Internet Options Without Going Adsl

[mallmagician]

Hi All,

I am currently house hunting, and a few of the houses I have looked at are not capable of ADSL internet just yet (Too far from exchange, no phone lines etc).

In Chiang Mai, what are my options, and the relative prices?

I've had a look into satellite and AirCard/Edge stuff, but its all a bit confusing..

In real terms, how good are these services.

I will hold my hands up, and state that I am fond of downloading movies from ITunes, so speed and unlimited (Or reasonable use policy) is a factor, but not crucial...

I am aware this may be better posted in the technology/internet section, but being satellite, Edge, GPRS or whatever other options are out there, it does seem to be something that talking to people who live in Chiang Mai would be my best route.

Couple of houses Im looking at really, one is about 60% of the way to Doi Saket town on the Doi Saket road (Well, just off it). Viang Doi Moobaan to be precise. The other one I am looking at seems to be out towards Mae Jo/in Mae Jo/Past Mae Jo, although Im waiting on a more exact location from the property agent.

One of the houses has a phone line. Does this mean I can deffo get t'internet at that house? Or does is depend on number of users in the area etc?

All input and advice is greatly appreciated. I live and breathe the net, so its kinda crucial in my decision to buy whatever house.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Regards

Phil

[john b good]

Hi All,

I am currently house hunting, and a few of the houses I have looked at are not capable of ADSL internet just yet (Too far from exchange, no phone lines etc).

In Chiang Mai, what are my options, and the relative prices?

I've had a look into satellite and AirCard/Edge stuff, but its all a bit confusing..

In real terms, how good are these services.

I will hold my hands up, and state that I am fond of downloading movies from ITunes, so speed and unlimited (Or reasonable use policy) is a factor, but not crucial...

I am aware this may be better posted in the technology/internet section, but being satellite, Edge, GPRS or whatever other options are out there, it does seem to be something that talking to people who live in Chiang Mai would be my best route.

Couple of houses Im looking at really, one is about 60% of the way to Doi Saket town on the Doi Saket road (Well, just off it). Viang Doi Moobaan to be precise. The other one I am looking at seems to be out towards Mae Jo/in Mae Jo/Past Mae Jo, although Im waiting on a more exact location from the property agent.

One of the houses has a phone line. Does this mean I can deffo get t'internet at that house? Or does is depend on number of users in the area etc?

All input and advice is greatly appreciated. I live and breathe the net, so its kinda crucial in my decision to buy whatever house.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Regards

Phil

I used loxinfo for around 10 years (still have it to maintain my address) but for last 18 months have been using ADSL (TT&T Maxnet)

You should be able to use a dial up modem on any telephone line. That said if the line quality is not good your internet connection quality will not be good either.

In some countries the ISP will check your line before signing you up for a connection.

ADSL is the way to go in my experience (of having used both)

Not in Thailand though in my experience.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Hi All,

I am currently house hunting, and a few of the houses I have looked at are not capable of ADSL internet just yet (Too far from exchange, no phone lines etc).

One of the houses has a phone line. Does this mean I can deffo get t'internet at that house? Or does is depend on number of users in the area etc?

All input and advice is greatly appreciated. I live and breathe the net, so its kinda crucial in my decision to buy whatever house.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Regards

Phil

if you have a decent phone line then you can get dial up. The other options like Sat or edge have their quirks and issues like high latency, quota's, as well as higher costs.

Generally speaking the corridor you mention has DSL service. With all the low prices and housing selection then I would select the ones with the infrastructure to support your needs. It just might require being in a development etc over being in a sleepy village. If the net is "Crucial" to you then go where the DSL is.

I don't care how nice the yard or view is because if I don't have decent electricity, water and communications then wait a few years until the infrastructure improves.

Also be wary of landlords who tell you no problem you can get DSL. I would make it a condition of the lease. No DSL then no rent payment.

The other issue is that even though you have DSL in a far flung suburb then it does not mean it will be as good performance and reliability as closer in locations.

