Internet and Mobile reception

Mickwil · Member

Internet and Mobile reception

yobarr · Guru

Mickwil wrote:
Hi all, I am about to drive on the Eyre Highway from Norseman to Ceduna. As I have a business it is imperative that I have both internet and Mobile phone reception. Can you tell me what the go is on this stretch of road Thanks Mick

Unless you have Telstra I believe that you'll struggle. When I travelled across from Norseman and past Port Augusta there was coverage whenever I needed it, even when I ventured off the highway, but I do have a CelFi Go booster. Others will no doubt offer more-technical help, but I had no trouble with phone or iPad. Phone is T86. Good luck. Cheers

Whenarewethere · Guru

When you zoom in very close you can see 3g, 4g & 5g networks individually. There are gaps in the network & then a lot of it is still only 3g along the Eyre Highway, so hope you are basically only making phone calls! We forget just how slow 3g is for internet access.

https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/our-coverage

Forget Optus!

https://www.optus.com.au/living-network/coverage

Tony Bev · Guru

I have Aldi Mobile, which is fairly useless on the Nullarbor

The wife has Telstra Mobile, and there are some places on the Eyre Highway, where there is no reception

If you require phone/internet reception between Norseman WA, and Ceduna SA, then I can only think of two ways to do it

You could download WikiCamps and the rest stops/caravan parks, will show if there is phone reception, at that area
You could then, plan that section of your road trip, knowing where the phone reception is most likely to be

Or you could purchase a (according to my daughter), Elon Musk mobile starlink for RV's
Which should give mobile coverage, anywhere

Hope that this info is useful to you

Whenarewethere · Guru

Boost mobile is one exception which has access to Telstra's full network. Aldi & likewise don't get full access, but it's fine for those not living in the outback.

With the Optus network every retailer seems to have full access to the Optus network, but that's of little help in the outback as the network is smaller than Telstra's network.

So basically it's Telstra or Boost.

https://www.reviews.org/au/mobile/mvno/

Maybe you've heard the acronym MVNO mentioned in an ACA story about saving on your mobile plan. Maybe you saw the news recently where the ACCC encouraged Australians to compare plans from MVNOs in response to recent mobile plan price increases. Or maybe you're already signed up to one of Australia's MVNOs and you just don't know it. Whatever your reason, you don't know what an MVNO is and at this point, you're too afraid to ask. MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator.

Okay, new question: what is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator? Glad you asked.

A Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO from this point on) is a mobile service provider that leases phone and data services from network providers, rather than building and supplying the networks themselves. In most cases, MVNOs offer the same mobile coverage you'd get on the Telstra, Optus or Vodafone network but have fewer overheads to pay and tend to offer cheaper plans as a result.

MVNOs on the Optus and Vodafone networks get complete access to their respective 4G networks (with 5G support slowly making its way to MVNOs too). But most Telstra MVNOs use the Telstra Wholesale Network, a slightly smaller version of Telstra's market-leading 4G network.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

We came across from Norseman to Ceduna a few weeks ago , we both have Telstra on our phones and we also have a Telstra 4GX wireless modem. I would say that we lost coverage fairly reguarly for periods of time but only until the next tower or town came within range. My wife would try and sent or receive text messages but sometimes it would fail to send or the phone would suddenly ping with incoming messages as soon as we came within range of the next one. This was pretty much the case right around on our lap of the country in the more isolated areas . My wife used to have Vodafone on her mobile and is was completely useless once once you left town she was always using my Telstra phone.

BB

-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Sunday 1st of October 2023 01:47:26 PM

-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Sunday 1st of October 2023 01:49:15 PM

-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Sunday 1st of October 2023 01:49:35 PM

watsea · Guru

A couple of years ago we did that trip, it was pretty much as Belomont Bear said. Mrs watsea and I have Telstra phones.
While doing a free camp overnight a little further west of Bunda Cliffs but still in SA, we went to sleep with the times and wake-up alarms as per daylight saving SA time. During the night, a signal strength from a WA tower became predominant, so we woke, having a bit of a sleep-in, before the alarms which were two and half hours later than SA time.

Whenarewethere · Guru

You pretty much nailed the issue, but not only in the outback, but some locations in metropolitan areas.

We are in Manly - Sydney, & still can't get 5g, not that we need it as we don't stream, but... really... 2023!

Recently had a problem with 3g & spent the majority of the day on the phone with Telstra, & they are turning it off middle of next year.

Looks like back to Carrier Pigeons, or 4 mail deliveries a day as per in London a century ago.

bristte · Veteran Member

As a general comment and not specific to the Nullabor, if you are going to travel with only one carrier then it has to be either Telstra or Boost. That said, there are outback & remote places with only Optus, as I recently discovered in the NT Macdonnell Ranges and at Noccundra in SW Qld.

If you must have connectivity regardless of where you are then Starlink is the best option, the only constraints being your ability to power it, and tree cover in a southerly direction. The unlimited data usage would be attractive for heavy users.

If you don't want to opt for Starlink then one option which hasn't been mentioned is a directional MIMO antenna, as discussed in this article. The word "anywhere" is a bit of a stretch, and I don't have any personal experience of his approach, but it's an option. The capital cost of Starlink would be cheaper, but with higher running costs, esp as you presumably would already have a mobile plan, but it could be a cheaper one if you were relying on Starlink for data and only using the phone for calls and texts over wifi.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

G'day Micheal,

Can I point you in the direction of 'Techies Corner' page and you will find heaps of info you are asking for in the Sun Section at the top.