell us they don't know what's happening and then we got cut off whilst being transferred to our 17 person.....that was last Sunday.

We have had similar problems with our Telstra mobile broadband that got rectified with in 10 minutes.
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FollowupID: 692433

Reply By: bks - Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 21:44

Thursday, Jun 24, 2010 at 21:44
Telstra has coverage in some isolated places as they provide coverage to the aboriginal communities.

I have bought a cheap $79 telstra next G phone (which has an external aerial plug and a prepaid sim card. $60 lasts for 12months.

I use my regular phone but have the diversion set to öut of range which then diverts any calls to the telstra pre paid phone when I go out of my phones coverage.
AnswerID: 422026

Reply By: Member - Cantiva Clay (NSW) - Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 15:54

Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 15:54
When you go inland its hit and miss - look at Terlstra's point of view - its a big expense for the revenue from a few calls a day per repeater. See the communications article, if your short term out there a rental sat phone is the way to go, medium term or someone else is paying buy a sat phone and long term match it up with a hf radio. Personally I think the lack of mobile coverage contributes to the sense of isolation and getting away from it all which for me is a huge part of the attraction!
AnswerID: 422103

Follow Up By: Spade Newsom - Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 16:23

Friday, Jun 25, 2010 at 16:23
You don't actually have to be out of range. You only have to tell people you are and they won't know any different. Make sure you change message bank to say that you will be out of range most of the time and messages rarely checked.

It is amazing how few calls are actually urgent.
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FollowupID: 692477

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