[Mapguy]

Hi All,

I am currently house hunting, and a few of the houses I have looked at are not capable of ADSL internet just yet (Too far from exchange, no phone lines etc).

In Chiang Mai, what are my options, and the relative prices?

I've had a look into satellite and AirCard/Edge stuff, but its all a bit confusing..

In real terms, how good are these services.

I will hold my hands up, and state that I am fond of downloading movies from ITunes, so speed and unlimited (Or reasonable use policy) is a factor, but not crucial...

I am aware this may be better posted in the technology/internet section, but being satellite, Edge, GPRS or whatever other options are out there, it does seem to be something that talking to people who live in Chiang Mai would be my best route.

Couple of houses Im looking at really, one is about 60% of the way to Doi Saket town on the Doi Saket road (Well, just off it). Viang Doi Moobaan to be precise. The other one I am looking at seems to be out towards Mae Jo/in Mae Jo/Past Mae Jo, although Im waiting on a more exact location from the property agent.

One of the houses has a phone line. Does this mean I can deffo get t'internet at that house? Or does is depend on number of users in the area etc?

All input and advice is greatly appreciated. I live and breathe the net, so its kinda crucial in my decision to buy whatever house.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Regards

Phil

No easy answer despite your detail. It really does depend on where you are, from ISP to local hook-up. I have used TOT with great results and basically total reliability for a long time. But it depends! Talk to the folks! You have to walk the hot coals!

[Mapguy]

Hi All,

I am currently house hunting, and a few of the houses I have looked at are not capable of ADSL internet just yet (Too far from exchange, no phone lines etc).

In Chiang Mai, what are my options, and the relative prices?

I've had a look into satellite and AirCard/Edge stuff, but its all a bit confusing..

In real terms, how good are these services.

I will hold my hands up, and state that I am fond of downloading movies from ITunes, so speed and unlimited (Or reasonable use policy) is a factor, but not crucial...

I am aware this may be better posted in the technology/internet section, but being satellite, Edge, GPRS or whatever other options are out there, it does seem to be something that talking to people who live in Chiang Mai would be my best route.

Couple of houses Im looking at really, one is about 60% of the way to Doi Saket town on the Doi Saket road (Well, just off it). Viang Doi Moobaan to be precise. The other one I am looking at seems to be out towards Mae Jo/in Mae Jo/Past Mae Jo, although Im waiting on a more exact location from the property agent.

One of the houses has a phone line. Does this mean I can deffo get t'internet at that house? Or does is depend on number of users in the area etc?

All input and advice is greatly appreciated. I live and breathe the net, so its kinda crucial in my decision to buy whatever house.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Regards

Phil

A follow-up comment on second reading of your post.

Sorry, but do you download movies? My suggestion is to live in Japan or Korea and not be an Internet hog in a country with a developing system. If you like movies, please go to the night market and buy ripoffs. It is easier, cheaper and much quicker. And more considerate (even if illegal)!

[noise]

Phil Also be wary of landlords who tell you no problem you can get DSL. I would make it a condition of the lease. No DSL then no rent payment.

Once you pick a house, go to TOT and TT&T and check availability. I have TOT ADSL in Land & Houses Mae Jo; everyone I know has it. Then my neighbor moved in and tried to get it in December. TOT is the only comany serving the area and they said they would have no capacity to add him for a few months. So he waited until Feb. But, now that he has it, it does not mean the next person moving into L&H will be able to get it. So Phil suggestion is a good one, but check with the providers before signing or have landlord install it and check it works before signing.

Rumor has it cable DSL has been run into L&H (3 km south of Mae Jo). So check on that also if you decide to live out this way.

[Nienke]

I'm quite satisfied with IPStar. Use it a little over a year now.

Nienke

[noise]

I'm quite satisfied with IPStar. Use it a little over a year now.

