Five Things You Need to Know Before You Get a Broadband Internet Service

As you probably know, there are numerous Broadband Internet Services available in Australia today. As such, there are a number of things to consider when you shop around for the right broadband package that will suit you Internet connection needs.

Here you find five basic things you need to know before you get a Broadband Internet Service. After reading everything through here, you can browse broadband plans by clicking through to our list of broadband packages and bundle deals from leading broadband service providers in Australia.

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Top 5 Advantages of Mobile Broadband

We can’t really deny that mobile broadband is fairly slower than fixed line connections. But that does not mean you shouldn’t give it a try.

Actual statistics shows that mobile broadband skyrocketed in subscription: According to the latest survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, mobile broadband subscribers (excluding mobile handsets) in Australia rose from 4.9 million to 5.6 million between June and December 2011.

Australians indeed love mobile broadband. And here are the top five reasons why you should join the mobile broadband revolution:

1.       Get connected anytime, anywhere

Probably the biggest edge of mobile broadband is that you can use it on the move, allowing you to access the internet virtually anywhere.

3G mobile broadband is now available to over 97% of the Australian population, allowing you to get online no matter where you are – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Now you can say goodbye to long and boring train or bus travels or while you are away from home. However, take note that the connection could really be unreliable in some areas, so make sure you check the network coverage before signing up to one of the many mobile broadband services in the market.

2.       No wires, no hassle

With mobile broadband, you don’t have to pay for expensive landline which you may never use.  If you’re the type of person that’s always on the move, with feet that never get tired of going places, you could connect wirelessly and save hundreds of dollars a year for not paying expensive line rentals – ever again.

3.       Low-cost deal

Mobile broadband was very expensive when it first came out. However, prices have dropped significantly to basically compete with fixed-line connections. This has made mobile broadband more exciting to those who are sick and tired with many fixed-line connection services.  These days, you can get a mobile broadband subscription from as low as $10 per month.

4.       Usable with many devices

Mobile broadband is virtually compatible with many devices. Through the use of the popular USB Dongle, you can get connected to the internet with any device with a USB port; and that includes tablets, laptops, notebooks, netbooks and desktop computers. Moreover, lots of notebooks and netbooks these days come with mobile broadband card slots. Mobile cards allow your device to connect to the Internet without using a dongle device.

5.       Easy  to setup

Aside from being completely portable, mobile broadband is very easy to setup. The software you need to connect to the Internet is automatically installed once you plug your dongle device – no hassle installation. Just plug and you’re ready to go!

Now there is no more excuse for you not to join the millions of Australian mobile broadband subscribers. Get your very own mobile broadband today! Visit http://www.broadband.com.au/mobile-wireless-broadband-plans.html to check out  the latest mobile broadband deals.

Smart technologies to assist future older Australians

A wide range of smart technologies are available to assist older Australians to live safely and to live well at home and in the community, according to a new report by the University of Melbourne’s Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society (IBES).

With the growing number of older Australians, the use of smart technologies such as computers, tablets, and smartphones can aid and lower the future demands for aged care facilities by allowing them to stay in their home longer with the support of such technologies along with access to cost effective broadband services.

Statistics shows that in 1901 the average life expectancy in Australia was 47 years. By 2025 it will be over 80. In 2050, 25% of Australians will be aged over 65, with 5% over 85.

The IBES report, led by Professor Meg Morris, Head of School of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne, points out that it will be possible to prolong the period living at home and at the same time feel safe. Monitoring and treatment of chronic diseases can be of higher quality and more continuous as rehabilitation and many health and social care services can be received in the home setting.

Smart home technology is currently available to assist older people to stay living at home, including those with impairments, activity limitations and disabilities. Additionally, the report indicates that the rollout of the National Broadband Network offers a unique opportunity to link Australians with state-of-the-art technologies with the potential to improve health, well being and quality of life.

“The National Broadband Network coupled with other new technologies could be better used by healthcare agencies, such as district nursing services, general practitioners and allied health professionals to work more effectively and efficiently in the home and community, to better enable health and wellbeing.”

The report, which includes review and analysis of 8,521 articles on the use of smart technologies to support ageing around the world, is an essential resource for policies and procedures for installation of smart technologies into homes and communities – which also forms part of the National Broadband Network endeavour.

Expert claims tablets and smart phones will phase out NBN

• Expert says NBN Co is just a waste of money 
• Survey reveals 71 percent of Australians use laptop, tablet or smartphone 
• Chief Technology Officer fights back against NBN phase out claims 

Quantum Market Research analyst David Chalke, a prominent social analyst, has argued that the rise of mobile internet through tablets and smart phones threatens to make the $36bn National Broadband Network (NBN) project a huge waste of taxpayers’ money.


The Herald Sun has reported that Chalke said NBN Co was “missing the boat”.
Chalke has based his claims from the results of the Australia SCAN social trend survey, showing 71 per cent of the 2000 Australian respondents owned a laptop, smartphone or tablet.


