Travel overseas (Australia) with iPad.

[wackymacky]

Hi,

I'm going got be in Australia for 1 month and want to use my 3G iPad.

Can I just go to one of the carrier's retail shops and get a SIM and use a non Australian credit card to purchase one of the 30 data plans, then just not top it up when I leave?

Or do you need an Australian address or Australian credit card?

I really don't want to pay roaming by laving my home SIM in place.

Thanks.

 

[kooseman]

Travel overseas (Australia) with iPad.

wackymacky,

I intend to do the same in mid-September in Perth. Best I can figure out from the carrier websites is that it should work. I'm interested in hearing from someone who has actually done it. I'm paying AT&T $120 this month for 100MB of data while in China - what a rip, but could find no other options. I'm also going to be trying the local solution with M1 in Singapore for the first week in September.

 

[sammich]

There are 3 main telco's you can get mobile data from: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best network since they are very expensive (compared to the other two) and their network is better. Optus is supposed to be slow and oversold, but it's been very faithful to me. And don't bother about Vodafone.

I'd recommend it from this site:
http://personal.optus.com.au/web/oc...oRHS&FP=/personal/internet/iPad&site=personal

 

[Chundles]

Hi,

I'm going got be in Australia for 1 month and want to use my 3G iPad.

Can I just go to one of the carrier's retail shops and get a SIM and use a non Australian credit card to purchase one of the 30 data plans, then just not top it up when I leave?

Or do you need an Australian address or Australian credit card?

I really don't want to pay roaming by laving my home SIM in place.

Thanks.

Nope, no need for a local address, just rock up to any of the carriers' stores (five support the iPad and grab a pre-paid SIM). A couple are doing unlimited for $49 which lasts a month. You'll have to check out all the deals they offer.

Telstra have the highest price but the fastest and largest network. If the iPad supported it you'd get ~21Mbps in the major cities but you should see 7.2Mbps in most places.

Optus' network is a bit clogged up but their prices are much better. Voda's network is god awful as is 3's but if you're just in the capital cities you should be OK.

If you're going to be venturing off the beaten track first, leave your iPad behind but Telstra is going to be the best bet for coverage. They'll charge you an arm and a leg though.

 

[wackymacky]

Thanks Guys,


I just looked at the Telstra homepage and you can buy the SIM with 1 GB pre-installed which should be enough as my main use for it will be email, and if I run out I can worry about trying to top up at that point.

 

[Chundles]

Thanks Guys,


I just looked at the Telstra homepage and you can buy the SIM with 1 GB pre-installed which should be enough as my main use for it will be email, and if I run out I can worry about trying to top up at that point.

You can buy recharge vouchers at pretty much every supermarket, newsagency, convenience store, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in the country. No need to worry about it at all.

 

[Dean888]

$30 prepaid for 1gig

You can buy recharge vouchers at pretty much every supermarket, newsagency, convenience store, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in the country. No need to worry about it at all.

Telstra is Australia's biggest telco and has the best coverage have just released $30 deal you get the sim and 1 gig of data and you can buy recharges almost anywhere or buy them online off your ipad.

 

[mixvio]

I use my iPad on Vodafone's network. If it's supposed to be terrible I haven't noticed it, it's always been fine for me, whether on the iPad or my 3GS. You're also going to find prices noticeably less than what Telstra et al charge.

That said I'm originally from the US and compared to NYC, 3G data speeds are so much faster it isn't even funny. It's just the rest of the internet that's slow here.

 

[aristobrat]

I'm paying AT&T $120 this month for 100MB of data while in China - what a rip, but could find no other options.

Are there no '3' shops where you're at in China? I bought a pre-paid data SIM from them last time I was there. It was like US$25, and unlimited data for a day was like US$4 (or there abouts). The only trick was that it was full-sized, but the reseller I bought it from etched it down to micro-SIM size in about 1/2 a minute with an little knife.

 

[kwobken]

Can I purchase an AU SIM in the US

My mother is traveling to Australia with her iPad. I'd like to get her setup with and AU prepaid SIM card before she leaves. Is there a way to buy an Australian Prepaid SIM and get it sent the the US?

 

[iTouch.lover22]

My mother is traveling to Australia with her iPad. I'd like to get her setup with and AU prepaid SIM card before she leaves. Is there a way to buy an Australian Prepaid SIM and get it sent the the US?

I'm pretty sure you won't be able to do that, but don't fret, you can buy a prepaid sim card pretty much anywhere. Like someone above said, supermarkets, electronic stores, the network stores, even little electronic accessory mall kiosks. If I remember currently, a prepaid sim card for Vodafone is just $5, and you can top up from there.