Has there ever been discussions about 2G & 3G differences? which network does Your mobile phone work in? I look forward to providing some simple answers & hopefully this topic can grow with your assistance.
Sometimes having the latest Mobile won't gaurantee the best connection, so many retailers promote old technology models, 3G now has been around for several years, I know many whom have upgraded phones and still are only on 2G. Some may have replaced a well featured 3G with a 2G without realizing that could happen, but it does.
The mobile coverage maps are now easily found online, newly installed phone tower locations 2009 & 2010 are online as well. Don't buy the "Best Looker" when you need to be checking out the phone specs firstly, often those flashy touchscreen mobiles can fail quickly in the bush & cost heaps of mega $'s to fix.
Choose more rugged everyday phones for travelling, when buying prepaid or signing up to plans, don't be tricked into high cost per minute "cons" by major carriers.
I will really look forward to your comments, questions & suggestions on this topic.
-- Edited by hannivers on Sunday 26th of December 2010 08:38:59 AM
-- Edited by Webmaster on Wednesday 29th of December 2010 02:24:06 PM
Happywanderer said
10:24 AM Dec 26, 2010
My mobile is a 3G with Telstra. I don't go for all the gadgets etc. As long as I can ring, txt and take photos, thats all I want. There are so many places that are without coverage its not funny any more.
I drive from Echuca to Geelong regularly and go the Castlemaine, Daylesford way. I find a major part of that area has no coverage.
Also travelling on the Newell from Vic to Qld. I have the same problem. In this day and age of modern technology there should be no area left wtihout coverage anymore.
Hylda&Jon said
11:08 AM Dec 26, 2010
There is Telstra, Optus & Vodophone 3G networks & there is Telstra Next G. 3G is only good in city's & decent size towns. Telstra Next G's coverage is the only one that gives good coverage throughout Australia. There is no comparison.
Cheers Jon
Gerty Dancer said
05:36 PM Dec 26, 2010
Hylda&Jon wrote:
There is Telstra, Optus & Vodophone 3G networks & there is Telstra Next G. 3G is only good in city's & decent size towns. Telstra Next G's coverage is the only one that gives good coverage throughout Australia. There is no comparison.
Cheers Jon
I agree wholeheartedly with H & J! If you are going "bush" dont bother with any other network.
I wonder if this will be a bit of a problem inasmuch as Telstra doesnt have any competition.
goinsoon said
06:15 PM Dec 26, 2010
We have been on the road 3 days from Brisvegas travelling down the Newell at present free camping between Dubbo and Parkes, we have 3 phones between us and the only one that has full coverage is mine with Telstra next G, this computer is on Vodafone with crap signal and my friend has his computer with Telstra and has full signal. No argument Telstra for both phone and computer
-- Edited by goinsoon on Sunday 26th of December 2010 09:26:30 PM
petengail said
07:10 PM Dec 26, 2010
As I am looking for a new phone for management, I will be interested in what people have to say. She has an Optus atm (daughters old phone) and it does not work out side of our own postcode.
Hylda&Jon said
07:55 PM Dec 26, 2010
Gerty Dancer wrote:
I wonder if this will be a bit of a problem inasmuch as Telstra doesnt have any competition.
I think it already is.
You just have to look at the internet charges between Telstra Next G & the rest, their about twice as expensive
Cheers Jon
Cupie said
08:13 PM Dec 26, 2010
I wonder if this will be a bit of a problem inasmuch as Telstra doesnt have any competition.
Hi ...
What do you mean to say?
IMO ..
At the moment Telstra does have competition but the other Telcos just choose to 'cherry pick' and offer service only where there is likely to be good profit for minimal capital outlay.
Of course other Telco's are required to input dollars to help meet this 'community obligation' to provide 'universal service' that Telstra is saddled with.
Telstra has long disputed that the amount contributed is sufficient ... & that costs the Telstra shareholders to subsidise this 'universal service'.
With NBN I believe that the 'universal service' obligation transfers to the NBN.
Telstra may then be like all the other telcos & may choose to provide service or not.
Makes an interesting situation doesn't it?
