David Lock

My daughter has just gone to Oz for a holiday and I have just got a mail from her. All is well but she says she will text in future as Internet is "so expensive". I am mystified by this as I though the Internet was the solution to cheap worldwide communication.

So anyone been there and knows what she is talking about???

David

Orangio

Is she on about using data on her phone to send an email? Or in an internet cafe?

cster

Sounds like she wants you to send her some money - ya tight b4stard.

David Lock

Sorry no idea. Mail did come from her usual e-mail address so I assumed an Internet Cafe but I don't really know what I am talking about

Anyway not super important but I was curious.

David

David Lock

Oi - I gave her £10 spending money so she should be grateful for that

d

Funkii Munkii

Probably Internet Cafe not cheap at all, you buy time IIRC

Where is she ? if Downtown Sydney ?, if so I suggest she try's Woolworths on the corner of George St and Park St, opposite the Town Hall, 2nd floor, probably the best value and they have untold screens with headphones mics etc .

Ask her to bring me back a family sized bag of Violet Crumble whilst she's in there

David Lock

Currently in Sydney but off to Melbourne tomorrow. Don't hold your breath for the Violet Crumble

david

Bristol98

Oooo, a packet of TimTams please if she's doing orders!

Been ages since I've done the TimTam Slam!

Funkii Munkii

Ahhh Shame


Bristol98, The Black Forest Tim Tams are the business

specialx

I had to google that!

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

I have a friend who is out in Western Australia in the sticks as it were.

She has to use this http://www.telstra.com.au/internet/satellite/ Even the cheapest plan is $3000 a year!!!! And people moan here.

Funkii Munkii

That's for people that dont have phone lines, i.e they can only get satelite, the majority have phone lines and pay nowhere near that. I paid about £25 a month for unlimited d/l's and it was about 10 x faster than the 5hite Sky BB I have now.

RobJenks

When I am in Oz I use prepaid 3 Mobile Broadband.
Its a USB plug and play access via the 3G network.
$100 for 6G Not cheap but convenient if a visitor.

Graz

Don't the MaccyDs over there have free Wi-Fi like we do here?

I suspect she is talking about using data on her phone via the phones network. Tell her to find a Wi-Fi hotspot.

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Yes that's why I said they were out in the sticks with no other option....

Funkii Munkii

You didn't mention they had no other option or that they didnt have a phone

AlanG

Your daughter needs to find out wifi hotspots if she wants to use Internet on a regular basis (assuming she's only using a mobile).
Alternatively she can get another SIM card (aussie number) for her phone and tether that to her laptop (if wireless capable). It's no big deal to tell folks a new number while you're in Oz.
I use Lebara over here and can tether to iPad or laptop at no cost. For $40/month you get unlimited national calls to landlines/mobiles, free 13 and 1800 numbers, free texts, free voicemail and 3Gb data plus $15 credit to call international numbers. For the uk that's 5c/minute to landline and 19c/min to mobiles with a 9c flag fall (cost to connect the call). Plus the international credit rolls over if you dont use it all in the same month.
Most of the bigger players charge a lot more per minute, in flag fall or dont do roll over so can be expensive. Lebara use the Vodafone network. There are other cheaper options but that one suits me. HTH

AlanG

Are they not just Penguins?

AlanG

Yes they do. 50Mb limit per day. Most that I've been to are **** though.

dpb

Surely internet cafes the cheapest way to go ....!!
For occasional use anyway , unless you're going to print offf loads stuff anyway

AlanG

All depends on what David's daughter is using to communicate, hence the questions to find the solution, but as David says he doesnt know and its no big deal he was just curious.
If she is just on holiday for a few weeks then yeah Internet cafe is probably the best solution for emailing and browsing. It's a fixed one off cost each time so you know where your money stands.
Personally each time I come back to uk I just get a SIM card with new number and tell those I contact, that that number will be used for the duration. My phone covers everything I need to stay in touch.

Glynmitch

You can get them in Tesco I love doing the Tim Tam Slam with a cup of coffee



Not really

lordharding

iTrader: (1)

The boy lives in Adelaide and pays about $40 dollars a month for Internet

Everything is expensive in Aussie to us we spent a month out there this year

Even Internet cafes are $10 dollars for 1hour I remember

Tel her to get an Aussie sim card
Then she can text you and you can ring her back

And if you sign up to 18134.co.uk
Ring her mobile
Think we pay either 1or2 pence a minute to ring his mobile

Aussie
I paid $ 14 for 2 Ice creams and a bottle of pop
And $3 for a mars bar

Great country though very safe and clean and well paid jobs over there

Boys girlfriend gets $ 500 for stacking shelves In a supermarket for 25 hours

The boy gets 3times more money in Aussie then uk as mental health nurse

If I could start my life again I would of went out there to live

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

I said "she HAS to use this" the word has being definitive so there should have been no need to explain the rest not so smarty pants

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

If it's the internet cafe that's expensive, tell her to type her emails before she goes into the cafe. That way she won't be paying for the time it takes her to type them. She just needs to turn up, connect and send. She should be able to do it all in 15mins.

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

Sorry but I can't belive no one has asked for a bakini pic to be post up of her before we offer anhy form of advice!

Funkii Munkii

No wuckers 5T, being a sweaty I wouldn't expect you to have a full grasp of the English language, it all makes sense now

David Lock

OK guys - cheers for comments. I am now suffering from technology overload

And I only asked a simple question

She's just there for a couple of weeks (too short a time IMHO). She now has an Oz SIM card so we'll just send her a text now and again. She is certainly enjoying it but now her mum is worried that she will like it too much Can't win can you......

David

David Lock

Would she pay a roaming fee if we text her?

Or are they a thing of the past?

david

urban

iTrader: (1)

Is that net or gross?

Hmmm, but aren't there too many things that can kill you out there?