Good afternoon, folks. I’m moving to a home without a telephone line. I’ve searched the new address on several internet supplier sites; it’s well within service areas (Mackay QLD). Can anyone suggest how to find a provider who can provide without a landline connection? I’ll be running a smart TV, desktop pc, 2 tablets, a laptop and 2 Iphones.
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You can use an existing phone as a hotspot for the other devices (I assume you an do this with iphones, as you can with Android), use whoever you are with now, or whichever telco has the nearest line of sight tower. You just need a plan with enough data allowance.
No landline here, I use Optus for my internet as it has a stronger signal than Telstra, a modem/router with a SIM card, or sometimes my phone as a hotspot when the speed gets too low, such as on Friday evenings.
Optus don’t offer internet plans here for some reason, so I have to use a phone plan with enough data.
EDIT: I tried NBN satellite when it became available, but quit it after a year or 2, as it was truly terrible!
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What does the NBN lookup tool advise?
It will return the type of service available at the address.
Landlines no longer exist with the exception of a very small number of properties who are covered by the Satellite or Fixed Wireless NBN services. For those not all have chosen to retain the landline and instead use the VOIP service over the NBN internet, or rely or mobile for voice calls etc.
I entered our old Mackay address which was well out of town. I was presently surprised that the property in an estate developed in the 1990’s was able to access up to 1Gbps with FTTP.
For the level of use - if the NBN is not offering a fixed line service the Fixed Wireless service offers a top tier plan based on 75/10Mbps. There are several related topics in this community that offer further comment on that service option.
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Does it have fixed NBN connection (FTTP, FTTN, HFC etc?)?
The address can be searched here:
Landlines technically don’t exist anymore, as phone calls and internet go through the NBN run infrastructure.
If the property has a fixed NBN connection, most retail/internet service provider will have internet only packages. Canstar provides a list and prices here:
These devices will connect via WIFI and/or LAN/Ethernet connection to the modem.
How many live in the household?
This can assist with determining speed. For example, a one person household, a NBN12-25 plan might suffice. For larger households where multiple devices are used at the same time, NBN50+ plan may be required.
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We still have a copper landline, but it is too degraded to handle ADSL internet, we had NBN satellite which was woeful (couldn’t run video or look at some popular sites like realestate), nearest mobile tower was 23km away (no calls, SMS semi-reliable).
We signed up with Starlink a couple of years ago and have had reliable fast (50 to 100 times faster than NBN satellite). Its about twice the price of the NBN, but the opportunity to do study and watch the videos and participate in zoom calls with actual video, not just audio, to watch streaming rather than watch the buffering bar, makes it all worthwhile.
Starlink is unlimited data. You need uninterrupted view of the sky to the south (in Qld). If you have tall trees and can’t get your dish high enough, then it won’t be as good. $139/month. My mobile will Wi-Fi through the StarLink service as the mobile signal isn’t good enough here, we kept the copper landline with all its static. Very happy with StarLink
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Thanks to everyone who replied to this request. I think the way I will go is to follow Zackarii’s suggestion and go with Starlink for everything…
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I would think in a sizable town like Mackay there would be many options before considering Starlink.
The point of NBN is to connect every home using some fixed method. Just like Telstra used to do.
Is there any particular reason why NBN is not an option?
Failing that the 4G or 5G cell network and a mobile or fixed hub supporting multiple devices via WiFi.
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What type of nbn(r) connection would you get at your Mackay location?
If FttP (fibre to the premises) or even HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial), these may provide cheaper options still with unlimited data, than Starlink. FTTC (fibre to the curb) would also be a good option, FTTN (fibre to the node) can be a variable outcome as would Fixed Wireless and nbn satellite. Knowing which option you would get, will help determine best choice.
Satellite from any provider (nbn, Starlink, and so on) is subject to interference from heavy cloud cover and storms, as much of the signal can be blocked. From memory, Mackay can suffer a bit of this type of weather and this may have a deleterious effect on your connection experience.
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Telstra has a duty to supply a standard “landline” service to anyone who requests it. However, they can choose the technology to deliver this service. This is not necessarily the “landline” you get when you buy an inbternet service from an In ternet nService Provider (ISP). There would be very few “landlines” that are still connected to a telephone exchange with a copper cable as most of these telephone exchanges have been removed and replaced with internet based services. Some homes still use the copper cables to connect to a fibre node somewhere nearby (Copper to the node or FTN)). NBN is gradually updating all services to be optical fibre to the home (FTH). I think possibly you are confusing the offers. Most internet providers include a telephone (possibly called a “landline” in the offer) to a non-mobile number for free. This is not the old fashioned landline as it is actually a telephone service provided over the internet connection and it plugs in to your internet modem/router. Depending on what internet service type has been installed in your neighbourhood you may get different technology implementations. You can check if you have NBN service to your home on
I think a standard internet service providing 50 Mbs would be more than adequate for your needs in most cases but, internet service providers (ISPs) will have a tool that allows you to judge what speed you need from your usage patterns. If every device in your house wanted to stream a different movie at the same time you might need 100 Mbs. Most home internet connections to the home will be half the cost of a Starlink residential service.
