Whirlpool

The Age is reporting that the Optus 3G mobile network is on its knees with customers reporting performance problems and an unusable service.

Full article here: http://www.theage.com.au/news/mobiles--handhelds/articles/optus-3g-falls-into-black-hole/2008/09/23/1221935603550.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Do you agree with this article? What's *your* personal experience?

Chris! writes...

The Age is reporting that the Optus 3G mobile network is on its knees with customers reporting performance problems and an unusable service.

I was an Optus user in my previous company and carried a 3G Blackberry. Coverage, dropouts and signal strength were woeful. I'm very glad I've moved across to Vodafone.

they referenced whirlpool! Posted from iPhone

The problem is Australia is a big country and we live a long way from America and then theres the global Financial crisis and Global Warming and the skills shortage yadda yadda yadda...
Optus was once the shining light for ppl that were fed up with Telstra. Then Singtel took over and its been a "growing concern" ever since.
I wouldnt touch Optus now for anything.

Some days I just love Australia's media and the way that things get blown right out of porportion.

Article says that the problem relates to ... customers reporting connection problems and an unusable service in North Sydney

Users in one suburb are having problems. BFD. This article is obviously written on the back of the author not being able to make video calls or use high speed data at his desk or when socialising having lunch with his hoi-folloi friends in Sydney.

Sure, I recognise that North Sydney has a high concentration of users of technology, but the fact that there's a minor issue – confirmed in the article by the fact that the fallback method of reverting to 2G still works – isn't going to break the bank or bring the company 'to its knees'.

I do find it interesting that the article didn't mention if users of other networks are having similar issues in the same area.

And since when is WP "flooded" by a thread that's lasted currently 3 pages?

FriendOrFoe writes...

Users in one suburb are having problems. BFD.

Well, it is when the suburb in question also houses the questionable telco.....

I think the fact that Optus scrapped a plan soon after bringing it out speaks volumes about their perception of their infrastructure and reality.

FriendOrFoe writes...

Article says that the problem relates to ... customers reporting connection problems and an unusable service in North Sydney

Users in one suburb are having problems. BFD. This article is obviously written on the back of the author not being able to make video calls or use high speed data at his desk or when socialising having lunch with his hoi-folloi friends in Sydney

MAybe you should wander over the iphone discussion forum and read the threads about the Optus's poor performace on iPhones which are using the same OPtus 3G network were performace is less than stellar.

Look at APC magazine's report on the various mobile broadband services and you see confirmation that the Optus network definitely does have problems.

Testra charged a fortune and provided good performance. The Optus network users charged a lot less and provided hopelessly slow service.

Of course, again that test was done in a perticular area. But its result was supported by lots of complaints that the problem is far more widespread.

jbsloop writes...

Well, it is when the suburb in question also houses the questionable telco.....

or if you live in that suburb – in this day and age blackspots are not acceptable – end of discussion...big country blah blah blah – excuses for raking in huge profits and not reinvesting

Lukesky7 writes...

blackspots are not acceptable

It's not a blackspot. A blackspot would be where Optus users are unable to use their devices to make or receive calls. They can. So they can't do it in 3G, again, BFD. This is a non-issue.

The network and handset is doing exactly what they should – when 3G is unavailable, push the user into 2G to maintain a service.

I think this issue is more to do with the Optus Wireless Broadband Services and no so much Mobiles. I agree with FriendOrFoe when it comes to use for Mobiles, there really is not much of an issue. For the wireless internet customers it's a totally different story.

FriendOrFoe writes...

It's not a blackspot. A blackspot would be where Optus users are unable to use their devices to make or receive calls. They can. So they can't do it in 3G, again, BFD. This is a non-issue.

whoa take a chill pill bill – blackspot, brownspot...whatever – i still think that if we have the technology it should work – this is the 21st century – if we want to be able to do all the 3G stuff why not? all the other 'civilised countries' have it...backwards backyard

Maybe if this article get's enough exposure it will prompt Optus to actually fix these issues? *hopes*
I'm in Melbourne, switched recently from Vodafone for the iPhone. It's been a headache ever since.

Lukesky7 writes...

all the other 'civilised countries' have it...backwards backyard

You've not had a look at the USA's 3G footprint lately, have you? Have you seen how much 3G access is available in India or China?

FriendOrFoe writes...

You've not had a look at the USA's 3G footprint lately, have you? Have you seen how much 3G access is available in India or China?

Without the information you clearly have at hand, what of it?

We aren't talking about the us or china, but North Sydney, the home of Optus.

jbsloop writes...

Without the information you clearly have at hand, what of it?

We aren't talking about the us or china, but North Sydney, the home of Optus.

