Internet - East Coast Australia

[Bear]

I am sailing the Qld Coast of Australia and would like to know the best options for onboard internet regarding company has the best coverage and what will I need an external antenna to be able to maintain reception. Thanks Bear

[S Y Tuppenny]

Hi
We are in NSW cruising and have a Telstra Elite, seems to have best coverage and we can even skype on it. not sure of cost as friends bought it for us. hope this helps
The Tuppenny Girls

[MarcW]

Telstra / Bigpond is the way to go for all Aus get hold of a RFI CD2195 6.5/3dB antenna and a patch lead to suit.

On the east coast you should get good coverage, more sparse the population it will drop off.

Can only mount your antenna as high as you can.

Good luck

In South Australia heading slowly east.

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Bear,


FWIW, we've just done Cairns to Sydney using Vodafone prepaid. We knew that Telstra had better coverage, but couldn't stand their rapacious prepaid rates. To our surprise, we had a connection in all but a very few anchorages, and often up to 20 miles offshore. Not perfect, but better than we expected.

Cheers,

Jim

PS We used the Vodaphone dongle on a 4 M USB cable run out through a dorade and hanging from the boom when in low signal areas. Some sort of preamp would likely improve things.

[GypsyHawk]

Yes, Telstra has the best coverage, but I use a prepaid Optus sim card in my wireless dongle and it works in most locations. Sometimes it helps to use an external antenna that attaches to the dongle. I also have an aversion to the high Telstra charges.

[SimonV]

I use Optus but only used between Jervis Bay and Cairns. I had poor to excalent coverage most of the time but there were a number of dead spots where Ihad no signal but my Telstra mobile did. I would love to know why Telsta is so much more expensive, if they price compared I would switch.