New Virgin Broadband offer - Just the ticket!

[csb (Craig)]

Has anyone else signed up on the Virgin broadband offer?

For $60/month you get a wireless modem, 4Gb download @ 512Kbs (speed drops if you excedd allocation) and all local&interstate landline calls free.

The modem can connect to computer by wireless or suitable cable.

Because the broadband AND your phonecalls are over the wireless network (Optus 3G), you don't need a phoneline so no fee to pay there. And apparently your broadband speed is NOT affected when making a phonecall.

I started it on 10 Aug and I like it. There have been a few teething problems from their end with the broadband but my phone has always been in use (and calls are very clear, actually louder than on the landline).

My signal strenth is only on the 1st bar (there a 5 bars) but I can still download 60mb in 15 minutes.

I couldn't get broadband at my house except with Telstra and I don't like their deals.

Only cons are :

In a power blackout, you can't use the pone (it connects directly to wireless modem)

Virgin give you a new phone number - but from mid-September you can keep your existing number and if you did get new number you can change back to existing.

Doesn't include 1300, 1800 numbers (but some of these are free or just 25cents anyway)

Here's a review from APC mag

http://apcmag.com/6796/review_virgin_broadband

[Dennis]

Thanks for the write up Craig - very informative. Hope the service continues to meet your expectations – it all looks good so far.

Cheers

Dennis

[Terry B]

Sound sgood but sadly only useful if you live in a big city. Maybe oneday I will get reasonably prised broadband.

[iceman (Mike)]

It does sound interesting.. broadband in australia is just so sad compared to other developed countries.

[gbeal]

Originally Posted by iceman

It does sound interesting.. broadband in australia is just so sad compared to other developed countries.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!, try living in this banana republic then Mike. Oopps, maybe we are not developed. Our broadband is a mere step away from the two bean tins, and a piece of string phone.

[Ingo]

Sounds new.

[White Rabbit]

Actually there are some company's out there that are offering speeds of up to 8000kbps, iinet and tpg are two of them. I'm with TPG, they are the cheapest I have an 18 gig download plan with ADSL 2 speeds for $49.95 a month. It's the cheapest I could find, they also have voip if you are interested.
You can check you speed here www.speedtest.net, and compare it to other places in the world, the last time I did I was about average and thats compared to the rest of the world. I clocked about 4500kbps down.

[Shaun]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/175175169.png

Mine is not to bad.

[csb (Craig)]

Oh, that would be great to have choice.

But even TPG couldn't deliver to my street - all providers (exc Telstra) said I was too far from the exchange.

TPG was my first ever ISP - they sure have a good pricihg.

I never had a problem with their service but I used to note in one of the PC magazines (PC User/APC ?) that TPG always came near the bottom whenever that magazine did a comparison of ISP's.

So how is their service, still reliable (my dial-up always was great).

[acropolite (Phil)]

I had the chance to try 3G in Brisbane and was impressed, but, its early days and after all a wireless technology, wait and see how it performs once there are heaps of users.