Nienke

Nienke,

I looked at http://www.csloxinfo.com/broadband/ipstar4_ennon.asp and found the following prices. Are they real? How do the loading rates actually compare to the, for example, claimed TOT ADSL? I ask because I am paying 700 baht for 1MB + and measure close to that most of the time from BKK; less from the ourside world but still more than 256/128. So how can Loxinfo ask 2500 to 8000 baht for the same rate?

[john b good]

I'm quite satisfied with IPStar. Use it a little over a year now.

Nienke

Nienke,

I looked at http://www.csloxinfo.com/broadband/ipstar4_ennon.asp and found the following prices. Are they real? How do the loading rates actually compare to the, for example, claimed TOT ADSL? I ask because I am paying 700 baht for 1MB + and measure close to that most of the time from BKK; less from the ourside world but still more than 256/128. So how can Loxinfo ask 2500 to 8000 baht for the same rate?

I'm not sure how they (Loxinfo) can get away with the rates that they charge.

It's a real wonder how they continue to get customers.

And they only give 100Mg storage space on their server whilst the likes of Yahoo & Hotmail give 1Gb as a minimum.

I have a Loxinfo account only because I have had a Loxinfo address for over ten years but I don't connect thru Loxinfo.

Maybe another case of TIT

[ignis]

I'm quite satisfied with IPStar. Use it a little over a year now.

Nienke

Nienke,

I looked at http://www.csloxinfo.com/broadband/ipstar4_ennon.asp and found the following prices. Are they real? How do the loading rates actually compare to the, for example, claimed TOT ADSL? I ask because I am paying 700 baht for 1MB + and measure close to that most of the time from BKK; less from the ourside world but still more than 256/128. So how can Loxinfo ask 2500 to 8000 baht for the same rate?

Your paying 700 baht for an ‘always on’ Satellite connection ??

Look under Promotions =

Installation Fee-----

[bluweyze]

I have ADSL IPSTAR Sat One 500 from TOT. It is reliable, not fast but bthey say better than 1MB dial up because it is uncongested.It costs 2364 including vat per month. You do have to find somewhere to fit a fairly big sat dish, and lay concrete if on the ground which is the recommended option.

[Nienke]

Nienke,

I looked at http://www.csloxinfo.com/broadband/ipstar4_ennon.asp and found the following prices. Are they real? How do the loading rates actually compare to the, for example, claimed TOT ADSL? I ask because I am paying 700 baht for 1MB + and measure close to that most of the time from BKK; less from the ourside world but still more than 256/128. So how can Loxinfo ask 2500 to 8000 baht for the same rate?

Yep, I'm fully aware of that. Not much of a choice (well, the choices I know of, that is) as I don't have a landline.

Nienke

[5246jlg]

You may want to live with ADSL for now and be a little patient. WiMax should be available fairly soon. The frequencies were doled out about 6mo ago to the main telecom providers. From what I have read, the tower system is already up as Chiang Mai was a test bed for large scale WiMax distribution in '06. Basically you would have a small receiver/transmitter antenna (about the size of a small Bose outdoor speaker) facing the general direction of the nearest tower that is wired to a translator/router in the house. Tower to home distance of about 20km. Good luck with the search, it was one of our primary requirements when looking for housing also.

[Ta22]

Ok here the walk i'm giving you . What you are asking is 3G or 3.5G technology . You would need HSPA or HSDPA or HSUPA but i think the only soon technology in thailand is HSPA . what you would need is a 3g modem . Edge at the moment is too slow only at about 18ks/sec which is slow .so hold your horses and wait maybe about 6 month so and at the modem you can use dail up

[Flapman]

I heard about a CAT USB device that (I believe) uses GSM. It plugs into a USB port. I was told it costs Thb10,000 upfront then you pay a monthy subscription to CAT. This apparently allows one to browse from wherever. Anyone know about this CAT offering?

[Ta22]

HUTCH is offering one such service on CDMA -- is call the MBI package ..

but when i go ask .. then .. about the service area -- a list of only 4 place is shown .. and those places is hardly in any resident area not to say chiangmai - is not cover at all

-------

it cost about 1000++ baht per month - and al you do is PLug in a USB HSPA modem ..

but at the moment their are only running at about 24-26k /sec download and a poor 7-10k upload..

