Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 15 April 2008 14:34
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
That 95% population coverage isn’t due until the end of 2008, compared with Telstra’s 98.9% which was launched well over a year ago, so at least that reason can be used to partially explain why Telstra’s prices are so very much higher than everyone else’s.
Where this will leave Three Mobile at the end of 2008 is in a difficult spot, as they’ll be the only 3G provider who can’t offer 3G data speeds outside major metropolitan areas, instead stiffing customers with a $1.65 per megabyte charge to use Telstra’s 2.5G GPRS/EDGE network, a charge that is probably largely thanks to what Telstra charges Three mobile, but still a very steep charge nevertheless.
Three mobile will likely have to be even more competitive in metro pricing to make up for the fact Three customers who travel to rural and regional areas will have to be very careful with the amount of wireless Internet they use when outside of Three’s 3G zones.
Now, the company that was the first to boldly lower wireless data pricing to acceptable limits in metropolitan areas – Three mobile – whether access through a USB or PCMCIA/Expresscard wireless modem, or through your 3G mobile phone – has released a survey in conjunction with Sony Ericsson with some interesting findings on just what Australians think about wireless data.
Three and Sony Ericsson’s new survey comes with some interesting headline stats, with 96% of Australians “demanding constant, cheap and accessible internet access” and 91% saying that “barriers like cost and usability currently prevent accessing mobile web”.
The other major headline is that 76% access search engines on their phones, while 74% access email, meaning these are two very popular mobile pastimes.
More than half of those surveyed, or 53%, say “they need internet access outside of work or home.”
The survey says that it found “if more Australians had cheap and easy web access on their mobile 80% would spend more time online, with 66% of respondents saying their internet usage would increase by up to four hours each week.”
Please read onto page 3 for more survey details, along with a curiously annoying Three experience I just had right now (as I type) - although not connected to the survey.
