vividwireless debuts WiMAX connected pocket WiFi access point

By Stuart Corner
 The pocket-sized device is simple to set up: if it has been bought over the counter on first usage the user is directed to a setup page where they can select and pay for a usage plan. If they have signed up for a contract (available only online from vividwireless) the device works pretty much out of the box on delivery. It can support up to five users over WiFi.

Vividwireless isn't keen to talk specifics about speed, although its web site boasts: "We are ranked the fastest consumer ISP in Perth, according to Speedtest.net," and a video shows a (simulated?) comparison. Elsewhere it claims to offer "seriously faster 4G wireless broadband."

However it does state: "Our network testing of the USB modem reveals an average download speed of 6.7Mbps, with typical download speeds between 5 and 8 Mbps within our coverage areas. The speeds experienced across the network are not only lightning fast - they are remarkably consistent day and night, when you expect more users on the network."

According to vividwireless the radio section of the ViViFi is identical to that of the USB modem. Both use MiMo on the downstream side with dual antennas and beamforming. Better performance is likely with the home gateway: it has higher antenna gain and uses MiMo on the upstream side.

Using speedtest.net we obtained about 7.9Mbps downstream and about 2.5Mbps upstream. However consistency is totally lacking when using speedtest.net: it is highly dependent on the server chosen. We got the best performance from an Optus server on the NSW Central Coast. For others upstream speeds exceeded downstream, 2.10/2.25Mbps was one result we got within minutes of the peak result, and no other server available would give more than 5Mbps downstream.

We noted similar discrepancies when we tested Telstra's new Ultimate HSDPA modem recently. However for speedtest.net results for our normal ADSL service were extremely consistent. Vividwireless was unable to offer any immediate explanation for this result. A spokesman said: "internally we don't use Speedtest. Our engineers don't trust it."

Vividwireless launched its WiMAX network in Perth in March 2010, having previously announced plans to build networks in five mainland capital cities, targeting inner-city and university communities, starting in the second half of 2010.

It said that coverage would be provided within five kilometres of major universities: Sydney University, the University of NSW and UTS University in Sydney; Melbourne University & RMIT; The Australian National University in Canberra, the University of Queensland in Brisbane and the University of Adelaide. A total coverage area was put at 471 square kilometres with a population of 1.25 million.

It now has networks operational in Melbourne and Sydney. The coverage map for Sydney shows near completed coverage south of the harbour: the CBD, west as far as Summer Hill, south to Botany Bay and east to the coast.

For Melbourne, coverage is roughly from the CBD, north to Brunswick, West to Flemington Racecourse, east to Fitzroy and south to St Kilda.

This article first appeared in ExchangeDaily, iTWire's daily newsletter for telecommunications professionals. Register here for your free trial.

VHA cuts prepaid mobile broadband price, adds WiFi modem

Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) has dropped the price of its Vodafone branded USB modem based prepaid mobile broadband starter pack from $79 to $49 and has introduced its first pocket 3G WiFi modem.
The USB modem package, which will be available from both Vodafone and 3 stores, comprises the modem and 1GB of data with 30 day expiry. Current prices for additional data, all on 30 day expiry, are $15 for 1.5GB, $29 for 4GB, $39 for 8GB and $49 for 10GB per month. VHA says these prices will apply until 15 September "unless extended."

VHA is targeting the product as a fixed-line replacement saying: "With the average Australian Internet user spending an incredible 37 days per year online, Vodafone's prepaid mobile broadband starter pack presents customers with a great opportunity to cast off the shackles of fixed-line Internet and start using the internet at home, when they're out an about, wherever they have 3G coverage." (The 37 days figure is derived from Nielsen's 2010 Internet & Technology Report that put Australian average weekly Internet usage at 17.6 hours per week.)

VHA has also introduced Pocket WiFi, a portable 3G WiFi modem that uses WiFi that enables up to five users to share one Vodafone or 3 mobile broadband service. It is manufactured by Huawei. It is available outright as the prepaid mobile broadband PocketWiFi starter pack for $119 that includes a prepaid SIM with 1GB of mobile broadband data on Vodafone or 200MB on 3, both with 30 day expiry. It is also available at no charge on some 24-month plans.

The device is exclusive to VHA. A Huawei spokesman told iTWire that it was a more recent model in the e-series range than the one presently sold by Virgin Mobile in Australia.

According to VHA, "What truly sets PocketWiFi apart from other WiFi models is the way it provides customers with visibility about what's happening at any one time. The handy LED display provides information about the signal strength, WiFi status, number of devices connected via WiFi, internet connection status, battery life, Internet session time, session data usage and roaming status."

The rechargeable and removable lithium-ion battery, is claimed to provide up to five hours of usage and can be charged by mains power or USB.

iiNet announces bonded DSL for business

iiNet, Australia’s third largest ISP has announced support for bonded DSL, which can double broadband speeds compared to a standard ADSL2+ connection.
iiNet’s business GM Steve Harley told CommsDay that the technology would be of benefit to the almost 42,000 businesses already using iiNet ADSL broadband connected through iiNet’s own DSLAMs.
Business users signing up for iiNet’s bonded DSL service can expect to pay from $99 per month for the service, plus a one off setup charge (if you are an existing iiNet customer) of $150 if currently using Naked ADSL or $79.95 for Broadband 2+ customers. iiNet’s bonded DSL modem costs an additional $419 on top of the setup costs.
Bonded DSL differs from other approaches that look to load balance two separate ADSL connections, in that it combines to twisted pair connections at the exchange end, creating what is described as “one big pipe” by iiNet’s Steve Harley, rather than two separate pipes pushing information to your business. This eases administrative problems at the business end, by simply having one modem connect to your network in the same way as your current ADSL connection.
iiNet currently offers a range of fibre optic connections to businesses, but many see the step up to a fibre connection cost prohibitive, with monthly costs in the range of $1,000 or more, in addition to set up costs in the range of $20,000-30,000. iiNet’s bonded DSL solution brings this prohibitive price point down for small to medium businesses that need more bandwidth than ADSL2 offers, but at a significantly more attractive price point. Bonded DSL is also more likely to be available to businesses, with 85 percent of iiNet’s current customers in areas capable of supporting the technology.

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