Telstra is Australia’s largest telecommunications provider offering a full range of telecom services throughout Australia. The company provides basic access services to most homes and businesses, local and long-distance telephone call services, and mobile and internet services including just 3.5 million broadband subscribers and over 15 million mobile telephony subscribers.
Telstra are generally the most expensive provider of phone and internet services in Australia.
Telstra are the privately-owned descendant of the Government-owned monopoly Telecom Australia. They are also split into a wholesale and retail division. Telstra’s competitors have to purchase bandwidth off Telstra. One of the consequences of this, is that Telstra has always had the best coverage. In some areas it is the ONLY telco you can connect to.
If you live in or travel frequently to country Australia, Telstra is probably the only realistic and reliable option.
The introduction of the National Broadband Network, should, subject to the direction the current Government takes it, eliminate this distinction in service.
If you’re in a metropolitan area or one serviced well by the Optus network, there are plenty of options from other Telcos. Telstra only then comes into play with its added services, such as the T-Box and extra entertainment packages.
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