My post was in reply to someone who was saying how poor we had it compared to how

Lukesky7 writes...

all the other 'civilised countries' have it...

Australia is one of the leaders in 3G technology and coverage, and my point was compared to the USA and China who are still partying with 2002's technology we're leaps and bounds ahead when it comes to telephony.

jbsloop writes...

Well, it is when the suburb in question also houses the questionable telco.....

No, no it doesn't. Optus moved from North Sydney to North Ryde over a year ago...

QL writes...

No, no it doesn't. Optus moved from North Sydney to North Ryde over a year ago...

Details details – next you'll tell me they also removed the network infrastructure....

It's fine. I'm with virgin and it uses the 3G optus network. sure it's not as fast or reliable as telstra but optus is very cheap and virgin is even cheaper! I'm happy I'm not paying 10x more and getting a little better service. It's not too bad. I get 50-60 kilobytes / sec pretty much everywhere within 50kms of melbourne.

Seems the media has gotten onto this a little late. Many people are reporting far better speeds now with Optus. Just look at the iPhone speedtest thread where the majority of Optus speedtests are basically now on par with NextG. I've personally been consistently getting 1 MBit plus linespeeds for the past couple of weeks now

/forum-replies.cfm?t=1054249

FriendOrFoe writes...

You've not had a look at the USA's 3G footprint lately, have you? Have you seen how much 3G access is available in India or China?

well most people wouldnt class India or China as a civilised country and we all know how much the US likes its CDMA and pagers – i wouldnt class any of those countries as advanced – dont get me wrong if you want to stand in a desert and talk on your CDMA/2G phone thats fine – just dont go spouting off on how technologically advanced Australia is – have you seen broadband speeds in other countries??? have you used 3G phones in Japan and Scandinavia/Europe...?
i am sure all the 3G coverage maps are all very exciting to look at but no you got me there – i havent seen the latest 3G footprint maps...does it have any blackspots?

jbsloop writes...

but North Sydney, the home of Optus.

NO now its out at Ryde in Optus City
Huge 7000 employees – perhaps thats the prob they turned off the lights in Nth Syd.
Optarse are now going through what Hutchisons went thru 4 years ago – they'll get on top of it but .... they have Nokia switching gear which is causing probs and they have admitted to flying techs out from Europe to help.

edit – I'll bet the air is blue as the sales and Marketing guys do their bun over all the effort gone into promo's, new plans etc to have the network shi..... itself. ahhhhhhhh

guruvee writes...

Seems the media has gotten onto this a little late. Many people are reporting far better speeds now with Optus. Just look at the iPhone speedtest thread where the majority of Optus speedtests are basically now on par with NextG. I've personally been consistently getting 1 MBit plus linespeeds for the past couple of weeks now

/forum-replies.cfm?t=1054249

I've had more dropouts than ever in the last week and speed has been woefull to the point that GPRS is faster!!

guruvee writes...

Many people are reporting far better speeds now with Optus

Very much depends on what time of day these people are connecting to the Network. I'm certainly not one of those people. As I've mentioned previously, from 5pm to midnight there are huge problems. Dropouts, disconnections, extremely slow browsing.

jbsloop writes...

it is when the suburb in question also houses the questionable telco.....

No.

Optus is now wholely in North Ryde:

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=optus+macquarie+park&ie=UTF8&ll=-33.768588,151.123552&spn=0.028968,0.03768&z=14&layer=c&cbll=-33.783147,151.120311&panoid=ZCvSxZ_xz7L3JjdUDRSQWA&cbp=1,124.1106634980987,,0,-1.4199068825584582

Post Relocated to current forum..

My speeds have been really good, about 2-3mb, and signal has been 98%, but....and i mean "but"...the drop outs have been awfully frequent past few days and page loading errors have been horrid.
I am in Lismore, which means it shouldnt be Congestion Issue, or could it?
Using E169 modem.

If it doesnt improve by the end of the year, i think i may try Vodafone Wireless. But will it be any better.

Given Up writes...

If it doesnt improve by the end of the year, i think i may try Vodafone Wireless. But will it be any better.

I'm pretty sure that Vodafone uses the Optus 3G network so your better off staying with Optus.

Melbourne Skywalker writes...

I think this issue is more to do with the Optus Wireless Broadband Services and no so much Mobiles. I agree with FriendOrFoe when it comes to use for Mobiles, there really is not much of an issue. For the wireless internet customers it's a totally different story.

I think you're half right. Yes, the problem definitely is due to all the people starting to use wireless broadband.

But Wireless Broadband uses the same 3G network that Optus 3G phones use. I have definitely seen my phone dropping back from 3G to 2G a lot more in the last 3 months.

