Mobile Provider

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Greynomad
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by Greynomad »

We’re with Optus, after having reception problems with Telstra.
In the Main St of Rutherglen reception with either is now ZERO inside shops! You have to step outside to make a call. It all went down the toilet when 3G disappeared.
In our house, the Telstra technician sent to sort out our reception issues recommended that we hang a signal booster halfway up the south-facing study window, coz that’s where the (very weak) signal was at its best! 🙄
That’s why we switched to Optus.
Even with the switch, we get ‘barely acceptable’ signal on the south side of the house and if, while on the phone we walk to the north side, we get call drop-out!
Current signal strength is 3 bars (out of four). It varies 2~3 depending on the weather & wind strength.
If I walk to the north side it’s one bar.
Regards & God bless,
Ray
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Shirley
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by Shirley »

Thanks for all the replies, so many options, :lol: :lol: :lol:
Interesting map of coverage Jon.

I would like to ask do you folk have nbn connected at home 🤔 provider please 🤔 or do you use the mobile plan as a hot spot 🤔 we have a computer, iPad & smart TV we are with Belong but they don’t connect to fibre.
Shirley & Bruce.
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Greynomad
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by Greynomad »

Shirley, we use a mobile wi-fi dongle both in the house and take it with us when we’re travelling.
Most places we can connect OK, with two phones and a laptop.
Dumb TV in van doesn’t connect.
No NBN connection at home, as the dongle gives us faster internet speeds and we don’t have to pay extra!
I’ve speed-checked our connection and we get faster upload and download than that quoted by NBN’s equivalent data amount to our contract with Optus.
Regards & God bless,
Ray
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"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"

"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
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BernieQ2
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by BernieQ2 »

There is no NBN in Degilbo...no optic cable..
I have Optus phone and Telstra dongle for the laptop.
I can access either on my phone. I take the Telstra dongle with me when we travel.
Bernie.
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T1 Terry
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by T1 Terry »

Shirley wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2025 10:03 am Thanks for all the replies, so many options, :lol: :lol: :lol:
Interesting map of coverage Jon.

I would like to ask do you folk have nbn connected at home 🤔 provider please 🤔 or do you use the mobile plan as a hot spot 🤔 we have a computer, iPad & smart TV we are with Belong but they don’t connect to fibre.
Had the NBN on at the house .... for a mth or two, went back to the phone for tv and interweb. Cancelled the Aussie Broadband WiFi link at the workshop and everything ran on our two Samsung phones.
Our Optus plan shares the data for both phone and turned out cheaper than the NBN as well as the WiFi link to the Mannum server, saved a heap of $$ and we both use our phones as our connect to the outside world via the interweb now we are living in the Winnie

T1 Terry
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Shirley
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by Shirley »

Thanks again for the replies.
Shirley & Bruce.
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dream4red
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by dream4red »

Shirley, as an almost local to you, the broadband in Manno is disgusting Drops in and out all the time. Our dongle is a telstra one and it it usually a lot better than the fixed broad band. The optus phone plan that we have is disgracefully expensive and have been suggested to look into a mob called mate mobil, who do optus, but at way better prices.. Just haven't got around to that one yet. Too much happening here.

good luck with it mate. xxx
Deborah


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Shirley
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by Shirley »

Native pepper has mate & recommended it to me earlier in this thread, my mobile has been good with a yearly plan with Boost, I received an sms from them this arvo offering me a $50;discount to recharge 265GB yearly plan $250, Boost is Telstra.
Same here I'm using my phone now, home internet is with Belong also Telstra has dropped out, Belong won't connect you to fibre/nbn need to find a new provider if I want to continue with a home connection.
Thanks for your thoughts Deborah.

Amazing home internet is ok now. :oops:
Shirley & Bruce.
native pepper
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by native pepper »

Shirley, both mate and moose have nbn and if you have a phone connection with them, you get a discount. Mate is on the telstra network and moose optus, The coverage map may claim telstra has the biggest coverage, but it's the signal strength which is the problem and in lots of rural areas, telstra is terrible especially since 3G was disconnected. I have fixed wireless at home and it's ok, better than the satellite we had years ago.

Telstra through Mate claimed it was our phones at fault for us not getting a decent signal down here now, but yesterday was at Hobart airport and had full 4 bars for both services.
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Re: Mobile Provider

Post by native pepper »

Old thread, bu thought this article may interest people, considering the amount of negative comments when way back I claimed Telstra had crap coverage compared to Optus. Don't know why people run down others whose entire life revolves around travelling the country, so here it is.

"Vodafone has called on the ACCC to investigate Telstra for "inflating" its mobile network coverage."

Telstra has admitted it changed its website after being contacted by Vodafone owner TPG but denies it has misled customers."
"Telstra's advertised claim that it has a "mobile network coverage area of 3 million square kilometres covering 99.7 per cent of the Australian population" had, until May this year, failed to state that the figure was based on consumers using an external antenna and booster."

"That million square kilometres matters … It's a huge amount, that's the size of NSW, Victoria and the ACT combined."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-19/ ... /105300124

Shirley, think you experienced a Telstra fob off which is common with large corporations and have been told be a telstra tech who have known for many decades, that many telstra towers are low capacity and coverage to save money.

Where I live, you can see the telstra tower from my house but the reception is crap and 25 years ago before Optus arrived in our area, people would drive up our road to get a telstra signal, today they still do it. On my dual sim phone at home, telstra is always one bar if there's a signal which is rare and optus 4 bars.

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