TECH-ZONE | mobility
S to ry : B r a d H o wa rt h I l lu s t r at i o n : Ro n M o n n i e r N ex t G ™ i s a t ra d e m a r k of Te l s t ra C o r p o rat i o n L i m i t e d ( ABN 3 3 0 5 1 7 7 5 5 5 6 ) * C a p i t a l c i t y CBD s m e a n s w i t h i n 5 k m f ro m t h e GPO i n e a c h c a p i t a l c i t y . I n ot h e r a re a s s p e e d ra n g e s w i l l b e l e s s . Speeds vary due to factors such as distance from the base station, local conditions, user numbers, hardware and software configuration.
There’s some pretty fancy mobile technology being pitched at small businesses these days. But will a faster broadband service really make that much difference to you? Test it for yourself.
the mobility challenge
T
he things you can do with a smartphone
or a wireless modem these days are just extraordinary. The idea that you could access your invoicing system while sitting in the truck between jobs or download a proposal in a cafe before your next meeting would have been unthinkable only a few years ago. Now it’s part of everyday business. The products and services that give your business mobility are evolving all the time. For example, last year Telstra launched the Telstra Ultimate USB modem. It looks like other USB modems on the market: a little stick you plug into the USB port on your laptop to surf the internet on the go. But when connected to the Next G™ network the new modem offers typical download speeds from 1.1Mbps to 20Mbps in all capital city CBDs and selected metropolitan and regional areas*. To tech-heads, that’s a pretty impressive figure, but to the rest of us, it’s just a number. So to give customers first-hand experience of a fast mobile data network, Telstra is introducing the Which is Best Test. Hosted in selected Telstra Business Centres nation-wide, the Which is Best Test pits the Telstra Ultimate USB modem operating
Which is Best? Head to one of these Telstra Business Centres to take the test through until 21 April.
New South Wales Albury-Wodonga: 02 6022 4900 Hawkesbury and Nepean: 02 4722 7777 Lower North Shore, Sydney: 1300 674 673 North West NSW: 02 6763 3433 Homebush, Sydney: 1300 28 38 68
Victoria Geelong: 03 5221 2344 Inner West Melbourne: 1300 659 781
South Australia Adelaide South: 1300 677 692
Tasmania Northern Tasmania: 03 6334 4800
Queensland Brisbane City: 1300 851 577 Brisbane West: 1300 132 143
on the Next G network against rival products and services in a competitive shoot out. “We’re giving customers the opportunity to see our Telstra Ultimate USB Modem working directly against those of our two major competitors,” says Lara Saunders, marketing manager for small business at Telstra Business. “We’re constantly telling our customers that we have the fastest commercially available mobile broadband device with the best network and the best coverage, but we want people to be able to experience it.” The Test mimics the tasks undertaken daily by businesses, including downloading a 10MB email attachment and three 50MB files directly from a server over the mobile network. “This is particularly important for businesses such as real estate agents, architects and builders who are used to dealing with large files,” explains Saunders. “You really see the difference when you’re working with bigger files.” The exercise also demonstrates some of the more technical elements of the networks, including “ping time” and “latency”, both of which measure the time it takes to send a signal to a remote server and get a response. The Which is Best Test kicked off in March this year at 12 Telstra Business Centres right around Australia. “We’d really love for everyone to be able to give it a go,” says Saunders. “We want the Telstra Ultimate USB modem to speak for itself and, once people have tested it, we don’t think they’ll want to go back.” Customers are already aware of the superior coverage offered by the Next G network, with stories filtering back of excellent reception in busy and remote locations such as the ski fields and outdoor music festivals. “A lot of the time customers are in areas where competitors don’t have coverage,” Saunders says. In the months ahead, Telstra will take the Which is Best Test on the road, with plans to demonstrate in a variety of locations.
FOR MORE ADVICE ON MAKING YOUR BUSINESS MORE MOBILE, GO TO: telstra.com/business/mobilebroadband
Sunshine Coast: 1300 881 800
TELSTRA.COM/SMARTER
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