Non-Telstra mobile coverage for CHTR, is it possible?

[FRQ Charlie Bravo]

I've been in the game professionally for 3 years and I'm now operating from a capitol city but still going bush regularly. Having become accustomed to Telstra's service and prices in the bush I now walk through the shopping malls tripping over my jaw as I see the incredible deals offered by Virgin, 3, Optus, Vodafone etc. The folks at 3 claim to have access to the Telstra 3G network even in remote areas but on further inspection I find that this excludes places like Tarcoola SA, Wyndham WA and other similar examples I have put to them (places I've been surprised to find ample signal bars on my phone to check WX, email and call the boss/family).

With the view to use Telstra Pre-paid as a backup I've looked into dual sim phones and sim card splitters (they turn two sims into one to slot into a single phone and install a program on the phone allowing you to choose which sim using the menu) but I'm not convinced that these are the best idea as the call forwarding costs (non-Telstra permanently diverted to Telstra pre-paid number) could become excessive.

Does anybody have a good system that doesn't involve carrying two phones or being only with Telstra?

~FRQ CB

[AussieNick]

can i ask what the problem is to be with telstra only?

by the way, 3 arn't totally telling a lie when they say the have acess to the telstra 3g network. # and telstra worked together to develop and instal the 3G network. 1900 3G is only avaliable in the cities and larger netro areas (for example, darwin doesn't have 1900 3G) but telstras NextG network which is a 850MhZ 3G HSDPA network is exclusive to them. Optus i think is begining to roll out their own HSDPA network but i'm not 100% certian about that

[Goat Whisperer]

Yeah...

you don't need 2 phones but sometimes 2 SIM cards.

Optus has greatly improved their 3G coverage in the bush, but not near Telstra's Next G standard. To access Optus coverage cheaper sign up to Virgin Mobile, which is a wholly owned subsidiary nowadays.

I don't think that 3 roams onto Telstra 3G, only Telstra 2G, otherwise it would be the cheap way to take advantage of Telstra's coverage without their impressive bills. Tel 2G cover ain't that flash.

Make sure you have a a handset that is "dual band 3G" but quad band would be better.

Here's the technical bit: Quad band phones work on 850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz. Within Australia you can disregard the 1900. 2100 will work best in built up urban environments but the lower freqs will work over a greater range. Telstra Next G uses 850 and other Aus 3G networks use 900. If your handset doesn't do one of the freqs, you are out of luck in an area that only has it, even for emergency calls.

Get the right handset, make sure it's not locked to any network, get your first choice of network on a plan that suits you and take a Telstra Next G pre paid SIM with you for the other times.

[The Green Goblin]

I don't think that 3 roams onto Telstra 3G, only Telstra 2G, otherwise it would be the cheap way to take advantage of Telstra's coverage without their impressive bills. Tel 2G cover ain't that flash.

'3' actually do roam on the Telstra 3G and 2G networks Telstra invested in the '3' network to negate the need to build their own and instead built a 3G HSDPA network which they call the Next G network.

I can't stand Telstra, the customer service is crap, at takes you an hour to speak to the right department by which stage you need to send your phone in for repairs after kicking it into a wall and if it were not for the coverage I would be long gone.

My best experience as a customer was with vodafone and if they built a 3G HSDPA network i'd be there in a heartbeat.

Solution for you mate is to have a cheap Next G prepaid phone that you take flying with you and use your other phone in the city. I think they stopped making dual sim readers after the 5110/3310/8210 style phones which are the only ones I have ever seen them for.

[FourBalls]

sim card splitters (they turn two sims into one to slot into a single phone and install a program on the phone allowing you to choose which sim using the menu)

I tried searching for these but no joy. Can you point me in the right direction?
Will it work on either the Nokia E51 or N95?
Cheers
4B

[pw1340]

Just to add to the 'next g' coverage issue, the handset you use makes a huge difference. Do not believe the Telstra 'blue tick' crap either. In my experience the LG (which is blue tick) and Telstra branded models are crap from both a reception and reliability point of view, the I-mate suffered poor reception and sometimes when I lost service it wouldn't search again unless I reset it. The Nokia's are pretty hard to beat especially the E51 which I got a full twelve months out of (which is good for me) it even went through the wash in the first month. Very rugged phone and I have never not had service while someone else did at the same spot. I'm that impressed by it I bought another one when my first finallly died. The N95 or 6210(i think) have pretty good reception also but I doubt either (particularly N95) would survive my neglectful treatment.

