Hi all Is there an inexpensive way of being online while travelling? I travel three or four times a year for about four to six weeks at a time.It seems like a plan for 24 months is expensive as much of the time it wouldn't be used. Thanks
-- Edited by Casey on Friday 24th of October 2014 08:21:55 AM
Prepaid is the go - I have my phone prepaid, $30 for $250 calls, 400mb internet, and free calls to standard Australian numbers (incl mobiles) from 6pm to 6am every day.
Internet is a prepaid Elite dongle ( on special at one of the supermarkets at the moment for $15, incl 1gb) works a dream.
Both of these are Telstra of course - I have my account on line, and check where I am at with usage regularly, and top up when necessary.
Works for me.
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
I have a pre-paid Cellphone with Telstra. I pay $40.00 month and get around $500.00 worth of free calls. Works for me coz I make a lot of overseas calls. I also get about 600 MB data which I no longer use, as I threw my you beaut Samsung away and now have an el cheapo dual sim Nokia..
For my laptop, I have a post paid account, 3 MB Data for $24.50 month.
You can have an account online and even check your pre-paid. Telstra seems to give the best coverage for me.
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
Depends where you go. Macdonalds have very slow free internet. If you are near a Target store they have very fast free internet. I have found a few tourist info centres now have free internet. Wi Fi sometimes free is available at a lot of caravan parks. If all else fails you will have to go pre paid and Telstra has the best coverage. It all comes down to data usage. We are full time on the road and Skype with grandkids a lot so a plan suits us.
We only venture out for a few weeks at a time a couple of times a year these days. I just wait for specials to appear on Telstra 3G prepaid broadband dongles. Get them for around $29 for 2 gig & 30 days.
I always have one or two in the van not activated.
A day or so before starting out I activate one.
The ones that act as a hot spot for several devices are best IMHO.
You can use Skype or Vibre for cheap calls.
We also have a Telstra prepaid smartphone.
I change the prepaid plan to long life & top up for $30 or $50 .... That gives me a 3 to 6 months expiry time. Then a few days later I change to a Simplicity plan that gives cheaper calls but retains the long life credit expiry date. Only costs $1 for each change of plan.
I have tried using the free WiFi at Council libraries, Macas etc but find them a bit of a pain & inconvenient. I like to do my internet lounging round the van after dinner.
Each to their own I suppose.
-- Edited by Cupie on Friday 24th of October 2014 11:51:23 AM
We use a $2 Amaysim sim card from Woolies etc, a Optus wireless modem/dongle from Ebay ($29) and have a 'as you go' data plan with Amaysim. It costs $10 for 1 gig and lasts 3 months plus credit is rolled over. Uses the Optus 3G network which is available at most places...not as many as Telstra but still adequate and a lot cheaper.
On our around Australia trip we used about $40 worth of data over 104 days. With this plan there are no fees or regular payments etc.....just like your fuel tank you only pay for what you use.
Good Luck.
Thank you all for your responses, and so quickly too. I should have explained things better, it's only internet access I'm after.
I have a long expiry mobile prepaid phone where the credit doesn't expire for about five years.It covers any calls and messages I send, so I'll leave that as it is. My phone is with Telstra and I've seen too many mobiles with the other services that don't work in places I travel, so I only want an internet account with Telstra as well.Even though Telstra might be more expensive, cheaper plans aren't any good if they don't work.
Big Gorilla, I'd be happy to pay $24.50 per month for 3 GB, but I can't find that plan with Telstra.Can you put up a link to that plan?
The closest I can find with Telstra is $25.00 for 1GB or $35.00 for 4GB. I'd want more than 1 GB per month but I don't feel like paying $35.00 a month when I won't use it for much of the time, and it seems like unused data doesn't carry over.
From comments here it seems I should probably be looking for a prepaid dongle with a long expiry date. Thanks again.
Big Gorilla, I'd be happy to pay $24.50 per month for 3 GB, but I can't find that plan with Telstra. Can you put up a link to that plan?
The closest I can find with Telstra is $25.00 for 1GB or $35.00 for 4GB. I'd want more than 1 GB per month but I don't feel like paying $35.00 a month when I won't use it for much of the time, and it seems like unused data doesn't carry over.
I have had this plan (Post Paid) for several years and I can't find it now either. But I still have the Plan and use it. I think what happens is that Plans change from time to time and if you are on a particular Plan, you stay on the original until you cancel or change to a current plan. Sorry I can't be of more help..
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
