Remote location - internet access

[RG]

I've been posted out to a remote project site 450km west of Brisbane, near the town of Chinchilla. The posting is at least 2 months but could be up to 4 months.

I need affordable internet access for personal use and I've looked at the whirlpool forum for answer.
Most people talk about CDMA access and the new Next-G.

Wondering if anyone here had used any of them before.
How much do they cost?

I'm not keen to sign up for a 12mths contract.

Getting a satellite is out of the question.

[Felix]

$50/mth for 400MB...or it was when we were getting the telstra wireless BB a couple of months ago for my last job. BUT...

12 month contract

WHICH IS NOTHING!! - if you damage the wireless modem card you need to find $900 to replace it to continue using your service...

You might just have to live on dial up for a bit...

[RG]

Is it something like this?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... &rd=1&rd=1


I'll be staying in a workers' camp, and there's no personal phone line.

[Felix]

No, but we did have one of those...you put your sim card in and away you go. Need to check with Telstra that you can use it, have coverage etc...as I think the MiniMax is the "old" version...

I suspect it could be quite expensive though. No idea what they have out that way, though I suspect you may get wireless coverage of some sort as the Mrs goes to Chinchilla for work and her laptop uses the Sierra wireless card - the $900 one...

[RG]

I've been on that site before, there is definately CDMA coverage but no GSM.

are you referring to this then?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Sierra-Wireless- ... dZViewItem

If it really needs a $900 modem then I might have to try the new Next-G, their card is $299 (both PCMCIA and USB same price).
I know my options are limited...

Hardware is one thing, what about the plan package?

[Felix]

Yep that's the Sierra wireless we had...you'll have to check the prices and so forth...I'm going on what we got told at the time. I suspect the rationale behind next g etc is that it is cheaper to upgrade wireless than run cable everywhere...