GPRS and 3G Wireless Broadband and Internet Services

Australia has been offering low speed wireless broadband via traditional mobile GSM networks for some time now. As time has moved on and 3G high speed broadband services have been introduced into Optus, Telstra, Vodafone and Three's networks , end users are now able to obtain high speed services provided they are within range of a 3G base station.

For the most part mobile broadband services are offered to a post-paid customer, which means the end customer needs to make a contract commitment as well as have the various credit track records to qualify for a plan selection.

Australia does have a great selection in terms of product offering when it comes to prepaid wireless internet services. These include all the big 4 providers who offer prepaid and post paid 3G Wireless Internet Broadband Services

In order for a pre-paid pay as you go internet service to be used on a computer, cell phone or another mobile device, the providers need to ensure that the traditional recharge mechanics (as described in our prepaid mechanics article) are altered. This is to accommodate for online recharge through a portal which can be accessed via the transport internet protocol and at the same time limit access to general internet.

Prepaid Internet recharge is still possible via phone based top up which is in most cases is handled via IVR or call centre facilities.

As a neutral expert in the prepaid space, Ensquared and Prepaid Earth believe that Telstra have the prepaid internet market open for the taking given the widespread coverage of their network and the high speed network capabilities. The issue is that generally Telstra are so slow to move and this type of innovative thinking for the budget conscious student or immigrant is not a traditional Telstra play. Time will tell whether the big T can make this segment their very own.

Optus on the other hand are even more challenged since they have a very poor online activation process, which usually leaves callers waiting from 30-60 minutes in order to activate a stock standard cell phone prepaid service; so adding the enhanced complexity of an internet service over and above will certainly make things challenging.

Prepaid Earth backs both Vodafone and Three , who are smaller, quicker and more adaptive to changing market conditions in order to make the prepaid internet and broadband segments their very own. Prepaid customers are always looking for cheap deals to match an individual’s tight budget. In the world of prepaid every penny counts .

Lastly nothing will stop Virgin, Dodo and Soul/TPG  from driving the big 4 Australian GSM network operators to create a service provider product that enables a greater footprint of prepaid Internet. Teleworking, remote access, research, mobile work force requirements are some of the maim application drivers behind prepaid broadband.