Best Broadband Internet in Sydney

Everyone needs a good, reliable and no frills value for money Broadband internet connection when they land in Sydney. Here is my experience and research done in this area and the results I found out.

My sources for the research have been broadband reviews on the internet, speaking to people having various connections and then comparing the plans of the shortlisted ISPs. When I say "Best" I mean getting the maximum data (download & upload) possible at the maximum speed at the least price possible with good usable Peak Time data caps. Customer service, Quality of the connection (frequent connection drops etc.) and Initial Setup costs also add to to making the final decision.

Then came the question, should I take the phone connection also? With a lot of thought I decided to take a phone connection as well. The primary reason is that, I will have a fixed connection so that emergency services can respond quickly. Second reason is that landline phones offer unmetered fixed rates for local calls. So for those using 'calling cards' to call home using a landline phone would make it very very economical, unlike using mobile phones which are ridiculously expensive with rates close to 1$/minute. Refer to my post on the best calling card to call India from Australia.

You can go through various sites on the internet such as BroadbandGuide and InternetChoicewill give a comparative study of the various ISPs and their plans based on the criteria you specify. But to get a honest user review you must go through ProductReview. Visit the site and you'll know what I am talking about.

Based on the above mentioned parameters I shortlisted the following ISPs on the basis of ADSL2+ connection which today offers the best speed possible:

1) iiNet

2) Optus

3) Exetel

4) Internode

The reason why I finally decided to go for a ADSL2+ connection is it offers the maximum speeds and at the same time there are competitive deals which almost matched up with ADSL1 packages in terms of price. For example: a 150GB ADSL1 broadband bundled with phone costs about 49$+34$. However, if you think that 60GB a month would suffice for you, then it also costs the same 49$+34$, but you get the advantage of having ADSL2+ speeds.

Result? I personally found that Internode offers the best deal and the best service in terms of connection quality and customer service. I went in for the Home 60GB Extreme ADSL2+ plan with the phone bundled. It cost me $129 for connection setup, and $84 per month for the internet and phone combined. Phone carries 5$ credit free every month. And the best thing is that it needs no contract, simple month to month with absolutely no disconnection fee.

Here is the complete list of Broadband plans from Internode.

Once you make a choice of the plan you want, simply call the internode Call center and you'll be more than satisfied by the treatment they give you. The sales staff explains every details carefully and warns you whenever there is any additional cost involved(so much unlike Australia which is full of hidden costs). They also dont make silly promises and tell you that they will first have to check if your line & exchange supports ADSL2+.

I made my choice and have shared the research with you. Wish you all the best with your journey to choose the broadband connection best for you.

Happy Surfing !

Diwali 2010 in Sydney

Like every year, this year too the Diwali festival of 2010 is being celebrated by the Indian Community in Sydney.
This year the Diwali Fair 2010 is being held in the Parramatta Stadium in Parramatta on the 7th November from 12 noon to 9pm.

Diwali celebrations is something which brings all Indians together and in a festive mood. This is one festival not to be missed. If you are new to Sydney and want to enjoy excellent Indian food, see fireworks and a lot of cultural activities like dance, music etc. then you should come to the Diwali celebration.

There will also be a spectacular firework display and the burning of Raavan at the end (9 PM). This time the Raavan is supposed to be about 20 meters tall and people from Indian have been flown in to make the Raavan.

This year the Diwali celebrations will be associated with Parramasala,.

Click to see the official Diwali 2010 poster. Click to see the Pictures from the last year's Diwali celebrations which was so awesome and memorable.

For us Indians who are away from home, attending this event makes us feel like we are in India. Otherwise, you will have all your friends and family enjoying back home and you will feel like a lonely sucker down under !

Using Indian licence in Australia

If you're moving to australia and are wondering if you need an International Driving licence before you leave India, then stop worrying. As long as your Indian Driving Licence is in English you can use it straightaway here. It need not be an International Driver's Licence.

Getting an Australian Licene is also very easy if you have an Indian Licence which is atleast 1 year old. If you want to apply for an Australian licence from scratch (in NWS, other states have their own rules) you will have to usually climb the licence ladder gradually. This means you start off with a 'P' plate which is a restricted licence and then hold it for 12 months and then gradually move to a 'Full' licence.

However, having an Indian licence, you are eligible to directly apply for the 'Full' licence and this saves you a lot of hassles. Simply appear for the Computer Based Test first and then the actual Driving Test and get the full licence.

Driving schools may be useful to help you get a feel of Aussie driving rules etc. and may also help getting the licence easier.

Visit the RTA link to licence types and see the detailed information.

Garma Garam - Tasty Indian Food right at your office desk

Having a hectic life? Ran to office in the morning? Hate to go out to that food court near office and eat the same boring food? Or simply lazy to go and buy lunch? Worry no more.

Garma Garam is an online Indian Food ordering service. They have a very simple and user-friendly website. Just logon to their website, specify your work location, enter your mobile number and choose the number of lunch boxes you want. Thats it ! You will get a call on your mobile when the lunch box arrives at your location.

CBD workers & Paramatta workers can really benefit from their service. I personally have ordered food from Garma Garam many times now and have been very satisfied with their service. There has not been a single day they failed to deliver.

Food arrives in a disposable plastic lunch box which can be straightaway heated in a microwave. (remember to tear away the covering plastic sheet). The food quality is very good and always fresh. The taste varies from good to average, but never bad. Sometimes though you may feel some of the gravies slightly oily. But not so bad.

Garma Garam offers Veg and Non-Veg options at $8 and $9 respectively. Sometimes, they give you a complementary pouch of sweet.

Ordering Indian Food online and having it delivered on time every time is a great service for us Sydney Indians. For those away from home and want to have a neat and convenient Indian meal, just go to Garma Garam and order your own Garma Garam meal.

Sydney Indian

Hi Folks,

I am starting this blog today dedicated to all the Indians here in Sydney, Australia. I am new to Sydney so my journey down under has just started. I will blog my experiences and learnings and share it with all you fellow Indians. Sharing is caring.

Feel free to comment on the posts to add on more information or correct me when I am wrong. You can also bookmark and share the link with other Indians here in Sydney. This way we can get closer as an online community and help each other out. Its always useful to have someone to atleast talk to and share, atleast online.

Anyways... so here it goes...