Speed is obviously a burning question for anyone looking to use a mobile broadband offering. The best way to test speed is to lend a USB modem from a friend and test it out at home. If its for business then rest assured that if you are traveling around capital cities all providers will perform relatively well. From some recent research I undertook, 3 Mobile has been one of the star performers outside of Telstra in terms of speed. You can read the review we did here.
However 3 Mobile Prepaid Broadband is more than just a good performing solution, its also very good value. They are currently offering their E1756 modem for just $79. And to top it off you can bundle 12GB of data for just $199 and it will last you for 12 months. This is much cheaper than a 1GB monthly contract from most providers.
3 Mobile’s prepaid recharge options start at $15 for 500MB, 2GB for $29, 4GB for $49 and 12GB for $149. In addition, you also get 10 free SMS and your data lasts for 30 days except for the 12GB plan which lasts for a year. Are they good value? I think they are. Optus is currently offering 1GB for $30, 3.45GB for $50 and at the top end, 9.2GB for $130 lasting only 186 days. So yes, I think 3 Mobile’s value is good. Where it could be better is in a few more options for those people looking to spend between $50 and $150. So it would be nice to see maybe a 9GB plan introduced.
Is 3 Mobile broadband good for regional Australia. It’s improving but at the moment for best results I would either look at Telstra or Optus (or an Optus reseller eg Exetel). If you travel into the city mainly or if you live in the suburbs around major Australian cities, 3 Mobile should be fine. You can check the 3 Mobile coverage map here.