Just my $0.02

PW

[FRQ Charlie Bravo]

Fourballs, see here Dual sim card adapter - Twin sim card (http://www.simore.eu)

[RadioSaigon]

...or here (http://www.dualsimmobilephone.com.au/10-dualsim-slider-mobile-phone.html). Personally I'm leaning more towards this; haven't heard/read such good things about the dual sim adapters. From my understanding of it, although you have 2 sim cards in your phone using the adapter, you are only able to use one at a time, switching to the other as/when required.

By contrast with the dual sim card phones, both sims are simultaneously available via duplicated circuitry. Given that all the dual sim phones on the market are supplied standard with 2 batteries, I have my suspicions that they may be a bit fond of their tucker. Despite that, it seems a better proposition to me as I currently have to carry 2 phones -1 work, 1 personal, as I suspect possibly many others do too. Having both available simultaneously in the one handset is a fairly major advantage IMO. Maybe not so important in the situation you describe though.

[Kelly Slater]

CDMA was the network for the bush. Telstra replaced it with Next G and are the only telco operating the Next G network. I doubt that there is a phone available that will work with either a 3G or Next G sim card but that is what you need in order to do what you are trying to do. Telstra Next G is a monopoly and priced accordingly.

[Goat Whisperer]

Kelly

Plenty of phones can do Next G and other brand 3G. Next G is just a brand Telstra put on their 3G offering. Look for dual band 3g or quad band handset.

If you don't want to change SIMs then one of the above 2sim phones or sim splitters would work a treat... in the right handset.

[Kelly Slater]

Found this on a "Whirlpool" forum.

"When they say NextG they are talking about the Telstra only 850 MHz 3g network which operated simultaneously on 850/2100 mhz and also uses HSDPA. 850 MHz is the same frequency as the CDMA network which provides greater distance coverage due to the lower frequency used.
The "3G" network is the 2100MHz "city only" 3G network which doesn't give the same coverage."

So it would appear that you can indeed find a handset that will work on both. You are, however, still stuck with Telstra for Next G. I am, of cause, likely to be shown to be wrong again but that would be a good thing.

[beaver_rotate]

Mate the Nokia E51 (which is probably the worst quality phone Nokia has ever produced in my mind - i'm up to phone #3), is by far remarkable with regards to Telstra 3G network. In FNQ I often get reception all around the cape the entire time (even up to F250), its remarkable. Handy in those boring cruises when you can get wx and check/send e-mails, v. handy. It still gives me a surprise when i've forgotten to turn it off and I get a phone call in the flight levels. BR

[FourBalls]

Kelly,

I agree. A few years back, Just prior to the launch of the NextG network, I "upgraded" my cdma to a 3G nokia N95 - on advice from a letter from telstra.:ugh:
The then 3G only coverage was appalling obviously since that handset only worked on.
the 2100MHz "city only" 3G network which doesn't give the same coverage
I couldn't even send sms within 5nm of a phone tower. Piece of ****e.
So I took the phone back and got the iMate - got voice out to 80nm from tower (<10000') and sms/data out to 100nm sometimes - awesome.
My current N95 NextG handset is as good as this but with smokin' data speeds.
Cheers

[Ozeflyer]

I found the best solution to be the Samsung A411 on pre-paid if you do not want to switch over to Telstra. This phone(or the A412) is a blue tick and keeps working when most others can't get a signal.

The operating system is a nightmare but the phone works well.

Do a search on whirlpool.net.au for A411 or A412 for more info.

Telstra don't seem to offer the 411 phone any more but you could get one on ebay brand new for $109 buy it now.