Best prepaid mobile broadband deals
- — 07 June, 2010 14:18
Shopping for mobile broadband can be an arduous task; with so many plans, pricing and data offers, it can quickly become confusing. In anticipation of the fast-approaching end of the financial year — perhaps now's the time to splurge on a starter kit — we've compared some of offerings from the leading prepaid mobile broadband providers to find the best bang for your buck.
For prepaid plans, we've selected a $30 recharge as a basis of comparison across all the providers. This is an ideal option for entry-level users who may need to regularly check their e-mails, update their Facebook status and browse basic Web sites without going overboard on YouTube or other online videos.
Telstra
Telstra is well known for having the most expansive coverage and the fastest mobile broadband speeds in Australia, but it is often expensive when it comes to mobile phone plans and fixed-line broadband. Thankfully, its prepaid mobile broadband option is tempting. Getting connected on the Next G network will set you back $99 and includes a USB modem and 1GB of data to get you started. A $30 recharge will then provide you with 400MB of data with a 30-day expiry (7.5c per MB). If you recharge before the 30-day expiry, any unused data will roll over.
Vodafone
Vodafone offers far more value than Telstra, even if Telstra's network is vastly superior. It will cost you $79 for a Vodafone modem starter pack, which includes a USB modem and very generous 3GB of data. From here, a $29 recharge will provide 2GB of data which lasts 30 days. Like Telstra, any unused data will be rolled over provided you recharge before it expires. Up to 14GB data will be rolled over provided you recharge before it expires.
Optus
Optus offers a prepaid mobile broadband starter kit for just $69, which includes a USB modem and 2GB of data — though this offer is only available if you purchase the pack online. (It is normally $79 with 1GB of included data.) Once you've purchased an Optus starter pack, a $30 recharge buys you 1GB of data to use over 30 days, though this is extended to 1.15GB if you recharge online. Up to 10GB of data can also be rolled over if you recharge before expiry. Unfortunately, Optus counts data in rather high 10MB increments, so even if you use 2MB of data in a session, you lose 10MB of your included data.
3
3 offers a similar deal to Vodafone, but with much less included data on your initial outlay. A 3 prepaid mobile broadband starter kit will set you back $79, but only includes 200MB of data when you purchase online, which is less than Telstra offers in its starter pack.
From here, a $29 recharge will provide 2GB of data which lasts 30 days. Any unused data up to 15GB will be rolled over provided you recharge before the expiry date.
| Prepaid mobile broadband comparison overview | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Initial cost & data | Data recharge size* | Recharge cost | Rollover? |
| Optus | $69 (2GB) | 1GB | $30 | Yes (up to 10GB) |
| Telstra | $99 (1GB) | 400MB | $30 | Yes (no limit) |
| 3 | $79 (200MB) | 2GB | $29 | Yes (up to 15GB) |
| Vodafone | $79 (2GB) | 2GB | $29 | Yes (up to 14GB) |
| *We've looked at an entry-level price of $30 in this comparison; telcos offer more expensive recharge options that include more data and a lower cost per gigabyte | ||||
Additional reporting by Ross Catanzariti
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Comments
Khurram
Tue 08/06/2010 - 04:10
r u optus marketing in disguide?
optus charges in (TEN) 10mb blocks, its very important info this.
virgin broadband?
exetel?
$5 mon & pay for as much as u use ($15/gb), is not worth writing here?
-entry level is 1gb worth around $15-$20, NOT $30,.,.,.,.,.
-no reference to people outside metros??? coverage etc???
2100 vs 850 vs 900 ???
Russ
Tue 08/06/2010 - 06:27
You say Telstra is often expensive?
Telstra are expensive.
It was a waste of time reading this.
Ben
Tue 08/06/2010 - 10:57
Great article guys,
TOTALLY USELESS.
You are missing out on the main budget players in this market space.
The cheapest in the market my research found for prepaid are DODO that have any decent coverage (optus network)
You also have virgin and the other lower end market players that are reselling either the Voda or Optus network.
Your article is actually WRONG.
The testra $99 modem comes with 1GB of DATA
So great journalisim here.
A totally useless article to read
Ross Catanzariti
Tue 08/06/2010 - 18:38
Hi all,
Thanks for the feedback.
At this stage we have stuck with the four mainstream telcos. We may add to this in the near future with other providers, including Virgin Mobile (who I agree probably should have been included on this list in the first place)
I have updated the error - the included Telstra data with a starter pack is 1GB. This was a typo and has been corrected.
We selected a $30 recharge as a basis of comparison across all the providers. Entry level obviously means different things to different people, and we thought $30 was an ideal comparison point to start with.
Thanks.
Adam Nelson
Tue 08/06/2010 - 01:23
No Virgin Broadband Prepaid guys wtf?