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AUSTRALIA TRAVEL GUIDE - COMMUNICATION

World Travel Guide Oceania Australia Communication

Picture choosen by: Mrs.Rosy Black Communications in Australia Internet
Australia offers many Internet access options for travellers.
Terminals
Internet cafés abound in most centres of population that normally cost $4-$5 per hour. Many internet cafés have 12-20 computers sharing a single broadband connection, sometimes making the internet painfully slow. If possible ask if you can check the speed of a café's connection before forking out $4-$5 for an hour.
Public libraries usually offer some for of Internet access to travellers, either free or for a small fee. Some restrict access to email, promoting research use of their facilities. Others offer WiFi as well as terminals, with WiFi usually being free of restrictions.
Major hotels offer Internet access, usually for a fee. It is still unusual to find in-room Internet access in smaller hotels and in motels. Most youth hostels and backpacker accommodation have at least an Internet terminal at reception.
WiFi
Many coffee shops offer WiFi, some free to their customers.
iiNet offers paid access at all Starbucks outlets ($3 for 1 hour, $6 for 24 hours and $32 for a month's usage). You can connect, and enter your credit card details in the store.
Optus has a similar scheme
McDonalds has free WiFi in many stores and is in the process of rolling out WiFi in all stores.
Some cities have WiFi access provided free in some parts of their centre.
3G Wireless
3G and GPRS wireless Internet connections are available through all cellular phone networks. Australia has cellular networks operated by Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Three. Short term rental of the access cards is available from some outlets.
Vodafone offers 3G access in all major cities on a month by month basis (no contract). No sign up fee, only $39 per month for approx. 1GB down/upload. You need to have your own 3G/UMTS capable laptop card or you buy one from Vodafone for $299 (sim-locked). They want to see your visa which has to be valid for at least another 3 months from time of sign up.
If you have a phone that supports 3G Internet, it will work when you roam onto the Australian networks. Check your with your home carrier for the fees (likely quite expensive). Alternatively if your phone is not network locked, you pick up a prepaid SIM easily and cheaply from the airport, or shops in any centre.
Telephone
Dialing Codes
The country code for international calls to Australia is +61. When dialing from overseas, omit any leading '0' in the area code.
Australian Area Code List:
02 = Central East (New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and north-eastern fringe of Victoria)
03 = South East (Southern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania)
04 = Mobile phones Australia-wide (higher call charges apply).
07 = North East (Queensland)
08 = Central & West (Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and far Western New South Wales)
The outgoing international dialing access code (from within Australia) is 0011 (note, "00" and "011", common elsewhere in the world, will not work in Australia).
Local calls are about $0.25 on most fixed lines and $0.50 on all Telstra Pay Phones.
Special Numbers
Numbers commencing with 13 are charged at a local call rate, and what they connect you to can vary according to your location. They can be 10 or 6 digit numbers. For example 1300 796 222, will connect you with the Albury tourist information, no mater where you are in Australia. However, 131 008 will connect you with a different local taxi service depending on where you are. 13 22 32 will connect you to New South Wales Railways in Sydney or Victorian Railways in Melbourne. Calling these numbers internationally can be problematic.
Numbers commencing with 18 are free when dialed from a payphone or fixed phone, and commonly used for hotel reservation numbers, or tourist information numbers.
Numbers commencing with 19 are premium numbers, often with very hefty call charges (make sure you check before dialing).
Numbers commencing with 12 are carrier services, and are dependent on what network you are connected to.

Mobile Cellular Phones
Australia has three nationwide cellular (mobile) phone networks based on the GSM standard (900 and 1800mhz) operated by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. There are also four UMTS networks, two of which are nationwide. One is operated by Telstra (UMTS 850mhz, also marketed by Telstra as Next G) and Optus (a combination of UMTS 2100mhz and 900mhz). The other two networks are limited to capital cities, are on the 2100mhz band and are operated by Vodafone and Three. Vodafone have announced a nationwide 3G (UMTS) rollout on the 900mhz band.
For those holding foreign SIM cards, international roaming is generally seamless onto Australia's GSM 900/1800 and 3G (UMTS/W-CDMA) networks, subject to agreements between operators. Check with your home operator before you leave to be sure.
All carriers offer service in major cities, large towns, and major highways. No carriers offer service in unpopulated areas away from major roads. Telstra's 850mhz 3G network provides wider coverage in smaller towns and lightly populated areas.
Web address for coverage maps are linked below:
Telstra
Optus
Vodafone
Three
You can buy a cheap prepaid mobile phone in Australia with a SIM for around $40 in most retail outlets, supermarkets, and post offices, or a SIM for your existing phone at around $2-$3. You can then top it up with credit using recharge cards you can purchase at all supermarkets, newsagents, some ATMs, and other outlets.
Prepaid calls cost roughly 60c per minute plus 30c flagfall, again depending on the network. SMS is generally 25c. You can buy a seemly infinite variety or packages, caps and bundles, with combinations of data, sms, call time, and SIM cards. Read the fine print, and as a rule, the more "value" that is included in your "package" or "cap", the more expensive the elements of the package are. For example call charges can rise from 60c to $1.20 per minute on a $29 cap that includes $150 value. All is fine if you stay within the minutes allowed for the cap you choose, but it can cost a fortune very quickly if you exceed what you thought you would use.
Satellite phones
If you need comprehensive coverage in rural and remote areas, you can use a satellite phone. Iridium, Globalstar and Thuraya satellite services are available in Australia. Expect to pay around $120 per week to hire a satellite phone, plus call costs. There are satellite messaging units, which send your location and a help SMS or email, that can be hired for around $80 per week.
These units are only available from specialty dealers, often only in major cities (away from the remote areas you may be visiting). You should be able to acquire or hire these units in your home country before departure if you wish.
SMS
Text messages can be sent from many public phones, using the keypad in much the same way as a mobile phone. Follow the instructions on the phone display. Other Australia Travel Guides Stay Safe and Healthy General Information Things To Do Public Holidays Food and Drink Attractions Shopping Money Climate Communication Accommodation Getting There Key Facts Duty Free Getting Around Night Life and Entertainment

RECENTLY SUBMITTED IN Australia

Things To Do in Australia Posted by Mrs. Rosy Black on 12 April 2010 05:08:52

Swim in the surf. Australia has seemingly endless sandy beaches. Follow the crowds to the world famous Bondi Beach in Sydney, or Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. Or find a stretch all for yourself. The surf is smaller and warmer in the Tropical North, where the reef breaks the sw... More

Stay Safe and Healthy in Australia Posted by Mrs. Rosy Black on 12 April 2010 05:08:44

Stay safe Emergencies The number 000, can be dialed from any telephone in Australia free of charge. This number will connect you with emergency operators for the police, fire brigade, and ambulance service. The first question that the operator will ask is which service you n... More

Shopping in Australia Posted by Mrs. Rosy Black on 12 April 2010 05:08:37

Shopping The prices of goods in Australia are roughly equivalent to countries in North America, Western Europe or Japan. But some excellent local wines, wool, clothes and sheepskin products, precious or semi-precious stones; and modern art sculpture and paintings are worth for you to bring... More