With wireless broadband hitting the airwaves, and the continuing fall in mobile phone call prices, do you still need your home phone?
It's that frustrating time of the month again when the phone bill arrives. As I use my mobile phone to keep in contact with friends and family, I don't use the home phone to make calls. Why do I have a home phone? To get broadband Internet. I can't get rid of the home phone because I need to rent a little piece of copper wire in order to connect to my ISP.
While I cherish having an high-speed ADSL net connection, I loathe having to fork out cash to two separate companies for one service. I don't know how many people in Australia find themselves in the same predicament. If you're an apartment dweller with broadband, you've probably realised there aren't very many options available. Telecommunications companies generally won't install a cable service in "multiple dwelling units" so many people are forced into ADSL, which operates through regular telephone sockets.
Last week, Sydneysiders were served another solution, wireless broadband from Unwired. Unlike traditional wired broadband, which utilises copper wire laid out through your street, walls and home, Unwired's infrastructure is set up in a similar fashion to mobile phone networks.
It's not like satellite service either, which depends on line of sight for a connection. All you need is a special non-line-of-sight modem that plugs into your computer via USB or an Ethernet port. One of the best things about the service is the mobility it offers. You can't use it on the move like you would a mobile phone, or services like Vodafone Connect or Telstra's 1xRTT. However, you can take your modem with you to work, a friend's house, university, plug it in to any system and use the same broadband account. The modem can run off mains power and also supports battery-powered operation, so the only cable you need is from the modem to your PC/laptop.
With speeds similar to the structure of ADSL services, Unwired offers 256kbps, 512kbps, and 1Mbps services for comparable prices. On face value, the wireless service is a little higher than what I currently pay for broadband but as I generally make phone calls using my mobile phone, I can finally get rid of my home phone line- about $30/month in line rental last time I checked - and save money.
Another bonus if you're moving house is that you don't have to deal with switching over (and associated costs) to shift your broadband account to a new address; as long as you're moving into an Unwired covered area, you should be able to just plug back in your computer and be connected.
If you're stuck to your phone line because you need it to make local calls, next year Unwired plans to launch its Vocie over IP (VOIP) service, which will offer unlimited local calls for a fixed charge on top of your monthly fee.
Unfortunately, availability is currently limited to the Sydney area. With 73 towers around Sydney, Unwired claims that it can service 95% of Sydney's population, from Bondi to Penrith, Hornsby to Engadine.
If adoption rates increase and the service takes off, hopefully we'll see wireless broadband hitting homes throughout NSW and Australia in the next couple of years.
What do you think? Would you get rid of your home phone for a wireless service?
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Reg Sherlock
26/08/2004 09:59 PM
With the inevitable coming of timed calls bring on these services ASAP. All current Telcos are starting to get a bit on the greedy side for some of us simple folks !!.
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Louene Allthorpe
01/09/2004 10:39 AM
Jeremy, Sounds great! When can we get this service to Karragarra Island Queensland? We can only get Dial up Internet and it takes several calls to even get on line for a short time the we are constantly cup off. Regards Louene
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Osden
02/09/2004 05:29 PM
get it to melbourne FAST !!!
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n/a
12/04/2005 08:04 AM
Is it law that you have to have a home phone?
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lxhiss
13/04/2005 05:01 PM
Unwired really needs some flat based price plans. That's when it will really take off. The telstra default monopoly is over. Unlimited access for so much a month. Or slow the speed down after you hit a certain download limit like the Optus broadband plans. Now that would really take off. Everyone really can give themselves a $30 credit for what they are saving in line rental. The last mile is now obsolete. Thank God!
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zeu5e@yahoo.com
30/09/2005 09:00 PM
I got rid of my home phone some time ago, as I have cable internet access. Relying on a mobile completely does have a few drawbacks, like running out of charge during a lengthy conversation, and the high cost of local, 1300 and 1800 numbers. Then there's the one where you can't find your phone and its run out of charge. I have thoughts of getting a landline again, but WHY does it cost about $30 a month, even if you make no calls.
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LongV
05/12/2005 01:03 PM
That is great news. The only reason that I still keep the home phone, because I make ovesea calls. Can the unwire net work support the ovesea phone calls?.
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darrenfalconer
01/06/2007 03:28 PM
i have been trying to find something like this for a while. here is a short term solution i would like to try. turning a street into a network and sharing cost with neighbours. setup wireless network and allow each neighbour(who pays of course) to connect. this whole idea of having to pay line rental and out rageous costs is beyond me, our broad band is slow and every one else in the world enjoys unlimited fast speeds for a small monthly cost. as far as im aware its not illegal to share internet and as long as u trust ur neighbours then all is good. each street could be a network and you could all allow file sharing like a mini interent. this country needs to sort out its telecommunication coz this is not far to pay $100+ to get 5 gig day 5 gig nite and stupid $30 worth of free calls when i can use skype and save a fortune. which you could also do by sharing the interenet with neighbours, u can rent for like $10 a month a proper phone number from skype which can call land, mobile etc and receive from land mobile. if every one trusted each other we could screw over phone companies.
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Simon Tinkler
17/03/2008 06:22 PM
I so relate as I am in an apartment where I cannot get cable. Sadly I am in Brisbane so it might be years before this wonderful option hits us.
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Dee
03/06/2008 08:14 PM
I just posted the other day a solution www.virginbroadband.com.au has a home phone without line rental for $60 and you get unlimited local and national calls - it also includes broadband. Howz that
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