- ONCe is cover by the time 3G is offeron 850mhz i think it would run at about 1-2mb .. if it not limited by the server

Here is a QUOTE from a INterview donw recently about 3G Huawei is a LArge 3G modem producer

Is 3G a tried and tested mature technology that can provide cheap last-mile access to bridge the digital divide or is it a 20th century anachronism that certain vendors want to sell to ignorant telcos (or those that feign ignorance)?

Is WiMAX really the next best invention since sliced bread, or is it an untried, little supported quirk that, as our previous ICT Minister once predicted to be "the first attempt at 4G, which failed"?

In the space of two weeks, Nokia-Siemens Networks, Nortel, Motorola, Qualcomm and a couple of analysts have approached me for an interview to put their point of view on the future of Thai telecommunications forward as it is clear that Thailand has to make a decision on 3G soon, and obviously all these vendors want to influence the decision-makers as much as they can. Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent also invited me, but there is only so much time each day.

Generally, the vendors seem to be divided into two camps. On the one hand, we have Nokia-Siemens Networks and Qualcomm coming out pro-3G, saying that the technology is mature, proven and that it can help bridge the digital divide by provide wireless broadband access to the masses . The two are also generally anti-WiMAX, but more on that later.

Motorola, Nortel and to some extent Gartner Research, on the other hand are generally anti-3G either in the sense that the technology is old and expensive to run, the investment window has gone, or that without the 2.1GHz WCDMA band, the lack of devices just does not make sense.

The Pro-3G camp say that 3G is now a very mature technology while LTE (Long Term Evolution) is still years away and WiMAX is unproven. Unlike the early 3G networks rolled out in Europe that ran at 384Kbps, today Thailand is looking at the possibility of launching its first 3G at 14.4Mbps, which is a different game entirely. Rather than talk about (the largely failed concept of) video calling and other things one can do at 384Kbps, today vendors are talking about the amount of bandwidth that puts 3G on par with today's fastest wired broadband.

Obviously, if you have the choice between a creaky 512Kbps copper connection or a 14.4Mbps wireless one that works anywhere for a similar price, the choice is clear. The 3G vendors say that this level of 3G, not the old creaky 384Kbps networks that were launched in the West, are a direct competitor to copper, to WiMAX and are a great solution for getting more and more people online.

Upgrading copper lines, shortening the length of copper to new DSLAMs is much, much harder than doing something with radio, and it may well be the ADSL vendors (or vendor, singular) that suffers the most with new radio technologies.

That level of speed also puts it smack bang into the speed of the range promised by the first generation of WiMAX. The main benefit of 3G, the vendors say, is a level of maturity in technology and lower operating frequencies. Dtac is talking about WCDMA 850 and AIS seems to be dithering between WCDMA 900 (now launched in Chiang Mai), 1900 and 2100 depending on which side the boss gets out of bed each day. A 850 or 900MHz carrier would give a much larger cell site and much better building penetration compared to the 2.5 or 3.3GHz WiMAX.

Indeed, it has been building coverage that seems to have been the Achilles' heel of WiMAX so far, with coverage in built-up areas ranging from a challenge to a joke, depending on who you ask.

The pro-WiMAX camp talk of how 3G is so yesterday's technology with low spectral efficiency (2.5 to 3.5 bits per second per hertz compared to 0.8 for WCDMA) and is based on circuit switched technology rather than IP. The cost of running a 3G network backbone seems to be anything from 30 to 300 per cent higher than an IP network. Being based on legacy telco technology, 3G equipment has E1 or ATM connectors in the back, while WiMAX has only an Ethernet port, so they say.

But that criticism is only a half true. Early 3G equipment may have been circuit switched with 2Mbps E1 lines plugging into the back, but today's 3G cell sites all come in an IP, Ethernet flavour. The other key argument against 3G is that the window for investment has simply passed.

