Rant about Next G and there stupid prices.

25 public posts in this discussion.

Post 1

I was looking at buying a USB connection for my laptop.

looking thru different isp's (Tel$tra) seems to be the only ISP that offers anything in darwin (no suprise there)

Pricing is an outrage

Other companys like 3, Iburst, Vodafone and even optus have better plans but arent offered in Darwin.

I was told tel$tra arent allowed to hold a monopoly over something like this

Being the only Wireless broadband in the NT they would have to lease out a portion to another company so there is fair trading ?

Why are we being shafted and forced to accept telstra's way.

The connection prices are Crazy only a person on a big salary could afford to get a 1 gig+ account at full speed

you might aswell pay for an adsl connection at every place you wanna use your laptop.

Post 2

You mean "their" prices?

Post 3

why stop at just one correction? easier to just delete the thread than it is to fix the post!

Post 4

Why stop at the deletion of this thread? I'd be more convenient to travel back in time and kill Korny's mother before he's conceived.

It'd be like The Terminator, but not.

Post 5

is it possible that the market for that kind of product is so small in the NT that most companies aren't willing to offer it?

and that the small demand for that kind of product makes it unprofitable for companies to provide it unless they charge high prices?

i seriously don't know, just throwing it out there...

Post 6

its possible, just shits me that darwiners dont have a choice and we are always left behind the rest of australia even tho we are suppose to be in the same running as other state capitals :S

Post 7

Korny,

Your rant shouldn't be aimed at Tel$tra wrt to wireless broadband. The only thing stopping the other companies from starting up in Darwin is their costs and projected returns. They dont have a monopoly on the network, it's just that nobody else wants to commit the dollars needed to build a reliable network.

Blame Voda and Optarse for not putting in 3G up here. Tel$tra are the only one with the balls to do it. Subsequently they can charge what they want, which is coincidentally the same price they charge everywhere else.

I guess you could wait for Optus, as they scabbed out on the next-big-thing-for-broadband-in-the-bush contract. With all those government-subsidised Wimax towers about to go up, I'm sure they'd find some excuse to be able to use them for their own purposes and not break the government rules. It's supposed to be up by mid-2009.

Post 8

Aye, its not that Telstra hold a monopoly, its the fact other telco's aren't interested in bringing their services to the region.

Post 9

Telstra don't hold the monopoly as such - how do the 3G prices compare to these?

http://www.arafura.net.au/wireless.htm

Post 10

We were with arafura before but needed a roof mounted antenna to connect, and didn't have any easy coverage with just a laptop that i knew of. They could have changed all that since then tho (about 8 months ago).

Post 11

um...any reason you specifically need wireless broadband? Can't you get normal ADSL?

Just curious.

Post 12

Quote from Xaine;320912:
um...any reason you specifically need wireless broadband? Can't you get normal ADSL?

Just curious.

I can't speak for Korny, but I use it because I can't get normal ADSL and 2 way satellite is shite.

Telstra are nothing but a pack of vulgar words used to describe a vagina. But they just happen to have the only available service.

Post 13

Quote from jabsy;320913:
Telstra are nothing but a pack of vulgar words used to describe a vagina. But they just happen to have the only available service.

Best quote ever.

Arafura wireless aint exactly portable lol.

:(

Post 14

You dont even want me to start on this.

Post 15

please do Why cant i have cheap wireless nextg :P why cant telstra give me good plans ?

i wish they could offer me something i can sink my teeth into and be happy about it :P.

Yeah that'll never happen

Post 16

now korny... i dont know ALOT about this subject but lets think about this...

Telstra next g is wide spread all over australia. Thats a HUGE geographic area and i bet one of those towers with all their shit on it is BLOODY expensive. So when adding all that up, the initial years (probably 1-2 years) would normally be more expensive for a provider espically since not alot of people are on it (to start with).

That saying, I, nor you know how much it costs them and they have to make money somewhere.

Post 17

Dont they already make ass tonnes of money off their overinflated broadband prices, not to mention every other company in the country renting their exchange space, lines, etc?

Post 18

Quote from Wrathlon;321191:
Dont they already make ass tonnes of money off their overinflated broadband prices, not to mention every other company in the country renting their exchange space, lines, etc?

Allan is right :P

tel$tra make alot of money off there expensive broadband infact whats there profit each year :P

Oh god forbid we will give our customers a good price on broadband

Lets over charge by 400% then reem a contract up there ass so they keep paying.

i dont so much mind the contract just the prices are completely stupid.

onestly "00+ for a gig of download/upload thats expensive even for wireless broadband

Post 19

<mario>Here we goooo....</mario>

Post 20

It's because Telstra's NEXT G (850mhz system) is only used by them as it was a cheap option (Recycling the CDMA towers which Telstra solely owns) China is the only other country to used the 850mhz system. That's also why few phones exist as many 3G phones (ie Nokia, Sony etc.) are designed to work on WCDMA 2100mhz system the other telco's Optus, Vodaphone, 3 and all others that use these systems since they are used around the world.

The other networks are not blameless though, No one wants to pay to build towers all over australia even though Telstra, Optus (G9 Consortium) and 3 (Also a multi nantional) could afford it. Same as broadband (Anyone remeber the Telstra AD saying "We can afford to recable Australia with Optic Fiber but the ACCC has too much regulation, CRAP!!)

And providers like Austar, Unwired, Chilli again need their own towers. eg. Austar works in Wagga and Tamworth but anyware outside of town has no coverage. Having lived in Darwin I found most of these other providers only "Hug" the east cost line.

Quite simply no one wants to pay. No one want's to share.

Post 21

You're going to make me rant about telstra owning both the majority of the nation's infrastructure and running its own retail business. *explode*

Post 22

Success! No seriously, I am sick of the current situation. Working in retail it is my sad duty every day to explain the difference between 3G and Next G as well as coverage. I just wish someone would have the guts to SERIOUSLY FIX IT!!

Post 23

Quote from Daemonlord X;324037:

Quite simply no one wants to pay. No one want's to share.

I think this is the whole point of the discussion, customer whinges about cost of usage, provider whinges about cost of installion and infrastructutre.

Bottom line is if you want it then be prepared to pay for it

Post 24

ive been tryin to find a way to get nextg wireless and keep my soul but it seems there is no real way of doing it

If you pay for the equipment (you have to sign 12 - 24 month contract) thats BS

i have one thing to say to telstra

"EAT ME YOU FAGGOTS"

Post 25

Quote from Daemonlord X;324037:
Quite simply no one wants to pay. No one want's to share.

What's the bet we see Optus and Voda fitting their 3G gear as part of Optus' OPEL rollout over the next couple of years anyway....