1. What is Wireless Broadband?

Wireless Broadband provides simple, fast, secure, wireless mobile and portable access to broadband services.

2. What is unique about the Wireless Broadband system?

The Wireless Broadband system combines the three characteristics of:

• High speed
• True mobility
• Low cost

3. Does it truly work on the move ?

Yes, the greatest benefit is that Wireless Broadband is now able to deliver what mobile professionals and people on the move have been waiting for; an effective service that allows them to work/play anywhere and at anytime inside the coverage areas.

There are few other tools that are more flexible or convenient than a ‘permanently on’ wireless laptop connection which lets you access email and the Internet from the backseat of a moving taxi, an airport lounge, a park or the foyer of the building your next meeting is in. No longer is there the need to hold off activities until finding a location that provides connectivity, either wired or wireless.

4. Which devices are supported by the Wireless Broadband system e.g. laptops, desktops, handhelds?

The Wireless Broadband service is currently available via a Wireless Broadband USB modem for mobile and desktop setups.

5. Which operating systems does the Wireless Broadband system support?

The Wireless Broadband system works with Windows 98 SE, 98 ME, XP, 2000 and Vista.

6. How fast is it?

Under ideal conditions the Wireless Broadband system can download (data coming to you) at up to one 6Mbps and upload (data coming from you) at up to 345 Kbps.

The degree to which these maximum speeds are attained depends on the quality of the signal which is influenced by several factors:

• The distance you are from the nearest base station
• Whether there are obstructions between you and the base station
• How many other people are connected via your base station
• The speed at which you are travelling

Additionally, the speed of access is greatly influenced by all the usual Internet factors such as the speed of the server you are communicating with and the speed and usage levels of the links that the communication is going over.

7. Do I need to be near a window for it to work?

No not necessarily but being near a window can improved the strength of your signal.  You can be in a car travelling up to 100km per hour and remain connected provided you are in a coverage area.

8. Can I share my Wireless Broadband connection with others?

It is possible to use the Wireless Broadband USB to provide a broadband link to a local network which may be a traditional wired LAN or a wireless LAN using an 802.11 access point.

With this configuration on the Wireless Broadband USB modem it is possible to have multiple devices and users sharing a single Wireless Broadband connection.

We suggest a better solution being the Inzone modem which can share the connection amongst other users.  Contact Customer Service for more details.

9. How does the Wireless Broadband service improve productivity?

The Wireless Broadband service helps productivity in many ways:

• The mobility of the system means that you can be fully productive no matter where you are under coverage, whether in the office or out in the field. You need not waste time returning to the office to perform transactions or to update data, all facilities are at your finger tips no matter where you are at the time under coverage.
• Similarly, the mobility of the Wireless Broadband service means that there is no downtime, except when you want it. If you commute for long periods, Wireless Broadband can keep you fully productive for this period, freeing up time in your day for other activities.
• A high speed secure connection to your company network and the Internet dramatically broadens the amount of information and services you can call upon in the field. A laptop used offline with only local data to work with cannot help in unforeseen circumstances. For example, if you are visiting a client and cannot find their office, you can look at the client’s web site to check the address and go to an online mapping site to get a map to direct you to the location.

10. Do I need a wireless enabled laptop?

No, the Wireless Broadband service is fully compatible with existing laptops which have a USB connection - no upgrades are required. All you need is an Wireless Broadband USB modem and the required installation software.

Installation is quick and easy and typically no more than 5 minutes to complete.

11. Can I connect to a corporate LAN?

Yes, it is possible to use Wireless Broadband to provide a broadband link to a corporate LAN. The qualification as to whether this is possible depends on how your existing IT system is organised and whether there are any arrangements for remote working already in place. For example, if you already use a virtual private network for access from home then it is a simple measure to extend this to Wireless Broadband.

12. How much power will the Wireless Broadband modem use on my laptop?

The Wireless Broadband modem power usage is comparable to that of a Wi-Fi device. Power consumption is dependant on the following factors:

• Level of activity – there is less power consumed when the system is idle
• Direction of data – there is less power consumed receiving data than sending it
• Signal strength – there is less power consumed when within good coverage

13. What makes Wireless Broadband different to WiFi (Wireless LAN, 802.11)?

The main differences are range and speed. Signals from the Wireless Broadband modem can be picked up several kms away by one of the Wireless Broadband network base stations. By contrast, a WiFi has a range of only a few tens of metres, but its transfer speeds are higher. This means that the Wireless Broadband service is able to provide ubiquitous coverage to users, not just near a WiFi ‘hot-spot’.

14. What does the Wireless Broadband desktop modem weigh?

It’s very light at only 600 grams.

15. What security do you have on your network?

There are many security characteristics of the Wireless Broadband service that are embedded to make it highly secure.

16. Do I need to set up a VPN to access my company’s network?

It is not strictly necessary, but many enterprise customers choose to do so as this allows users to employ a common access mechanism when working remotely from the office. The use of a VPN provides an additional level of data security and has the advantage that it is fully managed by the enterprise. Being an IP based system Wireless Broadband will transparently support VPN operation.

17. How does the Wireless Broadband service compare with WiFi (Wireless LAN, 802.11)?

WiFi is an extremely useful technology for providing localised wireless connectivity for a group of related users. In the scenario of an office or a home environment it is ideal. However, it does not work well with wide area, public communications access.

This is firstly due to its range of up to a maximum of 100 metres, limiting it generally to one premise such as a home, office or cafe.

Authorising users for access is another impediment. Due to the haphazard way WiFi public access points are being deployed, allowing for a user to identify them and pay for the service is proving to be a severe challenge for service providers and results in great inconvenience for the user.

In contrast, Wireless Broadband has much greater range and thus blankets entire metropolitan areas so the customer can expect coverage where they are rather than have to seek out hotspot locations. Billing is centralised and standardised as the network is being run and coordinated by one company for the entire country.

18. What makes Wireless Broadband different to other wide-area wireless broadband services?

The Wireless Broadband service is unique in that it offers high speed, secure, mobile and portable wireless broadband access.

These characteristics make Wireless Broadband one of the fastest, flexible and cost effective wireless broadband options currently available in Australia.

19. Where does it work (what is the coverage)?

The Wireless Broadband service is currently available nationally wherever you have mobile phone coverage (via the Optus network) you will have coverage.

Coverage is expanding all the time and will extend to other regions ongoing. When the network rollout is completed it is anticipated that the network will provide coverage for over 95% of the Australian population.

20. What is the range of an Wireless Broadband base station?

An Wireless Broadband base station’s range extends from approximately 3km in built-up or hilly areas with lots of building ‘clutter’, to approximately 13km in ideal conditions such as water or flat land. The Wireless Broadband system is particularly suited to built up areas as the base stations employ advanced digital techniques to overcome the multipath effects that occur in these environments.

21. Can I use the Wireless Broadband system in other countries?

No.

22. How does Wireless Broadband compare to fixed-line broadband costs?

Wireless Broadband pricing is comparable to fixed-line broadband.