Internode Launches Mobile Data Service On Back Of Optus 3G

By Nick Broughall

Internode have jumped on the mobile data train by hopping into bed with Optus. Their mobile service, called NodeMobile Data, will be available from tomorrow, and uses the Optus 3G infrastructure.Pricing starts at $14.95 a month for 250MB, or you can get 3GB for $39.95 a month, which all seems to hang on the more expensive side of the mobile data spectrum (Three offers 1GB for $15 a month and Vodafone offers 5GB for $40). Downloads and uploads count towards the data consumption figure as well, so there’ll be no torrenting here, thank you very much.

Internode customers can get a free USB modem by signing up for 24 months, while non-Internodies will have to fork out $199. You can bring your own modem for a setup fee of $25 (for the SIM card).

Gus over at Lifehacker has a full rundown of the extra data charges, but suffice to say that there are more appealing mobile broadband deals on the market.

[Internode]

Telstra Boosts Next G’s Uplink Speed To 5.8Mbps

By Nick Broughall

You’ve got to give it to Telstra: Even though you pay for it dearly, their Next G network keeps advancing leaps and bounds beyond what any of the other networks have to offer. First there was the speed bump to 21Mbps download speeds, and now they’ve bumped up the upload speeds to 5.8Mbps.

Like the 21Mbps figure, the 5.8Mbps is only a theoretical maximum – in the real world you’re more likely to get speeds of 300Kbps to 3Mbps in capital cities, or up to 1Mbps everywhere else. For comparison, Optus’s HSPA network has a theoretical maximum of 2Mbps uplink, with real world speeds in metro areas varying between 150Kbps and 1.5Mbps (or 1.1Mbps in regional areas). Telstra reckon that this speed boost makes uploading stuff about 3 times faster than before.

The uplink speed boost will work with the Telco’s 21Mbps HSPA modem straight away with a firmware upgrade available from Sierra Wireless’ website, while other NextG and BigPond customers will have the update made available in the coming weeks.

[Telstra]

iiNet’s BoB Modem/Router Is The Best Named Gadget Ever

It looks like iiNet has actually put a little bit of effort into their latest modem/router offering, and we don’t just mean the awesome name ‘BoB’.

The device, manufactured by Belkin, features your regular modem/router bits, including support for 802.11n, 4 ethernet ports on the back and a couple of USB charging ports. It’s a pretty stylish piece of kit, with lots of fingerprint friendly black glass. But the big selling point is the inclusion of a phone handset for VoIP calls.

You can get up to five additional DECT handsets, and BoB can support up to three separate phone lines as well, making it a great option for small businesses.

The base unit will set you back $369 outright including a single handset, or you can get it for 269 if you sign up for one of iiNet’s 24-month BoB contracts. Additional handsets cost $69 each, although if you happen to have a compatible DECT phone already, you should be able to pair it with BoB.

BoB (which apparently stands for “Broadband in a Box”, although it’s one of the weakest acronyms I’ve ever seen), is also OS agnostic, working with Mac, Linux and Windows flavours of software. It sounds like a pretty complete solution, so long as you’re with iiNet, that is.

[iiNet via Lifehacker]