Low cost 3G/4G data

I reported recently how rapidly I am using up my Vodafone prepaid 3G:
http://bkhome.org/news/201503/todays-musings.html

An update on that. The latest purchase of AU$125 (about US$100) for 15GB, 365 day expiry, has got almost used up in a month. Well, I have 3GB left.

That is so expensive. It really does seem that Vodafone have changed how they meter transfers.

Anyway, I have shopped around, and found this:
http://www.whistleout.com.au/Broadband/Providers/Virgin-Mobile/Mobile/Virgin-Mobile-Broadband-12GB?modem=BYO-Modem&pt=dd7b73b8-d50c-41d4-a1fa-3489ab352c47&contract=0&tab=MobileBroadband

...which I am now using!

AU$40 per month, for 12GB. What I really like about it, apart from that's a lot of GBs for the money, is that there is no surprise extra cost. Above 12GB, it just throttles down to a very low speed. No contract either, paid monthly. Uses the Optus network.

I put the SIM into my 7inch OrientPhone, a 3G phablet that I bought from China awhile back. I configured it as a WiFi "hot spot", works great.

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Comments

Three days later, still good!

A couple of glitches that I should report. When I bought the sim, took it home, but it wouldn't work on my phablet.
Back to the shop, with my phablet, the very helpful lady spent some time trying to get it to work, tried different APNs, eventually found one that worked.

She also did all the activation for me, so I am very impressed with their service.

The next day, speed dropped to virtually unusable, and I logged into my new Virgin email account webmail, found an email telling me that I had used 100% of my 1GB allowance -- what!!!

Logged into my online account, found that my plan is "Broadband Mobile 1GB". Which is wrong. I phoned Virgin support, no waiting, got onto someone immediately, with an Aussie accent (!!!!!), and she resolved the problem immediately. Something to do with two different computer systems not syncing.

So, there were issues, resolved. Leaving me with a good feeling about Virgin Mobile customer service.

My OrientPhone is only 3G, 850/2100MHz, and as Optus have 900 and 2100MHz, it must only be using the latter frequency.
4G would obviously be better, and I have ordered a very cheap 4G dual-sim phone from China -- this time only a 5inch screen, so is easy to carry around.
...I will report on that after it arrives.

Tags: general