Not logical. New go mobile wireless broadband data plans.

[the_adza]

So I spent most of the afternoon on 24/7 chat, trying to get my older BigPond Liberty 15gb plan changed over to one of the new Telstra go mobile data plans. I wanted to change to the 15gb so instead of being slowed, I could just pay the $10 per gb when I exceed my limit. But after being bounced from person to person, in the end they couldn't do it for me because that plan was not compatible with the one I already had, and their computer wouldn't let them do it.

I want to know why? I mean surely I could have just cancelled my service that I already have, the 15gb Liberty one, and then sign up to the Telstra go mobile broadband, and either wait for a sim to be sent to me in which I could use in my old gateway, or get a new gateway that supports 4G unlike my old one, and either buy it outright or pay it off or have it subsidised in a new contract. It seems like such a simple logical thing to do, but I just kept getting told the new plans weren't compatible, whatever that means. The Telstra website is encouraging people to BYO, and to make sure your own device can access the Telstra network. Of course my old router can access the 3G network it has been using it for years so to say it's not compatible is silly. Is my simple solution of just cancelling my old BigPond Liberty plan and starting a new Telstra go mobile plan really that hard to do with my existing hardware? I know it's old but it still should work, and even if it doesn't I'm willing to buy another new gateway device so is that hard to do as well? I don't understand why I kept being told by people on the 24/7 chat app that they couldn't help me. It would be all the same wouldn't it if I said to cancel it, and I got a USB dongle or a pocket wifi or an iPad and used the sim for any of those in my old router or a new one or any device that's not a mobile phone of my choosing wouldn't it? I have made a complaint about it but I am still trying my luck here as surely there is someone out there with the common sense to work this out for me.

[DEANJA]

Eevning Adza, well from what I've read there, yes what you've tried to do should be a goer.

Mate from personal experience I've always found and always reccomend that with these sort of changes there's really nothing beats face to face conversation with someone so that you both know exactly what each is getting at.

Go into a Telstra shop, sit down with a Telstra staff member, you'll both have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, you'll see exactly what goes into the computer system, and you get a print-out of what is set up for you.

Old fellas logic I'm afraid.

[Topher1976 · Accepted solution]

The reason behind this is you are going from a Bigpond plan to a Telstra Mobile Broadband plan.  It is not as simple as just changing plans, as they are both completely different types of products.

That being said, you may be able to get a TMB SIM card working in the device, although that may not be a goer.

The main difference between products is the Bigpond product allocates an email address, and the TMB products allocates a number.  Plus Bigpond shapes data, TMB does not.

[ProfessorPhone]

Hello, In addition to the advice given, you can also easily actually ring Telstra on 132200 and speak to Telstra staff direct.

Kind regards

Professor Phone

[the_adza]

Ok that's good but it's the weekend now and I probably won't get time to do it. I just thought it would be a pretty simple process even if I had to wait a while for a newer device or sim or both to be sent to me while the other service was disconnected. Shouldn't the staff on the 24/7 chat be well versed in such matters? Anyway thanks for the help. I'll try and go in to the local store sometime next week when I get a chance. I suppose the next question would be would my BigPond service be cut off straight away while I wait for a new sim/router or would it stay active for the days that it could take to have one sent to me? Or would it just be a lucky dip depending on the store clerk or phone person? I only chose to talk to talk on the 24/7 chat because I have found it to be much quicker than the 40 minute to an hour wait I usually get when I call.

[the_adza]

I didn't mean to accept it as a solution. Silly old fart I am. I mean I get why that was the issue, I was told that, but it really shouldn't have been an issue if instead that solution of disconnecting my old service and then issuing me a new one was adopted by the staff on the other end of the chat. Anyway wish me luck.

[Topher1976]

You can purchase a new device and get a SIM card quite easily without even chatting with anyone.  The TMB plans are cheaper, but you pay a small amount towards device as well.  Plus of course you get the extra data at $10/GB.

I personally have the Advanced II and it is a great device (speed is awesome when in a 4GX area).

Ordering online is far easier than having to talk to someone.  (I always go to my local T Store however.  As I have had awesome service from there for a long time.)

https://www.telstra.com.au/broadband/mobile-broadband/plans