Get the best phone deals & guidance!

Like talking? Keep reading...

Of course, like any other visitor in Australia, you'll be missing home & your friends - quite often you might feel the urge to catch-up with your family or friends back home & if you're one who gets influenced by flashy banners & nice ads, you might think 'talk is cheap' (after all 20 cents a minute to UK or 'just $1.20' to India don't sound too dear if one doesn't talk much).

So stop reading if you're one of those people who find it hard to go beyond 2 minutes on the phone with your friends or family.

For the rest, here are some handy tips that I've learned over the few years, actually precisely 9 years. Lets begin with the most basic necessity for a student - anyone would agree it's a mobile phone for students - right? We'll then get down to a landline & then to broadband.

Mobile plans in Australia:

Main providers for mobile phones are 3 (three), Optus, Virgin, Telstra & Vodafone. Although there are at least 5 other resellers, I've never found anything exciting about their plans to consider here.

Selection Criteria:

#1 What provider is your immediate local social network using?

Most networks will offer a free/discounted rate for calling within the same network so this is probably the most important criteria while chhosing your mobile service provider. Ask around, ask your friends & you'll be able to narrow down choices (in my experience, this will leave you with Optus & three only so getting there)

#2 What / how do you (plan to) mainly use your mobile?

This comes to personal preference - while text (sms) is the cheapest option, it doesn't offer the same satisfaction, some people argue; so upto you to decide. For sms lovers the choice is quite clear - they should opt-in for prepaid Optus sim cards since they're available at almost every shopping outlet & offer cheap sms rates with their turbo recharge options. Besides, sms prices tend to be fairly consistent even when crossing networks. On the other hand if you are a caller, you'll be better off getting a postpaid plan as you'll also get a new phone as part of your contract. (who doesnt like a $0 phone & yes, even the the phones you get on super low plans are quite sexy). However might find that both Optus & three offer really good value on their cap plans & need to choose based on criteria (1). If you've decided you're going with Optus, TPG prepaid plans are worth checking out ;)

#3 Do you need a handset?

Note I asked "... a handset" not "... a NEW handset", so really ask yourself if you need a handset because you may already have one perhaps from another country or maybe another friend? If you do have a phone already prepaid is a done deal coz it offers more control & lower commitment as compared to a plan (prepaid will let you save in case you travel to another country when you dont need a phone while a plan will tie you up for 18 or 24 months, so you'll always have bills to come back to with this option)! If you do need a handset & you're one of those geeks / fashion freak who cant live with an outdated phone (one that you can usually buy on prepaid for <$200), your only option is a contract (plan).

Lastly, some advice when you decide on what you're going to get:

- Most providers will have better deals online than instore so always check online prior to walking in. If you need the phone urgently, you should still checkup the website & if on offer, best to take a printout to take along with you into the store. Don't panic in case you don't have a printer, even knowing about an offer will help you negotiate with the representative who helps you at the mobile outlet.

- Keep the adrenalin controlled! Don't go beyond limits to buy the grooviest phone just coz it's fashionable or the shop assistant recommended it to you. Get something sensible which will last the length of your contract & wont break the bank. Remember - a phone is just a phone.

- Akin to 'read the label', "read the contract" & check whether you have a cooling off period (in case you haven't been good at controlling your excitement!). A cooling off period entitles you to return the phone & cancel contract within the time specified so it's a really good clause to have.

Home Phone Plans:

Home Phones are currently almost the sole property of Telstra. So while you may have choices once a phone is installed, you're always better off requesting Telstra directly for a connection to save time & get the phone asap.

However, there's a new wave of "naked DSL" now in Australia & these are really worth checking in case you're planning to get a landline just to be able to have your broadband piggybacking the phone line. "Naked DSL" as the name suggests, does not require a phone line at all, thereby can offer you savings on the cost of keeping a conventional landline (line rental).

The big Q: Do you need a phone line or just a line for DSL internet?

If you don't need internet, you're best avoiding the home phone because of the costs (line rental) of having a phone line. Monthly costs of keeping the line vary from $20 (light usage plans) to $35 (standard) which can be a waste if you don't really make a lot of calls from that phone.

If you DO need internet, you're best to get one of the wireless or naked DSL plans, currently available from Virgin, MyNetFone or TPG which will also as a bonus offer you a VOIP phone (these are just like regular landlines but work over the internet - hence VOIP or Voice over Internet Protocol) at very reasonable prices. VOIP calling can match calling card rates & offers substantial savings over a conventional phone line. In brief, a light user VOIP plan charges $10 monthly including $10 calls, local calls charged @ 10c untimed, (checkout the globalsaver plan from mynetphone which also offers untimed calls to landlines in India & other countries for an unbelievable 10 cents untimed!). You can see for yourself that's a saving of ~$30 per month if you make 100 local calls each month. Those $30 can happily pay your mobile bill right?

Useful Resources for International Students: All in one place!

I know how hard it is to access information for students because I went through the process in 2002 when I embarked on my journey as an International Student in Sydney. Unfortunately I was'nt able to receive any local guidance & had to learn everything the tough way :(

I'd like to share as much as i can to help you withyour stay in Australia while you're a student (& maybe beyond)!

To kick off this blog, here are links to the most useful information websites specifically for international students:

• Get permission to Work in Australia while on a student Visa
• Help on selecting University & Course
• Guide to studying and living in Australia (PDF 1.53MB)

I'll soon be adding information on the below topics. Please feel free to suggest what you would like to see more information on & I'll share as much as possible!

• Comparing mobile phone options - which ones are the best
• Which suburbs to rent / live-in for students (sorry, my knowledge is limited to Sydney)
• Where to buy your basic necessities
• Options for calling India, which one works best in the long run
• Best jobs while on a student visa

Meanwhile please feel free to contact me via this blog if you need any help or would be interested in contributing to this blog to the benefit of other Indian Students arriving by scores in Australia every year!