Telstra is continuing the upgrade of their payphone infrastructure, adding the distinctive pink cube to the top which indicates a Wi-Fi access point – and now there’s 1500 more of them. But Telstra still isn’t done, they’re adding Wi-Fi access points to their stores and also want to hear from you where the next street-based ones will be.
The rollout of Wi-Fi access points is part of Telstra’s plan to create one of the world’s largest Wi-Fi networks here in Australia, which Telstra announced back in May last year. The rollout has brought free Wi-Fi as part of their trial period, which runs until June, when the service is fully launched. But Telstra wants to add an additional 60 towns and suburbs to the list and you get to let them know where the next ones should be.
Telstra has a form for each state, which let you suggest where the next free Wi-Fi spot should be, so you need to get your community behind the campaign and let Telstra know where the next point should be. You can access the forms from here :
- Western Australia
- Victoria and Tasmania
- South Australian and Northern Territory
- Queensland
- Australian Capital Territory
Telstra has also advised that as well as adding the Wi-Fi access points where you want them, they will be bringing Wi-Fi access to stores. There’s a Telstra store in quite an array of locations, so Wi-Fi access should make waiting for a Telstra rep at a store – often a long, arduous process, a little more palatable in the future.
To search for the location of Telstra Wi-Fi hotspots are you can head on over to the Telstra website, and get some free data on Telstra while it lasts.
Are these free to use by anyone or do you have to be a Telstra customer?? Here in NZ you have to be a Spark customer with a monthly plan of $19 or more..
At the moment they’re free while they’re ‘Trialling’ it. Once it goes live you’ll have to be a Telstra customer.
Well every user can connect with public WiFi with VPN as it depends which vpn service you are using.. In my case i am using Purevpn and its working awesome.. Just try another one http://vpnranks. com/wifi-vpn/
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My understanding is that these public wifi access points aren’t very secure, is that correct?
Yup, most such free access points do not usually require a password / pass phrase to connect thus are not secure at all. Exercise precaution when using them. That said, it’ll be interesting to know if they have secured it such that you cannot connect to a VPN service using the public wifi access points.
You can connect to a VPN while on them. I used one on Saturday whilst connected to my home VPN.
That’s good to know. I’ve been to some hostels which have their free wifi hotspots locked up pretty tight. Couldn’t establish a VPN connection.
There is a list of places to choose from, but zero of them would benefit me in any way. What’s the point in “picking” a location, if we can’t nominate our own?