It seems to me that if successive Australian Govts acted like for example, the Singapore Govt & actively supported its national carrier (theirs trades as Optus in Aussie) then we would be likely to have a far stronger international Aiussie Telco. In Australia we seem hel bent on pulling down our national carrier to help the off shore ones and/or the bottom feeding 'cherry pickers'.
(I feel better now that I've got that off my chest.)
kind regards .. Graham
bill12 said
08:30 PM Dec 26, 2010
I do a lot of fishing in fairly remote areas and the only one that works is next G. If you buy a blue tick phone that you can put an aerial on , you will get out 10 times better than anything to do with optus.I used to have dodo(read optus) wireless broadband , but now have Telstra as in works most places but is more expensive. Again an aerial work better.Example- I got signal at Bing Bong, Nt, with next g, when optus was useless. you might pay more, but Telstra next G is the only way to go.
Beth54 said
08:59 PM Dec 26, 2010
I switched to a Telstra Next G a couple of years ago on the advise of long time travellers, sister & hubby.
At a big family reunion out in woop woop in June, only those who had Next G, got coverage there.
My only complaint..which was my own fault..is that I bought a Samsung mobile. It's unnecessarily complicated! Give me back my simple Nokia any time! (Except that I dropped it on the driveway and smashed it! )
goinsoon said
09:28 PM Dec 26, 2010
Hylda&Jon wrote:
Gerty Dancer wrote:
I wonder if this will be a bit of a problem inasmuch as Telstra doesnt have any competition.
I think it already is.
You just have to look at the internet charges between Telstra Next G & the rest, their about twice as expensive
Cheers Jon
Yeh but unlike all the others Telstra works, cheapest is not always best as they say it is best to drink the water before it goes through the horse
hannivers said
09:43 PM Dec 26, 2010
Dear Happywanderer'
Firstly I was quite surprised by your poor results in Telstra reception when travelling up to Echuca by way of Daylesford, I do not have phone tower locations for "T", but I can assure you that I will do more research and try to pinpoint what could be happening.
For those travelling same direction with Optus they have established new towers that may assist in that area: 2009 Keilor, Trentham, Creswick, Riddels Creek. 2010 Newstead, Mt Macedon central, Gisbourne Central, Huntly, Lockington.
Please provide model name of your phone, I promise to check out phone specs & report back, many thanks for such positive feedback.
-- Edited by hannivers on Sunday 26th of December 2010 09:45:01 PM
Have you checked out the recent 3G coverage maps and viewed just how many new towers have been created to assist in better 3G coverage by various providers?
hannivers said
09:54 PM Dec 26, 2010
Now I hear what you are all saying' but are you sure that your phones are 3G, NextG or whatever? Please read up on your particular phone specs, do not believe some phone sales people, do your own research. I have several mobiles with various sims and do see Telstra having real competition in many regions. Many thanks for great feedback.
bill12 said
10:04 PM Dec 26, 2010
I don,t mean to disagree, but none of these places are really out in the sticks- go to Borallolla, nt and try to use any optus based phone.There are NO optus towers out in the stick, only telstra, and next G is the only one that work. Optus is good where there are optus towers and they can make money, but in the real bush , only Telstra have towers.Get optus to put towers out in the bush- Won,t happen-No profit
-- Edited by bill12 on Sunday 26th of December 2010 10:05:10 PM
hannivers said
10:15 PM Dec 26, 2010
Anyone just using a pre paid phone whilst travelling?
Most of the cheaper ones are only 2G, possibly the cheapest 3G could be $79 plus or therabouts, I recommend purchasing what they call "outright or unlocked phones when using the pre paid - re chargable phones because if your not happy you can easily switch to another carrier. My wife was quite happy with just a 2G phone, it's a Huawei G6600D from Dick Smith, it's a great little text machine, I have 2 sims from 2different providers installed in it, it auto selects & answers either sim, she loves it. But it is only a 2G unit which is all that she requires.
For many people a 2G will be good enough, some $29 phones are superb, but for those travelling far from home please consider a 3G.
hannivers said
10:23 PM Dec 26, 2010
What you are saying is correct Bill12
Here is what optus has recently established in NT to help more, but it still isn't enough.