So there is an impact for those who their phone on the Optus 3G network, even if they don't subscribe to Optus Wireless Broadband.

I have no doubt that this is because people are starting to use the 3G network for data as much as voice – both with laptop modems and on increasingly feature packed phones (e.g. the iphone). Optus has encouraged this shift to data, but it seems they were not adequately prepared for its impact.

For those interested in some of the previous discussion on this issue – particularly user's experience in North Sydney, have a read though /forum-replies.cfm?t=1049901

Melbourne Skywalker writes...

I'm pretty sure that Vodafone uses the Optus 3G network so your better off staying with Optus.

They are rolling out their own 3g, due for completion by end of year.

FriendOrFoe writes...

USA and China who are still partying with 2002's technology we're
Umm, the USA is using WCDMA/HSDPA – the same technology as Australia – although I will agree that they don't have the same geographic coverage or features – e.g. video calling – that we do.

China are trialling their own homegrown TD-SCDMA system – although China Unicom is trialling WCDMA. Since they are only in trials, I don't think you can compare them with Australia yet.

FriendOrFoe writes...

Have you seen how much 3G access is available in India

I beleive that India have yet to award 3G licences to operators, so again, I don't see how you can compare them to Australia.

Melbourne Skywalker writes...

I'm pretty sure that Vodafone uses the Optus 3G network so your better off staying with Optus.

Voda do have their own network (which they are expanding). You may be thinking of Virgin which runs over the Optus network.

freesugar writes...

No.

Optus is now wholely in North Ryde:

Well done, you are now the third person to point this out, I'm not apologising thrice:)

Love how it says just North Suburbs people are getting it..... When the rest of Sydney is getting the same problem!

And ha ha for Optus not listening to North Suburbs people....

Urgit writes...

I beleive that India have yet to award 3G licences to operators, so again, I don't see how you can compare them to Australia.

Exactly my point. And while they haven't awarded a 3G licence, I know for a fact that there is at least one 3G signal in India – 3's Call Centre is covered by it so that its agents can use handsets for testing purposes.

FriendOrFoe writes...

You've not had a look at the USA's 3G footprint lately, have you? Have you seen how much 3G access is available in India or China?

I think what he meant was european and some high tech asian nations like korea and japan.

We have 3G in this country and it should work as advertised. I don't think referencing those other countries is all of a sudden gonna make me feel good about a poor product that I am stuck with on contract.

Lukesky7 writes...

in this day and age blackspots are not acceptable

Then you clearly have no understanding of how a radio-based network works.

I totally agree that there are problems, we were just discussing the problem today and then I saw the article. I've been with optus for about 10 years, and used data on my phone for the past 5 or so. Something has been really wrong for the past couple of monhs with there data services. I don't understand how the "usb dongle" users aren't effected by it, unless Optus is somehow giving their connections special treatment.

Lukesky7 writes...

in this day and age blackspots are not acceptable

There's always blackspots! It's not possible to not have them!

my phone is setup to use only the GSM network as i have hassles with 3G.

i am contemplating a Mobile broadband service with optus, but i will go pre-paid so i can cancel if it doesn't work out for me.

rcheli32 writes...

I don't understand how the "usb dongle" users aren't effected by it, unless Optus is somehow giving their connections special treatment.

No special treatment.. Its been horrid past few days. Even though i have 98% signal and good speeds.

Virgin Users are having awful problems on data side as well.

I thought I had a virus or something hidden in the background the last day or so because my wireless broadband has been discusting. Can not surf continuously for more then 5 mins without getting dropouts even though I have FULL reception.

It is defiantley an overloaded network. With all this extra money there getting from increased customers you would think they would be able to upgrade just as quick as there flogging these services...

nite_owl writes...

With all this extra money there getting from increased customers you would think they would be able to upgrade just as quick as there flogging these services...

I guess the question remains on whether or not they receive a decent enough profit margin to upgrade the network.

Its just pathetic tonight. Full signal and i cant even download my email.
I just spent 12mins getting a connection, then several dropouts, several attempts to bring up whirlpool. Not even sure if this post is going to make it?

Dyde writes...

my phone is setup to use only the GSM network

Yeh I set my n82 few days ago to only connect to optus GSM. Battery life is better along with no dropouts. I use wireless when at home so there was no real need to keep 3g activated.

Just doing my bit to help out all those poor sods who got an iphone expecting broadband like browsing speeds:P

If you've only had the optus phone for 30 days, then take a copy of this page :

http://www.optus.com.au/coveragemaps

And look for the bit that says "The Optus Mobile Coverage Satisfaction Guarantee".

