Laptop Connect: No strings wireless broadband

Some people may disagree, some may be ashamed to admit it, but web access is an essential part of our modern lives, like clean running water or food. The thought of spending even a week or two without the net while we move house or visit grandma is enough to send the strongest of us into a writhing, anxious mess.

If you find yourself hankering for broadband during a short-term hiatus, Laptop Connect could be the answer to your prayers. This new service offers wireless broadband modem rentals posted to your door, plus a data allowance bundled into the cost. Rentals start at AU$13.95 per day on a three-day minimum term, with the per day price of the rental decreasing incrementally for longer term loans, up until AU$4.95 per day for a month long rental. When the rental period is up you post the modem back to Laptop Connect using a provided prepaid Australia Post envelope.

While AU$15 a day for internet might seem a little pricey when you compare it to wireless broadband contracts offered through carriers, it is cheaper than the cost of internet in hotel rooms which, like internet cafes, can charge by the hour. Business professionals needing online access during a short excursion away from the office should find good value in the Laptop Connect service, though the performance of the modems will depend on the area you use it in.

Laptop Connect uses Telstra Next G wireless broadband modems. Customers are offered 1GB of data each week (or 143MB each day of the rental period) with an excess usage fee of AU$0.25 per MB, so you'll need to keep an eye on how many keyboard cat videos you watch on YouTube. Because it relies on parts of the Australian broadband network the modems will not work overseas. For full details check out the Laptop Connect website.