2010: Alice Springs North, Archer, Howard Springs Nth, Humpty Doo East, Humpty Doo South, Lambells Lagoon, Ludmilla, Wagait Beach
2009: Malak
Planned to follow: Berry Springs, Charles Darwin Uni, Leanyer North, Moil
-- Edited by hannivers on Sunday 26th of December 2010 10:24:50 PM
ChiChi1 said
10:25 PM Dec 26, 2010
Hi Happy wanderer
I have 3G phone, it works fine in Canberra but I get no coverage in Yarrawonga
ChiChi1 said
10:28 PM Dec 26, 2010
I also had an Optus phone but cancelled. Ran over a fox 10ks out of Narranderra and no coverage to call NRMA. Had to go back to the good old days and flag someone down. Nightmare at 11 o'clock at night.
Happywanderer said
10:44 PM Dec 26, 2010
Thats what I find ChiChi, ok while right in town. In between towns nothing. And on the Newell most towns are at least 100ks apart. I would not want to break down in one of those long stretches.
hannivers said
12:15 AM Dec 27, 2010
Someone once said that even if Mobile Phones might get to reach 98% of population this could only be about 8% of actual Land mass, so wherever we go on this continent we at times will have no darn signal & feel mightly lonely out there.
What the lady said about the Newell highway is the true situation that exists, there is no way that any mobile phone company will establish towers where little or no cash return is possible.
I see Mobile phones handy whilst travelling but not the be all end all. As it stands we will still always need other forms of communication with us.
hannivers said
12:27 AM Dec 27, 2010
Now back to 3G, this is not a brand, it is a mobile phone network, nowadays it is usually: UMTS 900 Mhz / UMTS 2100 Mhz
Many Chinese mobile phone producers may claim that a particular phone will work inside the 3G network, sure it might do that, but as a 2G phone.
Telstra NextG-UMTS 850Mhz-Metro & Regional
Telstra 3G-UMTS 2100 Mhz-Metro only
Optus YesG-UMTS 900 / 2100 Mhz-Metro & Regional
Optus 3G-UMTS 2100 Mhz-Metro only
Vodaphone 3G-UMTS 2100 Mhz-Metro & some Regional
Vodaphone 3G-UMTS 900 Mhz-Some smaller Regional
3 (Hutchinson)-UMTS 2100 Mhz-Metro only
Please check specs to see if your mobile is really a 3G unit.
-- Edited by hannivers on Monday 27th of December 2010 12:29:45 AM
Have you checked out the recent 3G coverage maps and viewed just how many new towers have been created to assist in better 3G coverage by various providers?
We don't need to check the maps, we have been on the road 24/7 for well over a year now, I have a Telstra 3G phone & my partner has an Optus 3G phone so, although we havn't covered all of Australia yet by a long shot, of the areas that we have covered both our phones have been useless way too much of the time of the time. Thankfully we have Next G internet which we seldom don't have so we can skype phone when we need to.
Cheers Jon
hannivers said
06:03 AM Dec 27, 2010
Hi Hylda & Jon
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your excellent web blogs (travel pages) and have no doubt that your first hand experience on just how poor the coverage is for both 3G and 2G is good advice to all. Even with 3G phones connected with Telstra & Optus coverage in those regions must have been so poor, your hands on experience with the lack of coverage definately overides those coverage publications from both companies, I look forward to hearing more about your progress & travels, special thanks to you for sharing your findings, our lives would never want to depend on mobiles whatever the brand.
-- Edited by hannivers on Monday 27th of December 2010 06:10:15 AM
bill12 said
06:39 AM Dec 27, 2010
Go away from any population centres and optus, vodaphone dodo, etc don,t work. Its as sinple as that. Hannivers- do you work for optus or something?The truth is their coverage is not great away from towns, and while cheaper, is not reliable.I would love cheaper phone calls and broadband, but The coverage must be there.
hannivers said
07:04 AM Dec 27, 2010
Hi Bill'
Many thanks Bill for your good advices and I don't work for Optus.
But about this mobile phone stuff, it looks as if everyone has suffered at the end of mobile phone carriers, plenty of misleading claims made by them.