Basically, you can return the phone, no exit fees, no questions asked in the first 30 days (and move to telstra instead – much better coverage :)

If Optus gives you grief about this make sure you call the TIO and they'll help set them straight. I've got 4 optus iPhones at the office waiting to go back to them.

Enjoy,
Nick

nickorr writes...

If Optus gives you grief about this

I am a patient man. I knew this could happen in the middle of rollouts. So i am giving them till the end of year. No improvement, then i am off to Voadfone?
I am 1 block from Tower with 19%signal strength.. What the?

rcheli32 writes...

I don't understand how the "usb dongle" users aren't effected by it, unless Optus is somehow giving their connections special treatment.

Hate to tell you but those using Optus Wireless Broadband or "USB Dongle's" are the main ones effected. If anything Mobile users are the ones that are given priority on the network.

Does this apply to Virgin aswell? Or would virgin have their own TOS?

How can things be bad with some people here living close to the phone towers?

Shouldn't the signal strength in those cases be high, and the quality of signal also high with no problems?

nub cake writes...

Does this apply to Virgin aswell? Or would virgin have their own TOS?

They run as a separate company. Youd have to ask them if they offer something like that but I have never seen it advertised. Theyre also not much help when needed so it pretty unlikely theyd offer a free ticket out.

michael j writes...

Then you clearly have no understanding of how a radio-based network works.

well thats your opinion (by the way mine is bigger than yours – lol)
tech shite aside – for an average user (and i assume most of optus' customers dont know the difference between a BTS and BSS and a BSC, a picocell from a piccolo and a transciever from a transcoder, but hey we wont begrudge them access to all that technology shall we?) they dont care if the network does not have full coverage they just want to use the services that they are paying for – no point in having foxtel if you can only watch FTA for example.

Lukesky7 writes...

they dont care if the network does not have full coverage they just want to use the services that they are paying for – no point in having foxtel if you can only watch FTA for example.

When it all boils down though, they're paying for a mobile phone – which is a device which they can use when out and about to make and receive calls. As the article, and users of the service, have confirmed there have been very few incidents where users have been completely unable to do this. When the 3G network is unavailable the network and handsets are smart enough to flick over to the 2G network to maintain service for voice calls.

I know that there are users who 'rely' on mobile data and other 3G services but this is simply a bonus of the service – not the bread and butter on which the product is based. If users were unable to make or receive calls in any way shape or form, then there's an issue.

I have been unable to make or receive calls, or receive SMS, even with full signal strength, so yes, there is a problem!

I've got a Blackberry Bold on the Optus 3G network and have had quite a few call dropouts (even when the other party is on a landline) using the phone in Melbourne.

I'm now in New Zealand for work and roaming on the Vodaphone 3G network.

Not one call has dropped out and reception/coverage has been great.

This seems to indicate to me that the dropouts are related to the Optus 3G network...

Rate writes...

This seems to indicate to me that the dropouts are related to the Optus 3G network...

We all know that.. But why?
Congestion, Technical Issues? Who knows. Optus dont say anything.
I would like to know why my signal varies from 19% to 99% , when i am only 1 block from tower? This is not a big 3g usage area.
I cant even get my POP3 email client to work, half the time.

FriendOrFoe writes...

I know that there are users who 'rely' on mobile data and other 3G services but this is simply a bonus of the service – not the bread and butter on which the product is based. If users were unable to make or receive calls in any way shape or form, then there's an issue.

No, that's not acceptable. I pay Virgin $10 extra in order to have data access. If I can't use it reliably then why should I pay for it. The problem is often in their DNS, which shouldn't be that hard to fix.

I'm in Melbourne and I've had issues with the Optus network. I've had my iphone for 1.5 weeks and 3 times I've gone to answer a call and it's dropped out as soon as I clicked answer. On one of the occasions I realised that it switched to GSM and this was on St Kilda Rd near the domain interchange which is very close to the city. I've also had cases when I tried to browe the web and pages would just not load. This happened both at the domain interchange and also at Craigieburn (Northern outer suburb). On these occasions I had 4 or 5 bars so I can't see why it didn't work. Speeds also have been slow, but are still in the average speed which they claim on their website: http://www.optus.com.au/portal/site/business/menuitem.97a8a35c2959cb2af42ff7109c8ac7a0/?vgnextoid=8baed01b98329010VgnVCM10000029867c0aRCRD. The quickest I've got is just under 1 Mbps, but most of the time it's between 500 kbps and 800 kbps. I did a test here just now on level 1 of a building in the city and I got 700 kbps which for me I'm happy with but getting close to 1.5 would be nice.

baobab68 writes...

I pay Virgin $10 extra in order to have data acce

OK

If I can't use it reliably then why should I pay for it

Cool, take it off and save $10 a month.

FriendOrFoe writes...

