3 slashes mobile broadband prices for Christmas

3 has slashed the cost of its mobile data packages in time for Christmas, which now puts the carrier in line with rivals Vodafone and Optus, both of which announced similar deals last week.

The carrier has slashed its prices by half for customers entering a 24-month contract. The lowest priced entry plan is AU$14.50 for 1GB, but only linked with a 3 mobile telephone plan. Otherwise, the tariffs are AU$24.50 for 2GB, AU$34.50 for 3GB or AU$45.50 for 5GB -- without obligation to take up a mobile plan.

Charges for exceeding the download limit are set at 10c per MB.

Vodafone is offering 5GB for AU$39 per month, while Optus is promoting 2GB for AU$39.99 per month.

There are going to be lots of laptops under the tree this Christmas, 3's general manager products and services Mari Bashi told ZDNet Australia, and mobile broadband is the natural partner for them.

"Mobile broadband is becoming quite a popular consumer service," Bashi said.

Like Optus and Vodafone's network, 3's 3G network uses High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) technology to deliver downlink speeds up to 3.6Mbps, with typical speeds ranging from 600kbps to 1.5Mbps. 3 plans next year to update its network to the 7.2 Mbps standard, according to Bashi.

3's coverage only extends to the capital cities, Bashi said. Outside of these, the mobile broadband will work using Telstra's GPRS service for an excess charge of AU$1.65 per MB. She reassured customers that they would be informed when in a slower, more expensive area: "There is a clear indicator on the screen so you are aware you are entering a roaming zone."

The 3 offer runs from 7 December to 15 January 2008, which extends beyond the offers from Optus and Vodafone.

The length of the offer was "natural" according to Bashi. She said that 3 had looked at "consumer buying trends" and made the last date in January so that people could open their laptops over Christmas and then decide to go out and get broadband for them.