Even if Thailand decides to roll out 3G today, it will take at least a year or a year and a half until the network gets built, unless we are talking about just a few cellsites in the Chiang Mai, Sathorn and Silom areas. Meanwhile, the LTE specification is supposed to be finalised this summer and NTT DoCoMo in Japan has already begun talk of rolling out its draft LTE spec compliant 4G network trials as early as this year.

Again, that is a slightly rose-tinted view. What NTT has done is take the lower levels of the LTE technology stack, which have been finalised, and built its own proprietary solution on top, as it has done with 3G - the top bits being the one that are yet to settle in the standards bodies. True open standard 4G might not be here this year, but still everyone agrees that 2011 is a safe bet.

Which means that the window to recoup the cost of a 3G network is merely two or three years. That hardly makes economic sense. Unless of course, our regulators make a dog's breakfast out of 4G licensing again and give the 3G operators a decade to recoup their investments, the way it effectively (if unintentionally) did with 2G operators, stretching their investment out far longer than in any civilised country.

But there is a little mixup here? Is 3G competing with LTE (due in two to three years) or with WiMAX (here now)? Or both? That is the beauty of convergence. We can do 14.4Mbps broadband data on a mobile phone the same way we can use a VoIP program such as Skype to make calls over a WiMAX or ADSL connection. Mobile WiMAX, which allows the terminal to move around like a phone, further blurs the boundaries. I pray that our regulators realise that.

Not issuing 3G and skipping to 4G means another three years (at least) in limbo with the macroeconomic cost to the economy being huge.

A worst case scenario is Thailand finally issuing 3G licences and then protecting them far beyond a reasonable timeframe from a technology standpoint. 3G is more expensive than 4G to run in the long term, and that cost will of course be passed down to the user in the form of higher airtime bills. In three years, perhaps the world will have all moved to LTE 4G while Thailand's new regulator (drawn up with the new constitution the government is so eager to re-write) is waiting to be set up. But if that does happen, at least we journalists can simply re-use our criticism of the lack of 3G, searching and replacing 3 for 4 and WCDMA for LTE, and re-run old columns for another decade.

- Bangkok post Edited April 21, 2008 by Ta22

[jaideeguy]

If it's Viang Doi Moobaan ...you should have no problem with adsl...we live a bit further than that and get maxnet [tt&t] and quite decent speeds & unlimited downloads. All you need is a phone line......that may be a problem as some moobans have no available lines and we had to buy a line from a private individual at an inflated price.

[5246jlg]

HUTCH is offering one such service on CDMA -- is call the MBI package ..

but when i go ask .. then .. about the service area -- a list of only 4 place is shown .. and those places is hardly in any resident area not to say chiangmai - is not cover at all

-------

it cost about 1000++ baht per month - and al you do is PLug in a USB HSPA modem ..

but at the moment their are only running at about 24-26k /sec download and a poor 7-10k upload..

- ONCe is cover by the time 3G is offeron 850mhz i think it would run at about 1-2mb .. if it not limited by the server

Here is a QUOTE from a INterview donw recently about 3G Huawei is a LArge 3G modem producer

Is 3G a tried and tested mature technology that can provide cheap last-mile access to bridge the digital divide or is it a 20th century anachronism that certain vendors want to sell to ignorant telcos (or those that feign ignorance)?

Is WiMAX really the next best invention since sliced bread, or is it an untried, little supported quirk that, as our previous ICT Minister once predicted to be "the first attempt at 4G, which failed"?

In the space of two weeks, Nokia-Siemens Networks, Nortel, Motorola, Qualcomm and a couple of analysts have approached me for an interview to put their point of view on the future of Thai telecommunications forward as it is clear that Thailand has to make a decision on 3G soon, and obviously all these vendors want to influence the decision-makers as much as they can. Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent also invited me, but there is only so much time each day.

Generally, the vendors seem to be divided into two camps. On the one hand, we have Nokia-Siemens Networks and Qualcomm coming out pro-3G, saying that the technology is mature, proven and that it can help bridge the digital divide by provide wireless broadband access to the masses . The two are also generally anti-WiMAX, but more on that later.

