This afternoon a co-worker saw my Telstra NextG 21Mbps USB Stick pertruding out of my Dell XPS Laptop. Keen to see how close it got to the maximum theoretical download speed so blatantly displayed on the device, he asked me to jump onto Speedtest.net.

What is Speedtest.net?

For those who haven’t tried Speedtest.net before, it’s a handy little website that measures download speed, upload speed and latency – perfect for testing your internet connection.

Here’s the result of the test:

Despite just reaching over half the advertised theoretical max, a download speed of 10.89 Mb/s is actually very fast, especially comparing to the results of other carriers. I know with Vodafone’s offering I was only able to achieve maximums of around 2Mb/s.

Telstra Not Cheap But Damn Fast

Now before you zoom off to get a Telstra NextG stick I would recommend that you first check out their plans here. Compared to the other carriers in Australia, they’re the most expensive, but you get what you pay for i.e. better coverage and speed. I’m currently on the Telstra BigPond Liberty® 5GB for $89.95 per month.  If you thought this is expensive, 2 years ago I was paying the same price for only 1GB of data per month!

My only other major gripe with the Telstra connection (price being the biggest by far) is how fast it gets hot and as a result may disconnect. If they find a way to keep this thing cool, I’m confident that connections would be far more persistent and stable.

So, which carrier are you using? How fast can you get using Speedtest.net?

I’m keen to know who’s got the fastest Wireless Broadband connection

By the end of 2008, the new theoretical max speed of Telstra NextG would be 21Mbps, that’s more than just a few notches up from the current 14.4Mbps. I say theoretical due to the lack of compatible devices, of course, with the best phones able to only download with a speed of 7.2Mbps.

continue reading "Telstra NextG Raises the Bar with 21Mbps Max Speeds"

Here’s a price cut that’s sure to make travel-loving, extroverted geeks happy (don’t we all get happy with any kind of price cut?). Vodafone is offering its mobile broadband plans for lower rates so mobile computing just got a lot cheaper in Australia.

continue reading "Vodafone’s Mobile Broadband Becomes More Affordable"

iPrimus announced that it will be launching the iPrimus Speedster mobile broadband this September. The standard plan offered by iPrimus is the 6GB monthly plan which is priced at AU$39.95 per month which comes with a free modem on a 24-month plan.

continue reading "iPrimus Speedster Capped Mobile Broadband for Australia Launched"

Good news for Telstra users, it seems the company took a look at its own wireless broadband plans and decided to rework it. Of course, as Gizmodo AU mentioned, Telstra is still playing coy and not mixing in with the bunch, but it’s still good news for Telstra subscribers, nonetheless.

continue reading "Telstra Cuts Back Wireless Broadband Data Plans"

Up ’til now, it’s only common for mobile phones to be offered by telcos bundled with specific plans to go along with them. As a result, prices are subsidized and you get your handset for lower its real price. According to a recent article from VIA Arena, the same trend might be the future of mini-notebooks.

continue reading "Mini-Notes Bundled with Broadband Plans to be a Future Norm?"

Always on the go? Vodafone Australia announced that it is launching a USB stick mobile broadband connection. It’s something I’d want to get my hands on, just so I can bring you gadget goodness while frolicking in the beach. Vodafone has actually done well to challenge Three which released a similar product a few months ago.

continue reading "Vodafone Australia Launches USB Mobile Broadband"