Telstra introducing group data plans for mobile broadband

David M Williams
Sunday, 05 April 2009 17:17

IT Industry - Strategy

The use of portable USB, or built-in, 3G modems with laptops is becoming increasingly common in today's highly online society. Yet, such service comes at a cost - for many, a disturbingly high cost. Telstra are soon to announce new group NextG data plans to help enterprises better manage their costs.

This is breaking news. Telstra have not yet finalised the details of their new plans. In my day job I've been lobbying Telstra for better facilities to manage my company's fleet of NextG modems.

Just this week past Telstra announced internally that new group plans were coming. The details are still being determined and the public have not been advised until now.

To understand why this is a good thing, you need to understand the problem. And a terrible problem it is. Presently Telstra offer little to help businesses control their variable costs when it comes to roaming data.

You want your execs and sales people – not to mention the IT team – to have a modem. If they are in a client’s office, or stuck in a hotel while travelling for business, or simply anywhere out of the office it’s to your advantage if they’re being productive.

Yet, these modems come without any real restriction. You pay a monthly fee which includes a certain amount of data and then get billed on top for everything in excess.

Choosing the right plan for each user is far from a science. You will have office-bound staff who only travel irregularly so you might put them on the lightest plan. Then one week, without your prior knowledge, they’ll spend a week away and work all night in their hotel. You will most certainly rack up a bill.

Yet, put the plan up and you end up paying more upfront than you ought for the rest of the time when the staff member stays put.

Worse, you’ll find (ab)users who incur horrendous excess charges in the thousands of dollars. I’ve seen this in several companies I’ve worked for. The first time, despite my advice, the company chose not to install ADSL in a new office, believing the sole representative could operate fully from his (then) CDMA modem. Sure enough, when the bill came in I received no further objection in getting a superior wired network installed.

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