Telstra's New "Air" Network - Sharing Home Wi-Fi

sam-1966 on 26/06/2015 - 15:43

Just wondering what other OzBargainers think of this.

"AUSTRALIA’S biggest wireless internet-sharing network will launch next week, in a Telstra project that will also let its customers use their home broadband allowances overseas for free.

"But there is one catch to the giant wireless hotspot network: users must share their home download speeds with passers-by.

"Telstra will launch the project, dubbed Telstra Air, next Tuesday, and customers with compatible broadband routers will be able to sign up to it with an app or online at telstra.com/air.

"The giant wi-fi network will be available in 250 Australian cities and towns from 4000 hot spots, including those added to Telstra public phones and retail stores, and others provided by participating local councils.

"But there is a hitch: to use the network, Telstra customers must create wi-fi hot spots from their home, agreeing to let the telco dedicate two megabits per second from their bandwidth to those passing by their home. "

http://www.couriermail.com.au/technology/australias-largest-…

My concern is for what people may download while using your home network - but I'm probably wrong!

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Comments

  • ESEMCE on 26/06/2015 - 15:57
    +9

    My concern is for what people may download while using your home network - but I'm probably wrong!

    Instant get out of jail free card…
    Just make sure that all of your nefarious downloading is done on the "public" wifi

    • bonz on 26/06/2015 - 18:22

      Instant get out of jail free card…

      Sorry that's not how it works. First you have to opt-in to share your own broadband to be issued with a username and password to authenticate yourself to those "public" gateways, all your usage from these will be tied back to and deducted from your own home BB, so you're not getting away from anything nor getting something for nothing.

      • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2015 - 23:57

        So data can be logged by usernames?

        • bonz on 28/06/2015 - 10:53

          It's a given, how else do they keep track of your usage?

      • moonphase on 27/06/2015 - 23:58

        At the point that requires "ID" and "Password", I don't count it as public but just private run by Telstra.

        • bonz on 28/06/2015 - 10:55

          I was only quoting the term "public" from scubacoles

  • offal spokesman on 26/06/2015 - 16:23
    +14

    lol, dedicate 2mbs per second to the hotspot. With my current Dload speed at 1.74mbs?

    • Roary on 26/06/2015 - 19:08
      -4

      Your download is probably 1.74MB/s (mega bytes/sec)
      they are asking to 2mbs (mega bits/sec)

      Check your sync speed. Its probably in the range off 13-14000 kbs

      • Frig on 26/06/2015 - 19:46
        -2

        Check your sync speed. Its probably in the range off 13-14000 kbs

        Unfortunately I don't think that many people get that sort of speed. Most people I know (especially in the west and south western suburbs of Sydney) are lucky if they get 3Mbps (3000 kb/s).

        You'd need to living within about 1.5Km from an exchange to get 13Mbps and even then you'd need a good line.

        • Roary on 26/06/2015 - 21:19
          -3

          He said his download speed is 1.74MB/s

          Download speeds are normally displayed as megabytes/sec in applications.

          If it was 1.74 Mb (Mega bits) then this is a very bad connection. Probably as bad as you can get.
          I don't think many people are as slow as this.

        • Frig on 27/06/2015 - 11:35
          +2

          @Roary:

          What area are you in?

          I know lots of people in suburban areas (Marrickville, Cabramatta, Bonnyrigg, Campbelltown, Penrith, Blacktown) that get less than 3Mbps (not MBps) if they are lucky.

          Then move on to all the people in regional and suburban outskirts areas who can't get good speeds if they can get ADSL at all.

          Take a look on Whirlpool and take your pick of Internet provider threads and see what speeds people post.

      • PVA on 26/06/2015 - 20:09
        +2

        not true, a lot of people are on very slow speeds.
        My ADSL is 5mb/s, no way would I give up 2mb/s.

    • offal spokesman on 28/06/2015 - 12:11

      i am in perth and my download speed is 1.74mbs and it aint improving anytime soon.

  • Riczter on 26/06/2015 - 16:33
    +12

    Hahahaha this makes me laugh. Trying to innovate on a crippled broadband network..

    Good idea in theory. Give us a proper FTTH rollout first, then we'll talk. Dedicating 2mbps would cripple my network :/

    • ESEMCE on 26/06/2015 - 16:38
      +2

      Is it dedicated or QoS?
      If dedicated then it will never take off.

  • KaTst3R on 26/06/2015 - 16:42
    +5

    And I know why there are so many homeless people hanging outside my gate late at night…

  • mskeggs on 26/06/2015 - 17:37
    +3

    Good luck getting wi-fi outside my house. I struggle in some rooms inside!

    • McFly on 28/06/2015 - 01:08

      Yeah what are they going to do - put antennas on people's roofs?

  • cim85 on 26/06/2015 - 17:37
    +3

    What about me living next door to a large secondary college, I wonder how my modem will fair with all those devices hanging off it, lol…….I could just imagine the nature of the downloads, the mind boggles!!

    • Roary on 26/06/2015 - 19:05
      +1

      Only 1 connection at a time.. but yes you would expect it to be always in use..

  • melbtiger on 26/06/2015 - 18:45
    +2
    Merged from Telstra Air (Free for Eligible Telstra Cust) & New Telstra Broadband Plans Launching 30th June

    Telstra Air finally Launching on Tuesday 30th June.

