Virgin Broadband (Australia)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Virgin Broadband is a wireless broadband service offered in Australia by the telecommunications company Virgin Mobile Australia.
It is provided over the mobile network of parent company Optus using HSDPA technology.
The service was launched in 2007, offering a package of 4GB of data at claimed speeds of up to 700Kbit/s, and unlimited phone calls to landlines Australia-wide as well as Virgin Mobile mobiles.[1]
The service uses an Option Globesurfer 7.2 modem, which includes an RJ11 jack for the connection of a regular PSTN landline telephone, an Ethernet jack for connection of a computer, as well as inbuilt 802.11g WiFi for wireless access by multiple computers.[2]
Each customer of Virgin Broadband is assigned a landline phone number on which they can receive incoming calls (with callers being charged rates as if they were calling a regular landline number).[3]
Although the modem accesses the internet and places calls through Optus' mobile network, it must still only be used within a zone around the customer's registered address. According to Virgin Broadband, this is because of rules from the Australian Communications and Media Authority that prevent geographic landline numbers from being assigned to mobile services.[4]
In late 2007, Virgin Mobile changed the Virgin Broadband offer for new customers, halving the data allowance to 2GB as well as comprehensively re-writing their acceptable use policy.[5]
In early 2008, technology media reported that Virgin Mobile was having difficulty bringing problems with its parent company's network and its modems under control, and its customer call centres had wait times of 90 minutes or longer.[6]
[edit] External Links
- Virgin Broadband
- Virgin Home Broadband Wiki (Whirlpool.net.au)
- VBB Information
[edit] References
- ^ Virgin Broadband poised to slaughter Telstra's landline profits. APC Magazine. ACP Magazines Ltd (2007-07-26). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ In-depth review: Virgin Broadband's home HSDPA broadband service. APC Magazine. ACP Magazines Ltd (2007-07-28). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ Virgin Mobile: home broadband and near unlimited calls for $60. APC Magazine. ACP Magazines Ltd (2007-07-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ Virgin Broadband poised to slaughter Telstra's landline profits. APC Magazine. ACP Magazines Ltd (2007-07-26). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ Optus jacks up broadband prices, introduces excess usage fees. APC Magazine. ACP Magazines Ltd (2007-12-04). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ Virgin Broadband expands coverage amid controversy. APC Magazine. ACP Magazines Ltd (2008-01-22). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
|
||||||||||||||
