Optus Mobile Coverage Oz wide

[BlackandBlue]

Hi all, first post here...looking for feedback/comments on Optus coverage Australia wide, will i need coverage booster for future trips? Considering Cel Fi Go Optus Repeater/Booster for my 2020 Dmax LS-U(do i need one?)...your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Black and Blue

[WAI4WD]

I know the Telstra Cel-Fi Go works well for picking up 3G, especially when mounting the aerial nice and high. Optus and Vodafone have spotty 3G coverage at best, so not sure on that network. Saying that, there are just places nothing other than Satellite will work.

[JS]

I think most people looking for the best Australian coverage go with Telstra. Optus, Vodafone etc have patchy outback coverage at best.

Cheers
Jim

[Bob]

Agree with Jim, Telstra has by far the largest network.

Just to clarify, the Cel-Fi is for the 3G, 4G and 4GX networks.

[glenm64]

Even those onsellers that "use Telstras network" dont have all the 3G coverage of Telstra network.
That said there are the odd spots with Optus only coverage.
Ive tried signal boosters and chucked them in the bin. I havent tried the Cel-fi. But they cant magically make the signal appear, they just boost what is there.
I use a Thuraya satellite phone on their casual plan when going remote. Gives peace of mind when im travelling remote. Their rates are good and I just cancel it when I'm back home.

[Bob]

Exactly, if there is no signal the Cel-Fi will no magically provide one.

I have had the CelS-Fi Pro at home for about 8 years now. I live in a metal framed house with steel roof plus sisalation in the wall, a big Faraday cage. With hour the Cel-Fi I have zero bars but full signal with it.

Cost me $1,600 back in 2013 but worth every cent.

[257Bob]

I think most people looking for the best Australian coverage go with Telstra. Optus, Vodafone etc have patchy outback coverage at best.

Cheers
Jim

Agree.  A few years ago I needed to call the NRMA as I locked my keys in the car out bush.  No coverage with Optus but my mates all had coverage with Telstra.  I went back to Telstra after that.

[jazzeddie1234]

For remote areas I use a 3g/4g dongle with external antenna ports and 1 of 2 antennas - one creatively described as a 35dbi (about $20 and looks like a cross) easy to hang somewhere and can get an extra bar of signal, and one that is a yagi (about $40 and looks like a small tv antenna) that is fussy to aim correctly but can get extra 2 bars.  The yagi has a long cable which is good when camped behind a hill.

My regular phone is optus (through exetel).

Telstra generally wins over optus but I refuse to pay telstra prices so use either their $30/$40 prepaid starter kits often sold in officeworks at 1/2 price, or Boost when they have a sale, and I'm going for aldi next trip.  Resellers get exactly the same telstra network access/coverage but a telstra sold sim gets you access to their free wifi when in a town.

[yvesjv]

Considering Cel Fi Go Optus Repeater/Booster for my 2020 Dmax LS-U(do i need one?

Been remote places and not so remote too.
Telstra wins hands down and that is thanks to the tax payers money when it was Telecom Australia.

But that is about to end with the deployment of Starlink.
https://www.starlink.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink
Let's wait and see what their roaming solutions will look like.

Not sure how Telstra, Murdoch and their manservants in Canberra will try to circumvent the loss of their monpolies but this is happening... and fast as they are increasing their coverage/deployment

[verden]

jazzeddie1234 the Telstra reseller network is on the Telstra wholesale network which is different to the full Telstra network which Telstra/Boost use. In some areas you will get Telstra coverage only if your on Telstra/Boost. Belong, Aldi, Woolworths and others get less coverage. I'm on Boost and the wife is on Belong and there are places that i have coverage and she doesn't. We travel regularly between Adelaide and Darwin and Optus has good coverage in some areas and there is no Telstra at all. Optus resellers use the full Optus network.

[WAI4WD]

I havent tried the Cel-fi. But they cant magically make the signal appear, they just boost what is there.

Yes and No. Yes, a signal must exist, however, when a signal exists, a mobile phone, even the best of them, may not be powerful enough to use the signal, thus the phone reads zero signal available. When you use Cel-Fi with the appropriate powered antenna, that can pickup the smallest of available signal that a phone will not, giving you a signal where a phone would have none by itself.

When the weakest of signal is no more, that is where Cel-Fi stops working. But phones stop prior to that, even though signal exists.

[jazzeddie1234]

jazzeddie1234 the Telstra reseller network is on the Telstra wholesale network which is different to the full Telstra network which Telstra/Boost use.

Apologies, you are correct

https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/Guides/Telstra-mobile-network-coverage  shows the differrences

[Mat01]

Boost. Uses Telstra network other than 5G which is only good in built up areas at this stage

[yvesjv]

The next Apple 13 is being reported as capable to connect to satellite when 4/5G isn't available... aka remote.
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/29/iphone-13-to-feature-leo-to-make-calls-and-text/

I do not like the iThingies line of products and prefer Android but this would be a seller.

[irose]

The next Apple 13 is being reported as capable to connect to satellite when 4/5G isn't available... aka remote.
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/29/iphone-13-to-feature-leo-to-make-calls-and-text/

I do not like the iThingies line of products and prefer Android but this would be a seller.

Not sure about this and maybe some others...https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/30/iphone-13-satellite-rumor-disputed/?Bibblio_source=true
Our experience with mobile services around Oz is that Telstra has the most coverage, an Aldi sim which uses the wholesale Telstra network is useless in the outback and that Optus works in some bizarre locations where Telstra doesn't e.g. Cape Crawford (NT) and Karijini National Park (WA). We carry a Thuraya sat phone for emergencies but will be looking at installing Cel-Fi as well (or using the neighbors ).