    I have gathered some information and putting it together for all.

    As you know it works by customers sharing a small portion of their home internet bandwidth in exchange for using their own homebroadband allowance at hotspots across the nation and overseas. While many questions still needs to be answered by Telstra here are few things which we already know.

    • Telstra home broadband customers with a compatible gateway can have free access.
    • Telstra Air members can get online, using their home broadband allowance, at thousands of hotspots, at payphone sites and retail outlets across Australia, more than 250 towns and cities across Australia located in some of the nation’s busiest and most iconic locations.
    • It is suppose to work around your suburbs, at your local shopping precinct, local park, at a café. But this is all subject to acceptance by larger Telstra community.
    • Telstra Air members will also be able to connect at 15 million hotspots overseas in 18 countries including the UK, Spain, Brazil, Japan, France and Germany.

    More details & how to stuff… CLICK HERE

    If you have't heard of it CLICK HERE to learn more.

    New Telstra Broadband plans

    • Telstra on Tuesday will start selling new broadband bundles that offer cheaper internet and Foxtel Pay TV services as part of a package. Where Telstra users previously paid $130 per month on a two-year contract for a 200 gigabyte plan with Foxtel services, the same plan will now cost $109 per month – a 16 per cent discount.
    • For the first time the company will also offer 1 terabyte plans, equivalent to 1000 gigabytes, for $149 per month. It has also eliminated a 100GB plan that will force some users to pay more to upgrade to Telstra's pricier 200GB plans or get cheaper 50GB options.

    Lets wait & see what comes out on Tuesday …

    More details HERE

    • chir0nex on 26/06/2015 - 18:51

      How prevalent will the wifi network be in the city?
      i.e do i pretty much have to be in line of sight of a wifi payphone thing or will i be able to use it in shops?

      Biggest question, for now, i'm not signing up until i know how much data and network speed i give up to access an unknown network.

      • Roary on 26/06/2015 - 18:52

        data is not counted.
        Speed up to 2Mbs/connection

        1 connection for ADSL, 3 connections if you are on cable or NBN

    • Roary on 26/06/2015 - 18:51

      Its only free if you share your own network connection with others..

      i.e. not free at all!

      • moonphase on 28/06/2015 - 00:04

        Not even close when you need to use your "home broadband allowance" when you access those hotspot.

        Obviously saving your mobile data for sure though…

  • Garagesale on 26/06/2015 - 18:54
    +1

    So u can log into your own wifi network as wifi air and get free unlimited downloads?

    • Roary on 26/06/2015 - 19:04

      No.. but who ever logs into your wifi network (yourself included) will use their own allocation of bandwidth

  • dan76n on 26/06/2015 - 19:22

    So if you sign up how will you know where you are able to use WiFi elsewhere? If I can use my homes data allowance on my mobile then this would be a great deal for me as I highly doubt too many people would use my network. I get 20Mbps download and 1.0 Mbps upload speeds at home so that should be OK even if someone used it.

  • chill on 27/06/2015 - 00:19
    -1

    I just cannot see this whole idea taking off.

  • chrisburnett on 27/06/2015 - 09:51

    I'm in England travelling at the moment and if you have a phone with BT (Bristish Telecom) you can access any BT wifi access point you happen to come by. It seems that nearly everyone is with BT so you'd have access everywhere you go. It works really well. I wouldn't worry about download speeds. It all works like it should without someone sitting on your doorstep sucking down Game of Thrones and wrecking your Internet.

    The mobile internet here is awful though if you travel outside of a city. You really need wifi here because the mobile data is rubbish.

    I think people are worrying about things that aren't that life changing.

  • conan2000 on 27/06/2015 - 14:00

    Could be very handy if it takes off. I've got 100Mb cable at home, so 2Mb shared isn't a concern. However, other than my next door neighbours in the suburb, not sure how it would be of any use to anyone else anyway.

    Being able to use the 200GB cap while I'm out and about though. Will be very useful when overseas as well.

  • Diji1 on 27/06/2015 - 19:42

    Apparently this is how the majority of mobile data is accessed in the USA now, 119PB a year or something.

  • GordonR on 27/06/2015 - 23:53

    Suddenly a free Telstra wifi network appeared at the cafe I frequent, then I noticed that the public phone booth across the road had sprouted a red cube on a stalk on top of it, which must be the source.

    Like conan2000, I'll be in for this because 100Mb cable along with Telstra's recent increas of my download quota to 500Gb make it pretty much a no-loss proposition.

  • TheAsianOne on 28/06/2015 - 00:39

    I'm actually looking forward to the roll-out of this service. It can be quite convenient especially in dense population areas such as the CBD. Not sure how it's going to work for those who have slower internet connections though..
    Does anybody know what modems are compatible?

    • McFly on 28/06/2015 - 12:25

      Does anybody know what modems are compatible?

      Anyone who's read the OP's link does. (Although it should say C6300 (Netgear).)

  • muncan on 28/06/2015 - 13:26

    Meanwhile in Adelaide: map-free-wifi-coverage.pdf

    • brownhux on 28/06/2015 - 13:55

      When visiting Adelaide have found the free CBD wifi to be very unreliable and slow.

      • muncan on 28/06/2015 - 19:48

        It is true. I'm constantly having to 'forget this network' it as it interrupts my 4G.
        But then it reconnects again to another access point!
        Free public wifi = first world problems!!

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