Whirlpool

Im getting alot of mixed posts (and Im also at work so cant do to much research on the subject) about the situation in Tasmania when it comes to 3G, the frequency and the future roll out with Vodafone and Optus/Virgin.

Firstly, Does Optus provide 2100mhz 3G in Hobart (as has been said in other threads and then said wrong in some) ?
Secondly, when Optus rolls out its upgrades in the state, will it be on the 2100mhz or on the 900mhz frequency?

Its my understanding that Vodafone doesn't have any 3G service in Tas yet but is also rolling out sometime before the end of the year. Will that be 900mhz ?

Help! lol

jarv1s writes...

Firstly, Does Optus provide 2100mhz 3G in Hobart

Yep.

Secondly, when Optus rolls out its upgrades in the state, will it be on the 2100mhz or on the 900mhz frequency?

900MHz, according to the coverage maps.

Vodafone doesn't have any 3G service in Tas yet but is also rolling out sometime before the end of the year. Will that be 900mhz ?

That's what I was led to believe – but the RFNSA documents for the tower nearest to my home state 2100MHz... I'm going to wait and see what happens.

Thanks TAFKAAD.

Just another quick clarification. Virgin uses the Optus network so its coverage is exactly the same? (prolly a silly question but...)

As far as I'm aware, yes. I don't use Virgin though.

jarv1s writes...

Just another quick clarification. Virgin uses the Optus network so its coverage is exactly the same?

Yup, identical.
Also, 2100mhz is active around a lot of Hobart, up to New Norfolk down to, I think, Kingston, when the upgrade is finished it should be something like 2100mhz south of Oatlands and 900mhz above Oatlands.
Which is totally back to front but yeah., that's what they've decided.

Ahhhhh, so there also expanding the 2100mhz network (buy a bit anyways) but the majority will be 900mhz.

Yup.
Check Optus' coverage maps, most of it is 900mhz.
Launceston shouldn't be 900mhz, it should be 2100mhz, because Launceston is populated. New Norfolk though, that should be 900mhz, but it's not, it's 2100mhz. It's back to front...

just get Telstra's Next G – it's better and has more coverage.

Dream Theater writes...

just get Telstra's Next G – it's better and has more coverage.

I would except it is so rediciously exspensive for such poor plans!

jarv1s writes...

I would except it is so rediciously exspensive for such poor plans!

Spot on.

So, am I right in thinking there is no Optus 3G in Launceston (or anymuch much outside Hobart)? The coverage map only indicates GSM/GPRS in Launceston, but thought I read somewhere that this was incorrect...

...if Telstra is the only 3G service in Launceston, is there an option to roam onto their network from another carrier for data? I imagine it's prohibitively expensive...

Broad writes...

So, am I right in thinking there is no Optus 3G in Launceston (or anymuch much outside Hobart)?

Yup, that's right!

...if Telstra is the only 3G service in Launceston, is there an option to roam onto their network from another carrier for data?

Not at this stage, but probably next year when 3 begin roaming onto NextG this will be an option (providing you have a NextG compatible handset).