I know that there are users who 'rely' on mobile data and other 3G services but this is simply a bonus of the service – not the bread and butter on which the product is based. If users were unable to make or receive calls in any way shape or form, then there's an issue.

Many people rely on this for business when they are offsite without a fixed line internet connection. If it doesn't work when they need it to then what's the point of having it. It's not just for mobiles as well, its for laptops/pcs with wireless access. When they provide the service it should work as they say it should.

wayneo13 writes...

When they provide the service it should work as they say it should.

Thats the point we are trying to make. We know wireless isnt perfect, but we would expect it to perform vastly better than it has.

I dont see any service guarantees, but it would seem to me, that if you cant provide the service , then dont supply it.
It not right to take peoples monthly service fees, and not give the service.

But like i said earlier, i am a patient man , and i will wait until the end of the year before i decide to stick with it or not.

I would encourage everyone to send a complaint to Optus.

You are here: Homepage / Contact Us / Complaints & Compliments
Mobile Feedback, Compliments or Complaints

https://www.optus.com.au/portal/site/aboutoptus/menuitem.8ec78f21a99f2c66d0b61a108c8ac7a0/?vgnextoid=200c2feef3162010VgnVCM100000c8a87c0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=235e58ebbebd1010VgnVCM100000c8a87c0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

They have always responded within 1-2 days when I have contacted them.

Okay, so from the gist of the thread so far I shouldn't buy a pre-paid Optus Broadband (wireless) package for my trip up to Townsville and Cairns in 3 weeks?

What are the options, if any (bar Telstra)?

I would give Virgin Pre-Paid a shot. I have personally used it here in SA, and it has been working pretty well.

http://www.virginbroadband.com.au/wirelessbroadband/prepaid-broadband.aspx

funkyblue writes...

I would give Virgin Pre-Paid a shot.

It uses the Optus 3g Network.. There is no gain over Optus Pre paid.

Only hope Vodafone does better with its rollout?

funkyblue writes...

I would give Virgin Pre-Paid a shot. I have personally used it here in SA, and it has been working pretty well.

Thanks, but from reading through the thread, Virgin runs/uses the Optus 3G network and for $200 (pre-paid) I can buy the modem (USB Dongle) as well as 2GB of included usage, does this sound correct?

There is a gain. Virgin DO NOT charge in 10meg blocks per session!

Yes, for $209 you can get the modem and a $30 3GB voucher.

funkyblue writes...

There is a gain. Virgin DO NOT charge in 10meg blocks per session!

Are we talking pre-paid or contract? I only need it for holidays etc as I get free ADSL at home so I can use it WiFi around the house.

Yes, for $209 you can get the modem and a $30 3GB voucher.

Is this Optus or Virgin?

EDIT: I think I have posted in the wrong area, I am actually referring to wireless broadband, not mobile phones.

funkyblue writes...

There is a gain. Virgin DO NOT charge in 10meg blocks per session!

Thats true, but i was referring to Traffic Congestion, Reception..Its still the same network.

East Melbourne area, during peak times Optus Wireless Broadband is virtually unuseable. I have to wait until 7-8pm some nights before I would even consider booting up the PC to check my email.

When I lived in the sticks this was never a problem so I'm guessing its simply a network demographic management/congestion issue.

Well I hope they do something like their ad on tv WE HEAR YOU. Well hear us your 3g 2100 network is crap and is not handling the amount of user on the network. This happened to their 2g network years ago when Yes Time was brought out. The 2g network craped itself then too. Optus need to attend to their 3g 2100 network as well as rolling out there 3g 900 network. As for there 2g network the voice quality is the standard of analogue. Both Telstra & Vodafone 2g network voice quality leaves Optus for dead.

FriendOrFoe writes...

When it all boils down though, they're paying for a mobile phone – which is a device which they can use when out and about to make and receive calls

Um... no. What they are paying for, is an advanced device that is capable of much more than just phone calls. If I just wanted to make calls, I'd crack out my old 3315 and whack my SIM in there. Much better battery life (over a week), and I can drop that bad boy from Telstra Tower and the sucker just keeps chugging along. If all your 3G network can do is support voice calls (and sometimes not even that), what's the point of 3G?

Optus have gotten greedy and oversold their capacity. It's like if I had a 400 seater jumbo jet flying to the US, sold 1600 tickets at 60% the price of my competitor and crammed that many people in, then couldn't understand why the plane crashed into Botany Bay during take-off.

Maybe you think that people only want to make voice calls from their iPhones... I am reasonably sure that most users want to do a bit more, and eventually, even the most penny-pinching scrooge will give up and vote with their wallets, unless Optus rectify the problem ASAP.