Motorola, Nortel and to some extent Gartner Research, on the other hand are generally anti-3G either in the sense that the technology is old and expensive to run, the investment window has gone, or that without the 2.1GHz WCDMA band, the lack of devices just does not make sense.

The Pro-3G camp say that 3G is now a very mature technology while LTE (Long Term Evolution) is still years away and WiMAX is unproven. Unlike the early 3G networks rolled out in Europe that ran at 384Kbps, today Thailand is looking at the possibility of launching its first 3G at 14.4Mbps, which is a different game entirely. Rather than talk about (the largely failed concept of) video calling and other things one can do at 384Kbps, today vendors are talking about the amount of bandwidth that puts 3G on par with today's fastest wired broadband.

Obviously, if you have the choice between a creaky 512Kbps copper connection or a 14.4Mbps wireless one that works anywhere for a similar price, the choice is clear. The 3G vendors say that this level of 3G, not the old creaky 384Kbps networks that were launched in the West, are a direct competitor to copper, to WiMAX and are a great solution for getting more and more people online.

Upgrading copper lines, shortening the length of copper to new DSLAMs is much, much harder than doing something with radio, and it may well be the ADSL vendors (or vendor, singular) that suffers the most with new radio technologies.

That level of speed also puts it smack bang into the speed of the range promised by the first generation of WiMAX. The main benefit of 3G, the vendors say, is a level of maturity in technology and lower operating frequencies. Dtac is talking about WCDMA 850 and AIS seems to be dithering between WCDMA 900 (now launched in Chiang Mai), 1900 and 2100 depending on which side the boss gets out of bed each day. A 850 or 900MHz carrier would give a much larger cell site and much better building penetration compared to the 2.5 or 3.3GHz WiMAX.

Indeed, it has been building coverage that seems to have been the Achilles' heel of WiMAX so far, with coverage in built-up areas ranging from a challenge to a joke, depending on who you ask.

The pro-WiMAX camp talk of how 3G is so yesterday's technology with low spectral efficiency (2.5 to 3.5 bits per second per hertz compared to 0.8 for WCDMA) and is based on circuit switched technology rather than IP. The cost of running a 3G network backbone seems to be anything from 30 to 300 per cent higher than an IP network. Being based on legacy telco technology, 3G equipment has E1 or ATM connectors in the back, while WiMAX has only an Ethernet port, so they say.

But that criticism is only a half true. Early 3G equipment may have been circuit switched with 2Mbps E1 lines plugging into the back, but today's 3G cell sites all come in an IP, Ethernet flavour. The other key argument against 3G is that the window for investment has simply passed.

Even if Thailand decides to roll out 3G today, it will take at least a year or a year and a half until the network gets built, unless we are talking about just a few cellsites in the Chiang Mai, Sathorn and Silom areas. Meanwhile, the LTE specification is supposed to be finalised this summer and NTT DoCoMo in Japan has already begun talk of rolling out its draft LTE spec compliant 4G network trials as early as this year.

Again, that is a slightly rose-tinted view. What NTT has done is take the lower levels of the LTE technology stack, which have been finalised, and built its own proprietary solution on top, as it has done with 3G - the top bits being the one that are yet to settle in the standards bodies. True open standard 4G might not be here this year, but still everyone agrees that 2011 is a safe bet.

Which means that the window to recoup the cost of a 3G network is merely two or three years. That hardly makes economic sense. Unless of course, our regulators make a dog's breakfast out of 4G licensing again and give the 3G operators a decade to recoup their investments, the way it effectively (if unintentionally) did with 2G operators, stretching their investment out far longer than in any civilised country.

But there is a little mixup here? Is 3G competing with LTE (due in two to three years) or with WiMAX (here now)? Or both? That is the beauty of convergence. We can do 14.4Mbps broadband data on a mobile phone the same way we can use a VoIP program such as Skype to make calls over a WiMAX or ADSL connection. Mobile WiMAX, which allows the terminal to move around like a phone, further blurs the boundaries. I pray that our regulators realise that.