This morning I checked out the Whirlpool forum, a guy over there made this statement: In Australia 000 is treated the same as 112. ie it will use any available network to make the call. Nokia's will also treat 911 as an emergency call!
Does anyone out there know more about emergency calls from Mobiles and what we can expect or should expect.
jimricho said
07:12 AM Dec 27, 2010
Can someone clarify this for me...
I presume the term 2G just refers to the older GSM network that is often referred to (colloquially) as just "digital" as distinct from 3G (or Telstra "Next G") and the older obsolete CDMA and Analogue networks?
(yes, I know that 3G and the now defunct CDMA are technically digital too)
When I upgraded from CDMA to 3G it was prior to the "blue tick" being introduced but the sales person I dealt with was able to identify those phones that were suitable for fringe areas and those that weren't.
Also, and I stand to be corrected here, but it's my understanding that the unused frequency bands on some phones may be useful to have if planning to use the phone overseas.
By the way, hannivers, I suggest you remove your phone number and email from your original post in the interest of your own privacy. Forum members can contact each other by PM (private message) and can exchange contact details if they so wish. Unfortunately spammers and "phishers" can trawl these forums to harvest addresses and phone numbers. It's your decision.
You can send a PM to Webmaster (Cindy) to do this for you if you are unable to edit it yourself.
Welcome to the forum,
Jim
hannivers said
07:30 AM Dec 27, 2010
Hi Jim' really appreciate your good advice about personal contact details, I am very new to this forum, have just contacted editor for that to happen immediately, have come from a car forum where providing such detail is commonplace but as you say is a bit risky, special thanks to you.
hannivers said
07:33 AM Dec 27, 2010
Jim, those other bands could be useful when travelling in some other countries.
Has there ever been discussions about 2G & 3G differences? which network does Your mobile phone work in? I look forward to providing some simple answers & hopefully this topic can grow with your assistance.
Sometimes having the latest Mobile won't gaurantee the best connection, so many retailers promote old technology models, 3G now has been around for several years, I know many whom have upgraded phones and still are only on 2G. Some may have replaced a well featured 3G with a 2G without realizing that could happen, but it does.
The mobile coverage maps are now easily found online, newly installed phone tower locations 2009 & 2010 are online as well. Don't buy the "Best Looker" when you need to be checking out the phone specs firstly, often those flashy touchscreen mobiles can fail quickly in the bush & cost heaps of mega $'s to fix.
Choose more rugged everyday phones for travelling, when buying prepaid or signing up to plans, don't be tricked into high cost per minute "cons" by major carriers.
I will really look forward to your comments, questions & suggestions on this topic.
-- Edited by hannivers on Sunday 26th of December 2010 08:38:59 AM
-- Edited by Webmaster on Wednesday 29th of December 2010 02:24:06 PM
Cheers
Jon
I agree wholeheartedly with H & J! If you are going "bush" dont bother with any other network.
I wonder if this will be a bit of a problem inasmuch as Telstra doesnt have any competition.
No argument Telstra for both phone and computer
-- Edited by goinsoon on Sunday 26th of December 2010 09:26:30 PM
You just have to look at the internet charges between Telstra Next G & the rest, their about twice as expensive
Cheers
Jon
Hi ...
What do you mean to say?
IMO ..
At the moment Telstra does have competition but the other Telcos just choose to 'cherry pick' and offer service only where there is likely to be good profit for minimal capital outlay.
Of course other Telco's are required to input dollars to help meet this 'community obligation' to provide 'universal service' that Telstra is saddled with.
Telstra has long disputed that the amount contributed is sufficient ... & that costs the Telstra shareholders to subsidise this 'universal service'.
With NBN I believe that the 'universal service' obligation transfers to the NBN.
Telstra may then be like all the other telcos & may choose to provide service or not.
Makes an interesting situation doesn't it?
It seems to me that if successive Australian Govts acted like for example, the Singapore Govt & actively supported its national carrier (theirs trades as Optus in Aussie) then we would be likely to have a far stronger international Aiussie Telco. In Australia we seem hel bent on pulling down our national carrier to help the off shore ones and/or the bottom feeding 'cherry pickers'.
