07 Oct Telstra Offers Australians Free Trial Of Nationwide WiFi Network
Curious about Telstra’s nationwide WiFi network?
Telstra is giving Australians a sneak peek into its nationwide WiFi hotspot roll out, by offering free trials of its first 1,000 hotspots from November.
Earlier this year, Telstra announced its plans to create one of the world’s largest WiFi networks. The WiFi network will include 2 million hotspots spanning Australia and will launch in 2015 with project completion expected to take 5 years.
The first 1,000 hotspots will be going live before Christmas, with Telstra offering Australians a free trial of its new WiFi network before the official launch early next year. The 1,000 hotspots will be located at payphone sites in locations that include some of Australia’s busiest locations. These sites include Bondi Beach in Sydney, Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne, Civic Centre in Canberra, Hay Street Mall in Perth, Rundle Mall in Adelaide and Queen Street Mall in Brisbane among others.
Fortunately regional Australia will not miss out, as Group Executive Telstra Retail Gordon Ballantyne says, “Regional Australia will also form a major part of Australia’s biggest Wi-Fi network with a focus on regional hubs and tourist destinations in the first 1,000 sites.”
In addition to payphone sites, when the WiFi network launches, Telstra will be adding other hotspot locations such as Telstra retail outlets, exchange buildings, business centres, transport hubs and even cafes and shops. Telstra has also announced that it has contracts to bring WiFi to 6 stadiums across Australia, including Adelaide Oval, Sydney Cricket Ground and Etihad Stadium among others.
Once officially launched, the network will be accessible by everyone, even non- Telstra customers, for a fee. There are two ways Australians will be able to access Telstra’s WiFi network once launched:
Using Your Telstra Home Broadband Allowance
Telstra home broadband customers who join the WiFi community with a compatible gateway can use their home broadband allowance to connect to domestic hotspots.
Guest Passes:
Non Telstra customers and Telstra customers who have not joined the WiFi community, can connect to a Telstra hotspot for a small charge.
For more information about Telstra’s plan for a nationwide WiFi network and to stay informed, see Telstra’s website for details.