There are a number of things that have to be addressed when relocating, and some of them seem to slip our minds until we’re up against the wall and realize just how important it is. In some cases internet connection is one of those things, and as I discovered when arriving in Australia internet connection in the U.S was something we Americans tend to take advantage of. While we’re cursing at our “slow” connection, we hardly realize just how great we have it. In fact, the U.S really leads the way in internet connections. We were the first ones to have high speed and now we’ll settle for no less, dial up just isn’t an option anymore. Little did I know this isolated continent of Australia is years the U.S as far as the internet goes. As such, it became an important task to find the best connection for professional and personal purposes. So here it is, everything you need to know to understand and handle the process of connecting to a local internet provider in the great country of Australia.
What you’ll first need to consider are the providers and what they’re offering. There are dozens of providers to choose from, but most of them have very similar options. The big telephone and internet service providers are Optus and Telstra, both almost overwhelming giants in the industry. Both Optus and Telstra also offer a super-fast broadband option (faster than 1.5Mbit/s). Some other companies that offer great deals on internet connection are: Australia Online ADSL, EFTel ADSL, Dodo, Lizzy ADSL, Pacific Internet ADSL, Quantum ADSL, Supernerd Super DSL, and TSN Broadband. Although this may seem like a large list of strangely named providers, there is one very simply similarity between them. With the exception of the super-fast providers, Optus and Telstra, All of the aforementioned providers have no limit on the amount of downloading you can partake in. What does this mean for you? Let me explain…
Unlike in the U.S, Australian service providers put a cap on just how many GBs or MBs you can download. For someone like myself, a torrent fan, this was a very shocking and frustrating find. If you go over the allotted limit, you have no internet for the rest of the month. Not exactly the best situation to be put in. There is nothing like going from sitting on the sofa with a laptop on your lap and a cup of Chai Latte to sitting in a noisy net bar in a hard chair and cold atmosphere. Just not my cup of tea, call me a spoiled brat. So, finding the right connection with no limitations on downloads is often the best option for those of us so used to the comforts of internet connection at home.
An additional consideration when making your decision is the connection speed. Basically, coming from the U.S I wasn’t willing to settle for anything slower than 512Kbit/s, but there are slower options available if you aren’t up for the price of anything faster. Prices on the 512 connection range from about $39.95-54.95/month. Anything faster goes up from there. The fastest offered at this time is the 1.5Mbit connection which is also available without limitation from the companies previously mentioned.
In addition to this, Australian broadband takes a connected phone. For this, you must go through either Optus or Telstra. Both offer a simple phone line plan that will cost you anywhere from $19.99 -39.99 on top of your internet service, so remember to choose your provider carefully. Optus offers a deal of $19.99 with no calls included, however, it works well with those who only want a phone line for broadband. You can call or go on their website to see if this is available in your area.
All this a bit much? There is one resource of vital importance to help you out in your tough decision of finding a suitable internet provider. A website called Whirlpool.net.au can help. They offer a broadband reliability survey on their website. The survey provided is from previous years so you can see which provider has the best reliability record. This will help to ensure you get the best connection possible, it is highly recommended that before choosing a connection you see Whirlpool.net.au.
Well, that about sums up the process of choosing an internet provider. It seems a bit more difficult than back home, but really by understanding the process it can become as simple as several phone calls. Don’t let the process overwhelm you. Start first by choosing between Optus or Telstra for a phone line, sign up for that, and then choose an internet provider. From there it’s a walk in the park. You’ll have internet in no time at all!
