3 brings 365-day prepaid wireless broadband and data rollover to life!

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 11 November 2008 12:11

Opinion and Analysis

Coming in three colour stripe choices of green, orange of blue, but primarily in white, the $129 Internet Key comes with 100MB of included data, so if you want to be a cheapskate and not include any data but still give wireless broadband as a gift, at least it’s got something to start with.

It also works with Mac and Windows PCs, and if Ubuntu 8.10’s new wireless and 3G networking capability is as good as has been advertised and people have reported, you’re sure to be able to get it working there too, if not other Linux distros.

Consumers can recharge the modem via credit card online directly via the “My3” option on the software’s connection manager, an auto recharge can be set up on online, by setting the recharge amount on a preferred day of the month, or a voucher can be purchased from “a 3 Store, 3 Dealer or at over 15,000 participating outlets nationally.”

3 is also launching a “Prepay Your Life Competition”.

3 says: “To celebrate the launch of Mobile Broadband Prepaid, 3 is offering the ultimate opportunity to ‘prepay your life’. 

“Purchase a Prepaid Internet Key Modem and Starter kit to be in with a chance of scoring 12 months FREE rent (up to $500 per week), a Fitness First platinum gym membership, Fairfax newspaper subscription, and a 12 month 3 mobile Broadband recharge voucher. For full details visit www.three.com.au or visit a 3 Store.”

The Internet Key can be unlocked for use with other networks but a $99 unlock fee applies, some VPN connections are apparently not supported so if this is important to you, you should try one in store with your laptop first.

Who will make the next move? The Empire has already struck back a couple of times this year, while the Optus and Vodafone rebels have made several moves of their own.

3 Mobile has now officially joined the race, so the race is on to respond with yet another attractive offer to capture the Christmas dollar: who will be the first to offer 20GB at affordable sub $100 rates whether on contract or prepaid – and when in 2009 might it happen?