"Everything is going to be wireless by the time they’ve dug up the roads and stuffed the pipes,” he said.


“It will be too late, it’s all going to be mobile and wireless in the future,” he told Herald Sun.


Chief Technology Officer refutes NBN phase out claims NBN Co chief technology officer Gary McLaren has countered Chalke’s claims, saying that Australians prefer fixed lines for downloads and video streaming.


McLaren has cited the latest survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) which reveals that 93 percent of Australians use fixed-line connections to download content.


“The proportion of mobile handset downloads over mobile networks is estimated to make up just 1.4 percent of total internet downloads in Australia,” he said.


“Other wireless broadband technologies account for just 6.6 percent.”


“Fixed lines remain the engine-room of downloads in this country and around the world. As data-heavy applications such as video become more prevalent there will be an increasing need for robust fixed connections such as the NBN.”


McLaren has argued that enhanced fixed lines such as the NBN are here to ease the limitations of mobile internet.


“The eternal problems associated with spectrum scarcity – such as mobile congestion and a hefty price premium placed on using such a limited resource – are not going to go away,” he added.

Australians love Mobile Wireless Broadband – but not for downloads

• Almost half of all Australian internet connections are mobile wireless broadband
• Fixed internet connections decline but remain as preferred zone for downloads

The latest broadband study from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed that the total number of mobile wireless broadband subscribers (excluding mobile handsets) in Australia rose from 4.9 million to 5.6 million between June and December 2011, beating the number of fixed lines including DSL, cable and fibre subscriptions at 5.5 million.


Additionally, in that same time frame, mobile wireless broadband had taken up 90 percent of the new internet connections, making up 47 percent of the total Internet customer base in Australia.


Despite the mobile broadband subscriptions taking up almost half of all internet connections in the country, Australian internet subscribers still prefer downloads through fixed connections.


As shown in the study, fixed downloads took a leap by 26.4 percent from 254,947 terabytes (TB) in the six months to June 2011 to 322,280TB in the six months to December 2011. Fixed downloads has risen from 91 percent of the overall to 93 percent, while mobile downloads, formerly 9 percent, now represent only 7 percent of the overall.


Meanwhile, subscribers accessing the internet at speed range of 1.5Mbps to 8Mbps increased to 5.1 million, followed by the 8Mbps to 24Mbps speed range at almost 4.0 million subscribers.


Get more info here: Austalian Bureau of Statistics

Huawei looks on other opportunities after NBN ban

Despite being banned from bidding on contracts for Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN), Huawei Technologies, China’s largest maker of telephone equipment, would still look at potential opportunities related to the project.

The Federal Government has recently declared that Huawei would not win any supply contracts in the country’s $38 billion NBN project due to cyber security concerns.


Nonetheless, Huawei’s local board chairman John Lord said the company will now look at possible ventures in the broader market related to the NBN project.


“Our argument will always be that there is core parts of the national infrastructure that companies like us would not expect to be in,” Lord told ABC television on Sunday.


“We would still argue that there’s parts of the NBN that are perhaps suitable.”
The decision to ban the Chinese telecommunications giant came after warning from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation that Huawei’s links to Chinese Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army would jeopardise national security.

PM Gillard backs Huawei ban
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard supports the decision to ban Huawei, arguing that the move was not against trade rules.


“We’ve made decisions in the national interest. We’ve made decisions that we have the ability to make,” Gillard said. “Any suggestion that this is somehow in breach of our trade obligations is simply untrue.”


“And I know China itself takes a view about its own telecommunication system and roll out, that it’s got a special approach to whether there should be foreign investment in that.”


Gillard’s statement came after China’s Foreign Ministry’s plea to provide “a market environment for Chinese companies that is fair and free from discrimination”.


Hong Lei’s spokesman said: “We hope the relevant authorities of Australia will provide a market environment for Chinese companies that is fair and free from discrimination, instead of wearing colored lenses and obstructing Chinese companies’ normal operation in Australia in the name of so-called security.”


Decision will not hurt Australia and Chinese relations
Australia’s Treasurer Wayne Swan has affirmed that the Huawei NBN ban would not hurt the country’s relations with China. Foreign Minister Bob Carr, on the other hand, has urged Huawei to continue expanding in Australia.


“We have no indication that any other projects have been looked at,” Huawei spokesman Luke Coleman told Reuters. “In fact the government has encouraged us to continue to grow our business here in Australia,” he added.

ACCC encourages internet customers to know their rights

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) encourages consumers to “know their rights” on their internet connection service.

ACCC spokesman Brent Rebecca has informed the public about the consumer guarantees intended to ensure that internet providers’ customers get the service that they paid for.

“In the case of internet providers, if the service is not fit for the purpose, you have a right to a remedy such as refund, repair, replacement or exchange, compensation or cancellation of contract,” Rebecca said.

Consumers unhappy with their internet connection should first try to resolve the problem with their provider. Nonetheless, if consumers think they were given misleading information abount  an internet service, they have all the rights  to contact the ACCC.

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