Even though it may not be immediately obvious, you can use Optus Mobile Broadband plans without using their modems. There is an option to use your 3G mobile as a modem instead.

Vodafone now have the iPhone announcement on the home page of their Australian site:



Clicking the link also takes you to a page where you can "register your interest".

I'm a little confused by a few things. Firstly, it does seem like you can attach a mobile broadband deal to your mobile account with optus, but can you with vodafone or 3? Just the actual wireless internet plans they have, aimed at users with laptops and modems, are usually cheaper than their mobile phone internet bundles, is there any reason you couldn't use the wireless internet plan and possibly score a free usb modem to boot on a contract? Obviously this probably wouldn't work with some phones, but I'm assuming the iphone it would.


Also, I live in the city (melbourne), so coverage will be no issue at home, but my mum lives just outside the 3g coverage zone for all the networks, but still within the talk&text range. Now if I go visit her and get forced onto GPRS, who will that cost me more with? Telstra and Optus it presumeably would be the same, but who do vodafone/3/virgin default to?

hmmph, here is an almost amusing rumour from Gizmodo that Steve Jobs will open the Sydney apple store and launch the iphone in Australia!

its only almost amusing as it also says this won't happen until August.

I am in Adelaide and have a Three account. I also have X-Series which gives me mobile internet browsing. This is great in a Three area but once you go out off that area you then go onto roaming which uses the Telstra network. You can still TXT and call ok but if you go online and away from the Planet3 content to check emails etc for example, then you get charged extra on top of the X-series charge.
I'm also having issues that I keep going onto roaming even when I'm within a strong Three coverage area.

August?

[shakes fist]Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan...[/drops to ground in despair]

Three mobile broadband plans are $15 for 1gb, $30 for 2gb. Xseries (which you could theoretically bolt onto a normal voice plan for an iPhone) is $30 for 1gb, $40 for 2gb. It costs more but on Xseries you get "Unlimited use of IM, 3 Email3, Planet 3 Essentials4, ebay.com.au and access to Orb." and 2000 ($30 plan) or 4000 ($40 plan) Skype to Skype minutes. However most of them are useless on an iPhone.

Some 3 plans have a phone and a USB modem included together, I'm not 100% sure if they share data though. You probably won't be able to get this kind of deal unless 3 actually carries the iPhone with plans etc., if you buy it outright and join a 3 plan then you can't get a deal like that.

On 3, if you go outside their broadband zone (or roam anywhere) the internet will cost $1.65/MB. If not sure if they fall back on Optus/Telstra's 3G network or onto a GPRS network so I don't know what speed you'll run at but you'll be paying a lot of money to use data outside their zone (probably the biggest fault with using 3 on an iPhone).

yeah, that's what I'm scared of, I would like to be able to use it visiting mum, even if it's slow, and not be killed price wise.

was browsing 3 though, look at this epic plan :

Nokia N73+Broadband offer - Nokia Mobile Phones - Three Australia

imagine that offered with the iphone in place of phone+modem, perfect :P

I expect that the carriers will release new plans when the iPhone goes on sale.

That's what I'm holding off for, I won't bother going to 3 if Vodafone introduces similar plans for iPhones.

I have a source inside Apple Australia that has confirmed mid-June.

He was a little nervous about telling me too. Can't think why.

i just had a conversation with my sister who works for vodafone retail. they had a briefing on the iphone today. apparently its end of year, december 2008, expensive plans at the moment, no outright price, however it may or may not b 3G. this could be cause im in a location that doesnt have 3G towers yet, but there are some exclusive vodafone features built into the phone that wont work when unlocked.

Guess Vodafone needs till December to get visual voicemail up and running. But I still reckon it'll be available unlocked from next month.

I just phoned my friend who works at Vodafone head office at Chatswood. While he wouldn't confirm anything, he said, ".......December, no not that late, before then I can assure you. I can't tell you what the plans will be like accept to say that they will be very competitive with other providers."

I asked if he knows whether it will be 3G to which he said, "Yes, well I can't say, well, yes."

Make of that what you can.

Forgive me for not believing you.
Or you...
Or you...

Sorry but you're all saying different things, someone's lying (not necessarily the posters, maybe the people they talked to).