7GB for $49
3 Mobile – 7GB for $49 Wireless Broadband Plan Review
Our Rating: 
7GB is the highest data allowance that 3 offers and is more than most of its competitors offer. So if you need a lot of downloads for internet surfing, sending attachments, sending and receiving photos and downloading movies and music, then this is the plan for you. This is definitely 3′s best plan if you want to have high-use wireless broadband at home as well as when you’re out and about. The USB modem is free on a 24 month plan. If you want to get a mobile phone deal from 3, to keep all your services with one provider, then have a look on the 3 mobile website.
Data Allowance
It doesn’t get much better than a 7GB data allowance and the price of $49 per month is great value. Just over a year ago, some providers were giving a measley 300MB for $49 per month. This is over 20 times the data for the same price! 7GB will cover most people for home and business use, but if you think you’re going to need more, then another option is to check out Bigpond’s wireless plans. They have a 10GB plan – but it is $129 per month.
If you really need more than 7GB but Bigpond’s price is too high then why not get a second wireless broadband plan from 3?! It may sound strange, but you could get 10GB (7GB + 3GB) for only $78 per month ($49 + $29)! Just put in the second sim card into your wireless modem once you have used up the 7GB. Of course you can sign up for multiple plans to increase you data allowance – just make sure you know how much data is connected to each sim card. Like all the 3 wireless broadband plans, the excess fee is 10c per MB if you exceed your data allowance – so you want to be on a plan or plans that give you enough data.
Speed
3 mobile broadband is enabled for HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access). It has a maximum download speed of 3.6Mbps and uplink speeds up to 384kbps. Speeds will vary due to a number of factors such as signal strength.
3 wireless broadband is compatible with PC or Mac. You’ll need Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Vista (32+64 bit) or Mac OS X (Mac OS 10.3.7 or later). To use the wireless USB modem, you’ll need a USB port on your computer or laptop.
Coverage
3′s network primarily covers major populations such as Sydney, Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth. Outside of these areas you can roam onto the Telstra network, but at $1.65 per MB to roam it is a very expensive option. You receive the first 1MB of roaming included in your plan, but after that it’s charged on top. You do have to activate roaming if you want it – 3 has turned it off by default.
Signing Up
For the best deals, we recommend signing up directly with 3 on their website
More Information
See the 3 website
Hardware Options
3 gives you the choice of the white or black USB modem or broadband card for PCMCIA or Express Card slots.
Make sure you read all the terms and conditions on the 3 website. We endeavour to make choosing a wireless broadband plan easy, and part of that is not giving you information overload. We draw attention to features of a plan which could be potential benefits or pitfalls – but naturally we don’t list every term and condition. So make sure you read the terms and conditions on the 3 website.