Moral of the story is, if all you wanna do is make calls, get your ass off 3G now, because 2G is better for you (unless you need the coverage of NextG). If you're one of the douches that bought an iPhone, and you only use it to make phone calls and don't use any of its other features, please report to me for mandatory execution.

CAG_Synergy writes...

If you're one of the douches that bought an iPhone, and you only use it to make phone calls and don't use any of its other features, please report to me for mandatory execution.

"LOL, but it's so cool, and it must be good, I had to line up for it. Only for the sexy people"

CAG_Synergy writes...

Optus have gotten greedy and oversold their capacity. It's like if I had a 400 seater jumbo jet flying to the US, sold 1600 tickets at 60% the price of my competitor and crammed that many people in, then couldn't understand why the plane crashed into Botany Bay during take-off.

ROFL, awesome analogy :).

Dave_10492 writes...

ROFL, awesome analogy :).

Liked it..

Up until about 2 weeks ago, the system was holding up well in Lismore.. But since then it has got progressively worse. Its almost rendered useless with failed page loads, dropouts and signal loss. Mainly between 4pm and 11pm of an evening , here.
Whats changed?

Given Up writes...

Whats changed?

All I can guess is possibly more Optus customers on your local cell.

ive been with vodaone for years and enjoy there 149 mega cap with $1250 worth of calls each month on prepay. I am a high user and chew through this every 3 weeks and simply top up with another mega cap so im spending around $225 pm on calls.
im just about to sign up for 2 years with optus on thier yes timeless mobile plan which is advertising unlimited mobile calls, 2gb mobile data and a new N95i or 6210 phone for $129pm and thats going to save me around a $100.00 pm. sounds to good to be true.
i average around 28hrs on the mobile per month and after reading the fineprint it seems ill be ok with thier fair use clause of 33hrs.
This threads scaring me a bit though im mainly looking at the mobile calls and not the data.
Any thoughts.

gallopers writes...

This threads scaring me a bit though im mainly looking at the mobile calls and not the data.

Its mainly the data thats the problem, and other3g applications.

Given Up writes...

This is not a big 3g usage area.

How would you know this?

I would like to know why my signal varies from 19% to 99% , when i am only 1 block from tower?

Hopefully youre not one of these people that would stand under a tower and expect that they would always be connected to "that" tower.

3g w/CDMA signals are very susceptible to fading(especially thru concrete) and as more people "use" the site the more the size of the cell footprint shrinks: where i live 3/telstra have a tower nearly every 2-3 blocks on top of telegraph poles to cater for that: this pretty much confirms they are ready to take on more of the flood of wireless internet users we will have soon...if not already. You gotta hand it to them, at least they are "infrastructure ready" just bung in more antennas and more "channels" with a bit more backbone(especially now that telstra has its half) and they will piss all over optus and everyone else: if they want to or they can justify it. Optus are smart thou...(at least they have been in the past)hopefully, they will work behind the scenes on it. Who knows..... wasnt Vodafone asking them for more bandwidth to borrow for links between major hubs on xmas day last year? i couldn't ring anyone!!!! lolllllllllll

CAG_Synergy writes...

Um... no. What they are paying for, is an advanced device that is capable of much more than just phone calls.

If you review the Customer Terms you'll find there's something in there that contradicts that. I'm not going to spend my time perusing the Optus T&C's but generally it comes down to clauses which in summary say

We agree that as long as you pay your bill, we will provide you a telephony service and anything more than that is a bonus

FriendOrFoe writes...

If you review the Customer Terms you'll find there's something in there that contradicts that. I'm not going to spend my time perusing the Optus T&C's but generally it comes down to clauses which in summary say

We agree that as long as you pay your bill, we will provide you a telephony service and anything more than that is a bonus

Any term of a contract which is incompatible with legislation is void.

Also, it looks as if you missed the part in the T&C which refers to legislation.

notfromthere writes...

Okay, so from the gist of the thread so far I shouldn't buy a pre-paid Optus Broadband (wireless) package for my trip up to Townsville and Cairns in 3 weeks?

What are the options, if any (bar Telstra)?

The network up in Townsville is perfectly fine, no slow speeds or dropouts... You only seem to have the congestion in the larger cities down south.

Infact my Optus connection outpases my NextG connection

I spoke to some optus sellers recently and when i whinged about all our business' phones dropping out a lot over the last 6 months they gave me some info on the optus network problems.
Dunno if this has been mentioned, since whirlpool threads get way too long for someone with my miniscule attention span to read in their entirity.
So they said the demand all these new iPhone users are putting on the network is more than they anticipated. I guess they didn't realise how much data usage an iPhone fanboy uses.
They recommend switching your phone network mode to GSM if you want reliable service and have no real need for 3G data speeds.
They also mentioned nokia was upgrading optus' network over the next few months to alleviate the problemo.

