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Telstra bringing 4G to the masses with prepaid Wi-Fi hotspot

Telstra's 4G network is now a little more accessible, with the telco launching a new Wi-Fi modem, sold with a prepaid SIM card.

Joseph Hanlon Special to CNET News
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Joseph Hanlon

Telstra's 4G network is now a little more accessible, with the telco launching a new Wi-Fi modem, sold with a prepaid SIM card.

The new 4G Wi-Fi modem.(Credit: Telstra)

The Telstra prepaid Wi-Fi 4G is available for AU$169 for an outright purchase, and comes with 5GB of data to use during the first 30 days after purchase. Data can then be added at the same rate as Telstra's existing prepaid plans, starting from AU$20 for 250MB.

The modem offers the same Telstra speed promise as the rest of the products in the telco's 4G product portfolio, with speeds on the network between 2- and 40-Mbps. Outside of 4G coverage, Telstra estimates 3G speeds of between 1Mbps and 20Mbps in the major metro areas around Australia. The modem is lightweight, at 105grams, and can connect up to five compatible devices simultaneously.

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This is the second prepaid modem offered by Telstra for its 4G network, following the release of the Telstra prepaid USB 4G modem several weeks ago. This single-user modem is available for AU$129 and comes with 3GB of data.