Options to amalgamate HSDPA plan and Vodafone replacement

[Jyrn]

I currently have a Exetel supplied HSDPA plan (WM-C product) and two soon to be ended Vodafone plans.
Having looked at the options I am wondering if there is an opportunity to change my HSDPA number over to a standard Optus plan and port over my old vodafone number to the old HSDPA SIM card thus essentially merging the two products and saving me money. What I would like to know is it possible to convert the old HSDPA SIM to a normal mobile plan while maintaining the ability to tether my mobile and use the wireless broadband HSDPA functionality. I use very little of the HSDPA product as to date I have used it for internet access while on holidays or during system outages. Basically what i am looking for is to retain the ability to tether my laptop via my phone occasionally while having access to a reasonably priced voice service (reasonably priced = about $5-15/month of mixed voice,sms and data).

[thejeg]

I currently have a Exetel supplied HSDPA plan (WM-C product) and two soon to be ended Vodafone plans.
Having looked at the options I am wondering if there is an opportunity to change my HSDPA number over to a standard Optus plan and port over my old vodafone number to the old HSDPA SIM card thus essentially merging the two products and saving me money. What I would like to know is it possible to convert the old HSDPA SIM to a normal mobile plan while maintaining the ability to tether my mobile and use the wireless broadband HSDPA functionality. I use very little of the HSDPA product as to date I have used it for internet access while on holidays or during system outages. Basically what i am looking for is to retain the ability to tether my laptop via my phone occasionally while having access to a reasonably priced voice service (reasonably priced = about $5-15/month of mixed voice,sms and data).

We do not allow tethering at this stage....

[vbap]

If one has an iPhone, will Extel Optus CAP plans allow the use of the new "Personal Hotspot" functionality? Or is that equivalent to tethering?

[shoner]

If one has an iPhone, will Extel Optus CAP plans allow the use of the new "Personal Hotspot" functionality? Or is that equivalent to tethering?

Its the same thing Unless you can get the Personal Hotspot to connect wireless to your wireless router Not sure if that will work out though.

[vbap]

Its the same thing

OK

Unless you can get the Personal Hotspot to connect wireless to your wireless router Not sure if that will work out though.

I wouldn't need my phone to be a personal hotspot if I was within range of a wireless router

[shoner]

Its the same thing

OK

Unless you can get the Personal Hotspot to connect wireless to your wireless router Not sure if that will work out though.

I wouldn't need my phone to be a personal hotspot if I was within range of a wireless router

Well it was just a suggestion

[thejeg]

We do not allow tethering at this stage....

that being said....... this may (may not) become available in the near future which I'm about to find out but at this stage its a NO NO situation

[vosadrian]

I am currently shopping for options that include tethering (for an iPad, so not massive data usage... not dowloading videos for PC or anything). The reason I am not just moving to a new optus plan is because of tethering and the high per MB cost of data on the per minute plans. There is talk on these forums of a reduction in data cost and also in this thread about the possibility of tethering being allowed. What sort of time frame will we know more? I would need to move to another plan a few weeks before my Extel vodafone plan stopped at the end of June.

If the Optus Mobile XO had data around 5-7c/MB and enabled tethering, I would move to that plan. I understand that carriers want to limit tethering on cap plans as these cap plans are designed around the premise that people will not use all their data, but on the pay per use plan, they are going to make money out of people tethering... so it makes little sense to me to limit it.

Cheers,

Adrian

[thejeg]

There is talk on these forums of a reduction in data cost and also in this thread about the possibility of tethering being allowed. What sort of time frame will we know more?

thejeg wrote:We do not allow tethering at this stage....



that being said....... this may (may not) become available in the near future which I'm about to find out but at this stage its a NO NO situation

So I cannot commit an ETA...........