Sorry if this is old news.

Rico Suave writes...

So they said the demand all these new iPhone users are putting on the network is more than they anticipated.

Absolute bollocks. The iPhone is just a convenient excuse. The real problem is the somewhat reckless wireless broadband offerings Optus sell with very high usage caps. These dwarf what is possible from an iPhone by several orders of magnitude.

boreduser writes...

How would you know this?

Err, i Live Here?

Hopefully youre not one of these people that would stand under a tower and expect that they would always be connected to "that" tower.

Why not? Besides , its the only one we have,, Not about to travel to next town.

a random writes...

You only seem to have the congestion in the larger cities down south.

Same Problem exists in Lismore NSW.

nfact my Optus connection outpases my NextG connection

Was that way with Lismore at the onset, but past week or so has reversed.

You have know idea, how difficult it is now, to post a comment on WP.

I am not sure "congestion" is the problem.

EDIT
Can you believe it? 15 minutes after this post , my speeds went from 80KB/s to 460KB/s
Signal strength goes from 23% to 100%

Good to see Optus getting a bit of "free advertising" and hopefully they will do something about their "patchy" mobile network. If enough customers leave their service or they loose potential customers due to articles such as this – all I say is "bring it on" ... as an individual, your voice is never heard, but en-masse, maybe Optus will realise when they start loosing business.

I work in North Sydney in a high rise building and have now marked "reception spots" on our office floor so that we can have a clear and "hopefully" consitent conversation with our customers. (did someone say these were mobile phones, perhaps that's why they are called "Cell phones" in other countries – you are confined to a cell, much like in jail) Anywhere else on the floor and the call is likely to sound like you are speaking underwater, it WILL drop out or you just never get a ring in when someone calls you. So now my customer service gets degraded because of the mobile service I pay for! Good thing is that I talk to a large number of people everyday and they all get to hear about how pathetic Optus is (esp in North Sydney)

I wonder how much additional revenue Optus is generating by charging a flag fall everytine they drop a call. Talk about robbing your customer base blind !
Pull your head in Optus – you are getting the revenue, now fix the darn network!

Chris! writes...

What's *your* personal experience

I have been using Optus mobile services – specifically on the NSW Central Coast, and now Newcastle – since 2001 – I rarely encountered problems with their GSM network, and when I switched to Virgin Mobile (Optus network) in 2006, I found their service quite satisfactory as well – including the GPRS service.

At the beginning of 2008 I began using 3G with Virgin Mobile – consistently I found that whenever I placed or received a call, it would quickly drop from 3G to GSM – which kinda defeats the purpose of 3G voice.

I also used my 3G phone for computer tethering – typical speeds were around 50kB/s, and up to 100kB/s outside of peak times – page loading however was sometimes slow – slower than one would expect with aforementioned speedtest/download speeds – particularly bad with pages containing a lot of images and Flash content. It was however quite a useable service.

I now have an iPhone 3G, back with Optus, and a 1GB Optus Wireless Broadband service. While Optus have had numerous significant outages since July, when I signed up for these services, and while I'm only a casual user of OWB, I've found their 3G service to have significantly improved over the last 2 months. Typical speedtest have gone from previously 40kB/s to now 120kB/s.

Noting that I don't necessarily use the service in peak times, I find the OWB service to load pages fairly snappily – probably similar to a 512k ADSL service, if you ignore the UMTS->HSPA lag of typically 2-5 seconds.

The 3G service is hopeless inside buildings, but that is to be expected of a 2.1GHz service – however, the problem is that their GPRS service is rather horrible – pages on my iPhone literally take minutes to load, and typical download speeds are around 1-2kB/s – and this is definately the Optus network, as Vodafone (for once) actually outshines their service – delivering around 3 times the speed.

Overall, I'm actually pretty satisfied with Optus' mobile service at the moment, particularly their 3G service – if only 2.1GHz penetrated thick walls better. I will note, to their credit, I have not once experienced a call dropout on the iPhone. I also note that I used the OWB service with much success on a train from Central to Gosford (~90 minutes), which dropped out only twice (once for around 30 seconds, another for 10 minutes – through tunnels, etc.) and delivered a consistently usable service. My biggest complaint is the painful GPRS service – if they fixed it, I'd be one happy camper!

dave.a writes...

I found that whenever I placed or received a call, it would quickly drop from 3G to GSM

Lock the network to UMTS only...i did that when someone else told me and its works

damo81 writes...

