Vodafone drops price of prepaid mobile broadband
- 28 July, 2009 12:30
- Comments 15
Vodafone has reduced the price of its Prepaid Mobile Broadband Starter Pack from $149 to $129 or $119 if bought online.
The new offer includes a wireless USB modem and 2 gigabytes of data until September 30, undercutting start-up deals from Optus and Three, the first carrier to operate in the space.
Three’s offer is priced at $129 but doesn’t include the bonus 2 GB of data, while Optus offers the same bonus data but is priced at $149.
Vodafone is offers the ability to roll over unused data at the end of each month, as well as measuring usage per MB, compared to Optus’ arcane practice of charging for at least 10 MB every session, with a maximum 15 day recharge period on its $15/500 MB starter pack.
Recharge rates following the initial pack purchase are comparable for Optus and Vodafone in increments up to 3GB. Three and Telstra, meanwhile, compete at the big end of town; Three offers 12 GB for $149 and Telstra charges $100 for 6 GB.
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Comments
Peter T.
Mobile broadband is meant to be just that - mobile! However, Vodafone has the poorest coverage and is doing little to increase and improve coverage. At the moment, they are at least 12 months behind with their network extensions with no indication of any of the work being completed in a reasonable timeframe. Only a fool would consider Vodafone for their 'non-mobile' broadband.
Lloyd
POOR COVERAGE + HIDDEN SURPRISES.
I agree with peter t's comment about poor coverage - many dropouts all the time + i live less than a kilometre from the CBD and get 2/5 bars of reception. at my mothers who is 3km from the CBD gets 3/5bars.
Also worth mentioning - Vodafone STING YOU if you GO OVER the bandwidth QUOTA, if you are on a plan (which i am). Paid $190 on a $49monthly plan last month. FRUSTRATING.
Anonymous
Now I've got a reason to get rid of Optus Prepaid Mobile Broadband.
Anonymous
Optus is the same. Its like climbing up a mountain to get a decent speed when I am in the CBD here in Sydney.
I think the merger with 3 Mobile will improve Vodafone's services.
Ron McGuire Bribie Island
My advice to anyone contemplating connecting to mobile internet, is to check out Exetel HSPA Broadband that works on the Optus mobile network.
1 Gig per month download allowance for $5.00
Excess 1.5 cents / Mb
There are more great value plans.
Suitable foe laptop , desktop or 3G mobile handset.
I can recommend this, been using this for several months here on Bribie Island Qld .
Vodafone coverage is patchy at best here, but Optus has good coverage.
By the way I use Telstra NextG for voice mobile.
http://www.exetel.com.au/residential-hspa-information.php
Dumbfounded
Wake up Australia! Other modern countries have great mobile broadband at a fraction of what Aussie telcos are charging.
The world is using and innovating with mobile broadband...Australia will be left behind.
dmn
I've been using Vodfone mobile broadband for about eighteen months, with their Huawei E220 USB modem. I bought it because it seemed a good deal price-wise, especially when compared with Telstra. During that time I've mostly used it in the inner suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne.
The price is ok, but the performance is not. In areas where they claim to have full high speed coverage, I have never seen performance even approaching the nominal maximum performance of their hardware. On a good day, I may sometimes see 60 kB/s. More commonly, it will be down at 5-10 kB/s. Extremely rarely, I have seen as much as 120 kB/s.
I have spoken to them about this, tried all their suggestions regarding longer cables and different locations, with no obvious effect.
Until Vodafone fix their network, I could not recommend taking up any of their plans, pre-paid or otherwise.
Edward
I haven't heard of exetel before, maybe they are worth a try. I use 3 prepaid mobile broadband and buy the 12Gb for $150 which is usable for 12 months. I'm reasonably happy with the service and speeds. Its typically around 30-80Kb/s for overseas stuff, and Australian sites hit 100-250Kb/s. Coverage is fine (in suburban Melbourne), tech support and activation is a call centre in India so not so good. No support for linux whatsoever from tech support or the cd but it works out of the box from ubuntu 8.10 onwards. Service is usually fine but will occasionally drop out in the early hours of the morning (between around 2 and 5 am).
Anonymous
Mobile Broadband is only meant to be slow a few years ago. That is to mean that Australia is a few years behind everyone.
Since every Australia mobile broadband is as bad, might as well pay per use.
I use Exetel on my iPhone, I only use it for mobile broadband, not the phone part. Exetel uses Optus network. Last month's bill is only $6 plus. My mobile is with Virgin Mobile prepaid $50 for a few months.
Anonymous
I work for Vodafone, and to say that vodafone is doing little about coverage is completley wrong they have been erecting a tower everyday for the last 5 years and being a worldwide provider obviously there is alot more to do than some of these other providers especially since we've been in australia the shortest amount of time.
Anonymous
$59.95 for dell inspiron and 5gb data allowance - Vodafone + the usb modem as if thats not killah
Anonymous
Im using vodafone prepaid. Signal very bad. I regret a lot buying it. When they will fix this problem always showing zero the download you must have lots of patient refreshing refreshing to open emails or surfing. So bad.
Broadband noob
Mobile broad sux = too the max, Optus Iphone, works at time, some not at all, 3 broadband a little better depending on area. but still gay
Premuim pay poor performance
now that is gay
ken
vodaphone coverage in tasmania is only useful if in the vicinty of lanceston and hobart
VodaSLUGSLOW
Grabbed a Vodafone modem & sim as I'd runout of Gb on Three.
UNBELIEVABLY SLOW performance. - so I tried to contact Vodafone - Ha ha ha - what a joke! Almost 2hours spent on 3 calls which played pass the problem or just cut me off on transfer.
I WAS thinking about changing all our broadband, mobiles and Kid's phones over to Vodafone.
Now I;m worried what Vodafone will do to our Three services when they take over.
NOT GOOD. - in fact it's more like DISCRACEFULL
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