3 cuts prices for wireless broadband UPDATED

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 01 April 2008 09:53

Your IT - Home IT

Australians could be in for another round of price cuts on wireless broadband services: 3 has dropped its prices and introduced an entry level plan offering 1Gbyte of data for $15 per month. It has also introduced a range of capped plans combining voice and data, and is offering a no-charge Blackberry on business plans bundling voice data and emails.

Other new plans from 3 are $29 for 3GB and $49 for 6GB. All plans are over 24 months and include a USB modem for an additional $5 per month. 3 is also offering a number of conversion options for customers already on existing plans.

The last round of price cutting was triggered late last year when Vodafone announced, on 29 November, a new plan offering 5Gbytes of data for $39 per month on its HSDPA network, where available, and via GPRS elsewhere in its network, but only until 31 December, but by mid December it had extended this into 2008 saying the reduced price had seen sign up rates increase threefold.

On 6 December 3 responded with a half price offer, which brought the cost of a 5Gbyte plan down to $49.50 per month. But this deal, which cuts the price of all 3's wireless data plans by half, was initially available only until 15 January.

Vodafone announced on 6 March that it had extended its 5GB for $39 per month offer. No termination date was given, but Vodafone said it would "make further announcements on the price of mobile broadband plans throughout the year."

Optus which has been promoting its mobile broadband offer heavily, is presently offering 2GB for $45, less if bundled with other Optus services. Telstra charges $89 per month for 1GB on a six month contract, with a half price offer for customers of certain other services. 3 however has the most limited coverage area of all mobile operators in Australia - most parts of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast - and outside these areas data costs are $1.65 per Mbyte, up or downstream. CONTINUED