(I feel better now that I've got that off my chest.)
kind regards .. Graham
At a big family reunion out in woop woop in June, only those who had Next G, got coverage there.
My only complaint..which was my own fault..is that I bought a Samsung mobile. It's unnecessarily complicated! Give me back my simple Nokia any time! (Except that I dropped it on the driveway and smashed it!
Firstly I was quite surprised by your poor results in Telstra reception when travelling up to Echuca by way of Daylesford, I do not have phone tower locations for "T", but I can assure you that I will do more research and try to pinpoint what could be happening.
For those travelling same direction with Optus they have established new towers that may assist in that area: 2009 Keilor, Trentham, Creswick, Riddels Creek. 2010 Newstead, Mt Macedon central, Gisbourne Central, Huntly, Lockington.
Please provide model name of your phone, I promise to check out phone specs & report back, many thanks for such positive feedback.
-- Edited by hannivers on Sunday 26th of December 2010 09:45:01 PM
Have you checked out the recent 3G coverage maps and viewed just how many new towers have been created to assist in better 3G coverage by various providers?
-- Edited by bill12 on Sunday 26th of December 2010 10:05:10 PM
Most of the cheaper ones are only 2G, possibly the cheapest 3G could be $79 plus or therabouts, I recommend purchasing what they call "outright or unlocked phones when using the pre paid - re chargable phones because if your not happy you can easily switch to another carrier. My wife was quite happy with just a 2G phone, it's a Huawei G6600D from Dick Smith, it's a great little text machine, I have 2 sims from 2different providers installed in it, it auto selects & answers either sim, she loves it. But it is only a 2G unit which is all that she requires.
For many people a 2G will be good enough, some $29 phones are superb, but for those travelling far from home please consider a 3G.
Here is what optus has recently established in NT to help more, but it still isn't enough.
2010: Alice Springs North, Archer, Howard Springs Nth, Humpty Doo East, Humpty Doo South, Lambells Lagoon, Ludmilla, Wagait Beach
2009: Malak
Planned to follow: Berry Springs, Charles Darwin Uni, Leanyer North, Moil
-- Edited by hannivers on Sunday 26th of December 2010 10:24:50 PM
What the lady said about the Newell highway is the true situation that exists, there is no way that any mobile phone company will establish towers where little or no cash return is possible.
I see Mobile phones handy whilst travelling but not the be all end all. As it stands we will still always need other forms of communication with us.
Many Chinese mobile phone producers may claim that a particular phone will work inside the 3G network, sure it might do that, but as a 2G phone.
Telstra NextG-UMTS 850Mhz-Metro & Regional
Telstra 3G-UMTS 2100 Mhz-Metro only
Optus YesG-UMTS 900 / 2100 Mhz-Metro & Regional
Optus 3G-UMTS 2100 Mhz-Metro only
Vodaphone 3G-UMTS 2100 Mhz-Metro & some Regional
Vodaphone 3G-UMTS 900 Mhz-Some smaller Regional
3 (Hutchinson)-UMTS 2100 Mhz-Metro only
Please check specs to see if your mobile is really a 3G unit.
-- Edited by hannivers on Monday 27th of December 2010 12:29:45 AM
Cheers
Jon
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your excellent web blogs (travel pages) and have no doubt that your first hand experience on just how poor the coverage is for both 3G and 2G is good advice to all. Even with 3G phones connected with Telstra & Optus coverage in those regions must have been so poor, your hands on experience with the lack of coverage definately overides those coverage publications from both companies, I look forward to hearing more about your progress & travels, special thanks to you for sharing your findings, our lives would never want to depend on mobiles whatever the brand.
-- Edited by hannivers on Monday 27th of December 2010 06:10:15 AM
Hi Bill'
Many thanks Bill for your good advices and I don't work for Optus.
But about this mobile phone stuff, it looks as if everyone has suffered at the end of mobile phone carriers, plenty of misleading claims made by them.
This morning I checked out the Whirlpool forum, a guy over there made this statement: In Australia 000 is treated the same as 112. ie it will use any available network to make the call. Nokia's will also treat 911 as an emergency call!
Does anyone out there know more about emergency calls from Mobiles and what we can expect or should expect.