Lock the network to UMTS only...i did that when someone else told me and its works

The phone is dropping to GSM for a reason. If you lock it to UMTS, then if there's congestion on UMTS you won't be able to make/receive calls. I wouldn't recommend it if your phone is mission critical, but hell, I wouldn't recommend Optus for that either.

my bb:bold in Melbourne seems to have slow connection speeds on the optus unlimited business cap when browsing the web, i believe 3G is also slow in Melbourne and not just Sydney. Some days it seems responsive, others it feels terrible.

im getting shocking 3g data speeds today. Anyone else having similar problems?

dave.a writes...

I found that whenever I placed or received a call, it would quickly drop from 3G to GSM – which kinda defeats the purpose of 3G voice.

Really doesn't matter if you use 3G or GSM for voice. Video calling and data however ....

damo81 writes...

Lock the network to UMTS only...i did that when someone else told me and its works

Fast Ethernet writes...

The phone is dropping to GSM for a reason.

It is possible to configure the network to drop the call back to GSM when it's "only" a voice call, thus giving you extra capacity in your 3G cell – this may have been what was happening.

damo81 writes...

Lock the network to UMTS only

Yeah, I did that, but problem is, that actually does cause problems when you lose 2100MHz signal – so its not really a solution. If I stayed in one place all the time, it'd be a good solution.

Fast Ethernet writes...

If you lock it to UMTS, then if there's congestion on UMTS you won't be able to make/receive calls.

That wasn't the problem (in my case), because locking it to UMTS still allowed calls.

FriendOrFoe writes...

Users in one suburb are having problems. BFD. This article is obviously written on the back of the author not being able to make video calls or use high speed data at his desk or when socialising having lunch with his hoi-folloi friends in Sydney.

Actually, its probably got something to do with a repeater node which is inserted in the head office of Virgin Mobile in North Sydney which helps improve wireless signal enormously within its office building (thus juicing the bandwidth from nearby cells within the area causing decreased signal performance for other users) allowing for technical support gurus to work on their Broadband at Home and Mobile Broadband products, Combined with increased 3G traffic due to iPhone subscribers within the area and inherent strain on an Optus 3G network which was never ready to cater for this kind of demand on its network, and its little wonder why this particular problem in North Sydney is ocuring. Or maybe I'm just making that up yeah?

SamuraiPizzaCat writes...

Or maybe I'm just making that up yeah?

Yeah, kinda like the word "hoi folloi".

http://blogs.smh.com.au/gadgetsonthego/archives/2008/09/has_the_heat_gone_out_of_the_w.html

"Optus is getting hammered in the media right now for its poor network performance and was recently forced to stop selling its Wireless Fusion plans. The last thing it's likely to do is drop prices to put even more load on its groaning network. You'd think Virgin would also ease off on the price war, although the fact Virgin is still signing up customers for its Broadband at Home plans shows the telco has no shame."

"Australians who abandoned Telstra only to be burned by Optus/Virgin may well go running back to Next G and happily pay its hefty fees for a network that actually works."

May be a good time for Vodafone to present its 3g Offerings?
Cant see how they could lose.. Although "Switch on" is some months away yet.

if you wanna pay the extra bucks then go to telstra, but serriouly the most you do with mobile browsing is check some email, maybee trasfer some funds between banks and watch some news, has anyone ever been out of the metro area with vodafone? tell me how many people get a signal? A mobile phone is a mobile phone its used for calling people, the extras are just an added bonus telstra and optus are the top 2 in coverage i would never go to vodafone because as soon as your 30 out of melbourne (pretty much past pakenaham) your mobile drops out. Im with virgin mobile and i think their service is fine, its cheap, it has free voicemail and the coverage is optus all all you technogeeks stop your whineing if you have 1 or 2 dropouts. If your surfing the net then go for somthing thats ment for wireless surfing like unwired or if you want to get assraped telstra.

jonob87 writes...

and the coverage is optus all all you technogeeks stop your whineing if you have 1 or 2 dropouts. If your surfing the net then go for somthing thats ment for wireless surfing like unwired

1 or 2 dropouts? I am talking 20-30 times a day and twice that for failed page loads etc. Unwired, where are they? not here.

Optus is selling USB dongles for laptop and home PC use that are specifically for data, no mobile phone involved. They are also promoting using your phone as part of a package to do data from your laptop. So there's no point trying to say that the mobile network is for voice calls only, because that is not how it is being sold. And I don't think anyone that purchased an iPhone (not that I would) expects it to be for phone calls only, when internet browsing is what Optus is spruking.

The Optus network has some kind of issue. I would feel better if Optus admitted it openly, and then provided some reassuring information on what they are doing to fix it. While they remain in denial, I assume that they are not doing anything to fix it, and so I start to look at moving carriers as the only answer.