Need a guide to the Broadband maze?
ADSL, Wireless or Satellite? We can help you.

BROADBAND GUIDE
High-speed Internet or 'broadband' allows users to access the Internet at higher speeds than those available through “dial-up” Internet services. Whereas dial-up Internet requires the full use of a telephone line and is generally only capable of a maximum speed up to 56 kbps in ideal conditions, broadband technologies supply at least 10 times that speed and do not block the telephone line. There are 3 main Broadband technologies available in our region:
ADSL
ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) is available to most residents of the major population centres in our region within 4.5 km. of an ADSL enabled exchange. It is worth shopping around as there are a variety of plans and special offers, some of which include free installation and a modem and some do not.

If you are serious about quality Internet, then chuck the free 'cheapie' modem included with your plan in the bin and buy yourself a Linksys or similar quality modem from $89.95

Click here for more information about ADSL Broadband or request a free availability check.

Wireless Broadband

Cirrus and Pivit fixed position wireless Broadband

Cirrus operate a very high quality fixed wireless Broadband service from $39.95 within 18 km radius of Lowood and Mt Glorious, and Pivit operate a similar service in the Laidley and Plainlands regions. Equipment and installation costs can be higher than ADSLly from Paul Computers, which spreads the equipment costs over a 36 month contract. This type of Broadband offers an excellent solution for anyone living in one of the hundreds of ADSL 'black holes' within our region.

There are many similar wireless Broadband providers throughout Australia.

Click here for more information about wireless Broadband or request a free availability check.

Bigpond Next G relocatable and mobile Wireless Broadband

Next G wireless Broadband has the widest coverage in Australia but is an expensive option - so expensive that it is not considered 'metro equivalent'' for the purposes of the Federal Government Australian Broadband Guarantee subsidy program. However, it is an excellent option for anyone who requires broadband Internet on the move.

Click here for more information about Next G wireless Broadband or request a free availability check.

Two-Way Satellite Broadband
Good value two-way Satellite Broadband plans with a genuine $0 installation and a monthly payment from $39.95 per month are available from Westnet. This service is subsidised by the Australian Government 'Broadband Guarantee' program (ABG) and is subject to a qualification check by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy based on your location and the availability of other services such as ADSL. Westnet is an approved provider under the ABG program and has been rated the No 1 ISP in Australia by a recent PC Authority survey (Dec 2007) and AC Nielsen Consulting Surveys from 2003 - 2004.

Click here for more information about Satellite Broadband or request a free Broadband Availability check. Download Flyer with 'Half-price for the first six months July offer from Westnet.

VoIP Internet Telephony
'Voice over Internet Protocol'  or VoIP, is a technology that enables you to make telephone calls using a Broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analogue) phone line. Quality is on a par with a mobile phone, but costs are very cheap. For example, MyNetPhone offer plans with untimed national and local call costs of 10c and a Global Saver plan for $15,95 per month that includes 100 untimed local, national or international calls to many popular locations

Click here for more information.

A word of caution about the reliability of the different forms of Broadband. The Internet and the various different options for delivering the service to your premises are highly complex systems and therefore prone to a degree of unreliability. The speed of ADSL is dependant on the quality of the phone lines, wireless Broadband towers can get struck by lightning, fibre optic lines can get cut accidentally, satellite Broadband can suffer a software glitch, all can suffer from excessive traffic or bottlenecks in other parts of the Internet. If your business is dependant on the Internet as a means of communication, it pays to have a backup system, even if it is just a cheap $9.95 dialup account. Next G Broadband also provides a viable backup option.

Campaign for improved Broadband services

Paul Computers has been a vigorous advocate in the campaign to bring ADSL Broadband services to our region in 2003. However, ADSL is only available in the main population centres, leaving many people in our rural region on the wrong side of the digital divide. To ensure access to affordable Broadband services to everyone in our region, we promote a range of wireless and satellite Broadband products for our customers.

Call us on (07) 5427 0132 for free advice