Mobile connection options for Australia and around the world

Regular travelers know that getting access to the internet on the road or in the airport can be costly. Wireless hotspots and hotel broadband access are convenient but can quickly mount up. Try these comparatively affordable mobile broadband services that you can use wherever you are in Australia - and with some services, around the world. Save time and hotel phone bills car hire shopping (and the rest!) online.

Vodafone Mobile Connect

Connect to the net at seven-times dial-up speed (384bit/s) in Victoria, NSW, ACT and Queensland. In other Australian states you’ll be restricted to dial-up speed as the service uses the older GSM network. Vodafone roams at high speed in 17 countries and dial-up speed in 59 countries - it’s A$10 a megabyte. A laptop card is A$299. Service in some countries explains the A$40 billion loss this year! www.vodafone.com.au

Optus Wireless Connect

Optus shares its 3G network with Vodafone so it offers the same coverage areas for high-speed wireless internet. It’s advantage is 100 Optus and 500 Azure WiFi hotspots at no extra cost. Optus roams to 13 countries at high speed and 65 at dial-up speed - with a 14-day money back guarantee so you can check coverage. Laptop card is A$299. www.optus.com.au

IBURST

iBurst uses a data-only wireless broadband network to offer speed of about 17-times dial-up (1000Kbit/s). Coverage in Australia is well-suited for business travellers (Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Gold Coast) but no network in other areas and no international roaming. Laptop card is A$299-450 according to ISP. www.iburst.com.au

Netconnect

This one is LOW cost - the card is free if you take a 12-month service contract. However if you roam onto 3’s backup network - which is the dial-up speed through Telstra - you’ll be up for an extra A$1.65/MB on top of your monthly fee. No high-speed coverage in NT or Tasmania, and international roaming coverage is limited - 11 countries at high speed and six at dial-up speed. Business users (but not personal) get a 45-day money back guarantee period as a test run. www.three.com.au

Telstra Bigpond Wireless

For use within Australia only, BigPond’s wireless service can’t be beaten for coverage. Minimum speed is about three-times dial-up (144Bit/s) across Australia, with a speed of about nine-times dial-up (512bit/s) in capital cities and many regional centres. The price for coverage is higher on a mandatory 12-month contract - there is a money-back guarantee for a 10-day period, no risk. Laptop card A$299. www.bigpond.com

And saving money getting on the road

CentralCarHire.com offers smart technology to compare multiple prices, and the security of top tier car rental brands - Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. The low prices come from access to distressed car rental inventory Australia wide. You compare prices and real time vehicle availability for the car rental location and date you choose. You can also search for specific cars or for special car hire deals. You’ll only see the vehicles available for you to book now - no waiting for quotes or email replies. We confirm your booking and you pay on pick up. You can cancel the rental any time prior to pickup - no fees or penalties. Our partners include Avis Car Hire, Budget Car Rental, Hertz Car Rental, Europcar Hire and Thrifty Car Rental. Through these partnerships, we are able to offer a cheap car rental rate on a full range of quality vehicles Australia wide.

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