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Mobile coverage on MTB tracks: Optus vs Telstra vs Vodafone?
Mobile coverage on MTB tracks: Optus vs Telstra vs Vodafone
I'm about to switch from Telstra to Vodafone on my mobile phone plan. Could I please get your feedback re actual coverage in more remote / not city areas for the three carriers?
I'm keen to stay "connected" while riding Northern Beaches trails, Blue Mountains, Sparrow Hill etc. for reasons of safety (emergency etc).
Please share your experience re dropouts/coverage/dead spots.
e.g. in this format: Network/Handset Model/Non Coverage Area (dead spots)
Thank you in advance.
Rgds, Hans
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I would imagine Telstra still has the best network (and then checked... see below). I know you're asking about specific drop out points but personally it's hard for me to say given I rarely use my phone while riding. As you come in and out of coverage your phone will receive SMS (and most will queue and send now too).
For the record, the carriers claims are:
Telstra: 99% population coverage.
Optus: 96% population coverage.
Vodafone: 94.52% population coverage.
If you want something that works absolutely anywhere and for peace of mind get a satellite based device such as an EPIRB or a Spot.
The advantage of the spot is that it's more of a tracker so people know where you are and can look online. It's quiet cool but you have to pay a subscription, see:
http://www.findmespot.com/australianewzealand/
If you are stuck somewhere without any reception and need to contact emergency services, you can dial 112.
It will automatically connect to any provider in range and dial 000. Doesn't need a sim, phone can be locked, its the ultimate # to remember.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_100581
There are some rides which have no coverage at all. Like if you go to Wiseman's Ferry and do the Great North Road some areas have no networks at all.
Like when Rob has his little tumble down Shephards Gully there was no coverage and we were lucky that it was not too severe an injury and that we had first aid kits on hand.
This is when those satellite devices come in handy i guess.
my work phone is with Vodafone and the coverage in non residential/rural areas is poor compared to the other 2 providers. i find even in the inner city area the network coverage will drop out (take this morning for eg, I live in Coogee and the network dropped out for a 5-10min) and voicemail will sometimes drop in 30min+ after the msg was left. Over the years the company has used Optus and Telstra as well and i have found (as is expected) Telstra to provide the best coverage. if you are going on road trips interstate eg VIC, TAS, QLD, the coverage can be so so, and and forget about getting coverage as soon as you set foot out of a city in WA. I'm about to switch back to Optus for my personal phone.
I take two phones, mine is Optus, my work one is Telstra, just in case.
(my phone was flat, didn't charge it properly earlier, norti)
buddy had no telstra reception, i had two (of three) bars of telstra
(and a flat and no kit, and where is the third member of our party)
I just changed my iPhone from Telstra to Vodafone because of corporate plans - and they suck. Coverage is awful outside of the metro areas. My riding buddies on Telstra can have full coverage and I am dead in the water, especially Ourimbah and Wisemans. Menai is patchy, Sparrow hill was very patchy.
... in Allambie Heights, I'm unable to access Telstra as soon as I come in either end of my street! The Telstra tech who came to sort out a landline problem had his coverage drop out too, so it's not just my phone.
To get any sort of coverage I had to use the in-car kit. Sitting in the driveway you'd see 5 or six cell names flit across the screen un under a minute.
I'm now with Optus. NO problem at home. Coverage on rural roads has seen no discernable difference from coverage I had with Telstra.
Sorry this was slighlty off-topic, but I thought it might amuse.
We shifted from Vodaphone to Telstra at work for improved reception in remote areas (our Western Australians complained about Vodaphone a fair bit while they were traveling). I have found (living in a steep valley in Thornleigh) that my reception is stronger since we moved to Telstra. My reception on the regular Northern Sydney trails was fine with Vodaphone, and is still good with Telstra. I don't notice much difference in that regard.
Got stuck out in the dark with no night equipment, bush bashing Marramarra and if it werent for me iPhone connected to Telstra NextG, safe to say we would have been huggin the night out between dudes.
Me riding mates had Voda and Optus and wasnt able to get anything.
Telstra had several bars even whilst deep in the bush and even had the capacity to download the map on Trails to get us out safe n sound.
Not a fan of Telstra but glad I had it that night.
Similar scenario at Ourimbah, Glenrock and Wingello..... Telstra murders the rest with coverage
Telstra definately better. We swapped all blackberies at work to vodafone then swapped half of them back as the guys that go out of town couldn't get reception...