The Voice Call Prices page on the Exetel site is misleading as it currently stands, because it makes no distinction between pre- and post-paid HSPA, with regard to VoIP services, and I can't find any mention of a distinction between pre-and post-paid HSPA anywhere else on the site either.
I signed up for pre-paid HSPA thinking I would be able to use VoIP and this has not been possible. I was assigned a VoIP number 0390109239 but when I reported that it wasn't working, my VoIP number was cancelled because I am not on post-paid. When I asked whether I would be billed for a service that I wasn't able to use, I was advised "please see forum.exetel.com.au". So uh... here I am, seeing forum.exetel.com.au.
What I would like to know is, if I sign up for a post-paid plan that DOES allow VoIP but it still doesn't work on my hardware (Nokia N80 with built-in SIP client), or the call quality is not up to scratch and I want to revert to the pre-paid service which I am currently on, will I have to pay A) an access fee for a service I can't use, and B) another setup fee for switching back to pre-paid?
I have been advised by Shazir that the appropriate plan is HSPA M1-HA, which I can find no mention of on the site. Meanwhile JasonM has advised me the that the HSPA Cx plans support VOIP but that these have been cancelled. So that seems to leave only the HSPA WI and WM plans, one of which is for laptop only and the other for handset only, whereas on my current pre-paid service, I am able to use my SIM in my hanset, and connect my laptop to the net via that.
Can anyone advise on all this?
VoIP on HSPA
Re: VoIP on HSPA
perhaps there is some confusion about plans that include VoIP and those that do not, VoIP is usable on either type of plan, there is no restrictions in place to prevent a VoIP service working on a prepaid service even if it is not included
Re: VoIP on HSPA
It does seem a bit unclear. I guess the best clue is the VoIP overview page where only monthly plans (ADSL and HSPA) are listed, but an explicit statement like "VoIP will not be provisioned on prepaid HSPA accounts" would be useful, assuming this is in fact the case.
Gabe, your hardware is certainly capable of providing good quality VoIP calls - I've used the same myself. The N80 is UMTS only, so is limited to 384kbps, but that's enough. The determining factor will be the quality of 3G signal you get at your location - not just the signal strength but also whether your local tower is congested.
For testing, you could just sign up for a second plan, eg. a monthly WM-A plan ($5 / month plus usage with zero setup) and when you've decided what's best simply cancel the one you don't need. For mobile use the WM-A seems like the best option to me - costs are the same for low usage and if you happen to go somewhere where data is unavailable you have the fallback of using regular GSM to make calls.
Gabe, your hardware is certainly capable of providing good quality VoIP calls - I've used the same myself. The N80 is UMTS only, so is limited to 384kbps, but that's enough. The determining factor will be the quality of 3G signal you get at your location - not just the signal strength but also whether your local tower is congested.
For testing, you could just sign up for a second plan, eg. a monthly WM-A plan ($5 / month plus usage with zero setup) and when you've decided what's best simply cancel the one you don't need. For mobile use the WM-A seems like the best option to me - costs are the same for low usage and if you happen to go somewhere where data is unavailable you have the fallback of using regular GSM to make calls.
...the term 'Future Perfect' has been abandoned since it was discovered not to be - Douglas Adams
Re: VoIP on HSPA
You will need to sign up to the WM-A plan. The Nokia N80's SIP client will work provided you are in a 2100 MHz coverage area in major capital cities, if you are in regional Australia the Nokia will revert to 900 MHz GSM and you will NOT be able to make VoIP calls.
I am using a Nokia E66 because it has 900 MHz HSPA, so I get 3G coverage in regional areas and can still make VoIP calls. I have noticed I need pretty much 100% signal to make use of VoIP though, so I still need to make regular calls at times.
At home I use my WiFi access for VoIP on my Nokia E66.
I am using a Nokia E66 because it has 900 MHz HSPA, so I get 3G coverage in regional areas and can still make VoIP calls. I have noticed I need pretty much 100% signal to make use of VoIP though, so I still need to make regular calls at times.
At home I use my WiFi access for VoIP on my Nokia E66.
The views I present are that of my own and NOT of any organisation I may belong to.
73 de Simon, VK3XEM
73 de Simon, VK3XEM
Re: VoIP on HSPA
Thanks for clearing that up guys!
Ok trying out a WM-A sim sounds like the way to go. If it turns out to be suitable, does anyone know if it would be possible to port my current mobile number from my existing provider after I've tested it out a bit?
It does worry me a bit that when I was trying to make voip calls with my prepaid sim, I just kept getting a message saying something like "unable to register sip" even though I'm sure all the settings were as per the instructions, but hopefully that's just something to do with this service not being intended to be provisioned on prepaid.
Glad to hear you've got it working on an N80 though Cubic. My 3G coverage is pretty reliable, i'm in inner Melb, but being able to still make GSM calls on the same plan would be a big plus.
Ok trying out a WM-A sim sounds like the way to go. If it turns out to be suitable, does anyone know if it would be possible to port my current mobile number from my existing provider after I've tested it out a bit?
It does worry me a bit that when I was trying to make voip calls with my prepaid sim, I just kept getting a message saying something like "unable to register sip" even though I'm sure all the settings were as per the instructions, but hopefully that's just something to do with this service not being intended to be provisioned on prepaid.
Glad to hear you've got it working on an N80 though Cubic. My 3G coverage is pretty reliable, i'm in inner Melb, but being able to still make GSM calls on the same plan would be a big plus.