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I lived on a farm in regional NSW with no landline and poor mobile reception. We had satellite internet but it was terrible. We put a mobile phone booster aerial on our roof and got 4G and 5G so greatly improved our mobile phone service. Then got a Telstra mobile wireless wifi (mobile broadband using a Nighthawk mobile router with its own sim) set up so that worked wonders for 10 years until we moved. It will certainly be fast enough to satisfy all your computer and streaming needs
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@artpepper It’s maybe a long shot in that location, but do you have 5G available through Telstra, Optus or iiNet? I’d check all three companies as each of them has their own network. If you can get a 5G signal then the best way is to get a 5G modem. It’s simply a matter then of plugging it in to a power point, and it works.
Admittedly I’m in suburban Brisbane but I am on the iiNet 5G home broadband plan. Speeds are good and there’s unlimited data. The cost: $60/month.
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** Order | Ryoko Pro **
This gadget is being promoted on Youtube and seems to fit the bill for your needs.
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Moderator edit: I have removed the product preview but the curious can click on the above text link. The device is sold by a company in Lithuania. Productreview has a few posts from Australians worth reading prior to going further. ECommerce advertising on Youtube is akin to that on Facebook - eg buyer beware.
Anyone wanting internet connections via mobile service is advised to buy a dongle from one of our local telecoms to assure network compatibility, service, and that it will work here in any case.
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I would do homework on this one. It is a 4G wifi modem, an expensive one at that. One needs to also purchase a data plan above and beyond the cost of the modem.
It is possible to get a similar 4G wifi router from an Australian retailer for up to half of the price… these are some examples:
https://www.harveynorman.com.au/tp-link-4g-lte-mobile-wi-fi.html
Or Australian mobile network providers, again at the fraction of the price:
Buying online from an overseas seller is high risk and shouldn’t be done unless one is confident the product is legitimate, works with Australian mobile networks and the business will comply with Australian laws.
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This is supplied by a Private Company registered in Lithuania. Accordingly if anything does go wrong it would be very difficult to assert your Australian Consumer Law rights. It’s parent company Ekomlita/Ausica/Orbio World has been the subject of several topics on this Community and one article about one of the linked businesses products. Something to steer well clear of.
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Have a look at Aussie Broadband. We get good speeds and price is OK
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It should be noted that even without a landline from copper PSTN days it is possible, whether or not probable, NBN might install a physical connection to the residence at a reasonable cost. With some exceptions the NBN usually supplants the old copper with digital systems and phone service becomes VOIP (voice over internet protocol).
If you have not done so, check what options you have by contacting an ISP. Aussiebroadband has the best call centre.
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I am yet to see the result when the new street address with no phone line was entered into Check your address | nbn and selecting residential. Even country roads have street addresses.
One of the following options should appear.
FTTP, FTTB and HFC are only used in areas of high population density. FTTN is unlikely because it uses up to the last 900 m of telephone cable to connect. FTTC is the newest technology and is in some towns. The most likely is Fixed Wireless. This is where an external antenna like those used for TV (not satellite) communicates with a tower for a town. Much like mobile phones/internet. The Internet service provider installs it just like all other NBN connections. For remote areas the NBN’s Skymuster satellite installed by the ISP, but they install a satellite dish and modem. Skymuster like the free Viewer Accessed Satellite Television (for free to air TV) use satellites 36,000 km above the equator. This causes a delay which makes game play a more difficult. This does not affect download speed. Satellite choose a provider | nbn. Starlink uses low orbiting satellites which are closer to the earth, but you have to do your own installation. Starlink | Service Plans.
Mobile phones base station coverage in remote and some regional areas have a coverage radius in metres not km, even so most base stations have a coverage radius in the low 10s of km. The poorer the signal the slower the speed, because the data has to be retransmitted until it is error free. Mobile phone coverage is only 19 % of the land area of Australia. The tiny base stations only carry voice and SMS.
When the NBN was connected to all subscribers, the phone line was disconnected. In Skymuster sites, that does not occur, but Telstra has little incentive to maintain those old phone lines because they are expensive and do not pay their way.
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I’d try
first.
R
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For a single large file the download speed can get close to the advertised speed, however, it does affect download speed for most websites, as they are made up of many separate parts, the delay applies to each of them, After suffering with Skymuster for a year or 2 I found that some media sites are particularly bad, sometimes auto-refreshing before everything has loaded, making the site essentially unusable.
Also, if you want the internet to be ready when you want to use it, such as on a wet gloomy day when you are stuck inside, forget about it! There is no signal when it is raining, the signal is absorbed by water, so you have to wait until the sky clears before it is available again. Even thick cloud slows it down significantly.
Skymuster/NBN satellite… Just say NO
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I have been told by a technician that 5G while being able to handle a large volume of work has a very short range, eg., 500 Metres.
I recently had problems with my internet running very slowly and the routers, Telstra & NBN next to each other, were constantly clicking. We have fibre to the curb. Telstra said not their problem and sent NBN out. He fixed it before knocking on the door by opening the connection point on the curb and cutting the old copper telephone wire. As the copper. from the connection point on the curb and the house is only ab out 20 metres we said that converting it to fibre to the premises would. not sped it up. Now I’m being pestered by Telstra to allow fibre to the premises.
