[plug] broadband with linux

[Coral and Ben]

Tomasz Grzegurzko wrote:
> On Sat, May 17, 2008 at 11:06 AM, Coral and Ben <cobel at bigpond.com> wrote:
>   
>> Hi,
>>
>> where I live the only options for broadband are sattelite or wireless, and
>> the only wireless provider out here is telstra.
>>     
>
> What about the '3' network, does that reach you? I've played with
> their cards and found them:
> 1/ Linux compatible
> 2/ Fast
> 3/ Reliable
> 4/ (most importantly) a buttload cheaper than Telstra
>
> If you can get 3 wireless coverage, then take a look at their plans,
> see how competitive they are...
>   

Unfortunately not, the 3 network is limited to perth and the larger 
towns like bunbury and albany - although I do check their coverage 
fairly regularly to see how far it goes. I think out here (15km south of 
narrogin) we can get 'roaming' access to the 3 data network, but that is 
charged at a much higher rate and isn't high speed, I might be wrong - 
i've looked at a lot of alternatives, none of which were feasable, in 
fact we officially don't even get nextG coverage, I have a car antenna 
bolted to my tin roof and a long cable that goes from that to the modem, 
and even then I only get about 30% signal.

Rural WA is abysmally supplied with real options, both satellite and 
telstra wireless are more expensive than regular broadband, but are our 
only options, and here's the real kick in the butt:

the broadband guarantee only applies to satellite equipment, not 
wireless - they say its because wireless is a 'mobile' type of internet 
- but actually there is two kinds of wireless, the expensive pay through 
the nose kind that can go on the road with you, or the slightly cheaper, 
needs AC power kind - not really very mobile, but a whole lot faster 
than satellite, and entirely excluded from the government subsidy program.

It really frustrates me because most people out here don't have a clue, 
they think that 'broadband' means fast internet full stop. But satellite 
'broadband' only goes up to around 500kbit and costs more than regular 
land-line based broadband which is up to, what - 2Mbit in the cities, if 
the government weren't so stupid they would stop paying for people to 
get sub-standard satellite service and use the millions to lay some 
better cabling out here and break the telstra monopoly.

but, I digress...


> Tomasz
> _______________________________________________
> PLUG discussion list: plug at plug.org.au
> http://www.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug
> Committee e-mail: committee at plug.linux.org.au
>
>