Not issuing 3G and skipping to 4G means another three years (at least) in limbo with the macroeconomic cost to the economy being huge.

A worst case scenario is Thailand finally issuing 3G licences and then protecting them far beyond a reasonable timeframe from a technology standpoint. 3G is more expensive than 4G to run in the long term, and that cost will of course be passed down to the user in the form of higher airtime bills. In three years, perhaps the world will have all moved to LTE 4G while Thailand's new regulator (drawn up with the new constitution the government is so eager to re-write) is waiting to be set up. But if that does happen, at least we journalists can simply re-use our criticism of the lack of 3G, searching and replacing 3 for 4 and WCDMA for LTE, and re-run old columns for another decade.

- Bangkok post

Not to turn this thread into a tech discussion or Wimax promotional you just need to google WiMax to see an explosion of Wimax ready laptops and phones as well as large WiMax distribution projects springing up all over the world. While some are sitting around debating the optimum system, a system that works is being instituted. I hope Thailand gets it soon so build my little Hermit Hut in the wild and still get work done!

[mcgriffith]

3G and WIMAX are coming to CM soon...

The above advice is good....hold on for a bit. Do not sign a long-term contract for EDGE, or Hutch CDMA now, as these other newer and much better/faster broadband technologies will (hopefully) be here shortly.

[Ta22]

Just a Little LEak- my friends working for Dtac is saying now DTac is testing #g in Chon buri and maybe Pattaya ..

and also looking at CHiangmai .. due to it .. Expat Base . custome r.. who is willing to pay more .. and have he HArdware to support such technolgy ..

so Hold your willy and wait on ok

[Flapman]

I heard about a CAT USB device that (I believe) uses GSM. It plugs into a USB port. I was told it costs Thb10,000 upfront then you pay a monthy subscription to CAT. This apparently allows one to browse from wherever. Anyone know about this CAT offering?

Further to the above, CAT has this CDMA offering. Need a Thai reader to help with the text!:

http://www.catcdma.com/product/usb.htm

and for non-techies, some GSM / CDMA terminology:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-differ...sm-and-cdma.htm

[Sledge71]

Just a Little LEak- my friends working for Dtac is saying now DTac is testing #g in Chon buri and maybe Pattaya ..

and also looking at CHiangmai .. due to it .. Expat Base . custome r.. who is willing to pay more .. and have he HArdware to support such technolgy ..

so Hold your willy and wait on ok

Well I held onto my willy and look what happened http://bangkokpost.com/Business/24Apr2008_biz32.php I will believe it when I see it, but 3G in Chiang Mai next month... I feel a stiring in my loins.

[cloudhopper]

Just got back to Pai and tried out my new CAT CDMA modem. Worked perfectly right out of the box. I have my laptop in my study where I usually get a crap cell signal and got download speed of 30K - slow I know but twice as fast as the ADSL here, when it's working at all. (Don't even think about IPSTAR - the worst shit imaginable.) Got it from the big CAT office on the CM ring road - about 11k Baht for the modem and 800/mo....

[Flapman]

Maxnet wouldn't install ADSL 3kms before Doi Saket near the main road from Chiang Mai! Said it was more than 4kms to their node.

My CAT CDMA C-motech CCU-680 is giving these test results from speedtest dot net:

Best: Download 686 kbps / Upload 391 kbps

Average: 501 / 134

Worst: 59 / 169.

The CAT engineer (using his very new HP notebook, and a CCU-680 ) got 1,355kbps DL / 388kbps UL.

Not sure why his new HP is so much faster than my older HP notebook, tested at same time, same place, same Bat channel - maybe I have a slower motherboard/internal comms?

The birds around here now enjoy using the phone line more than I do!

[dotcom]

Those USB modems are for sale - cheap - in Thai VISA classifieds.

[Flapman]

Those USB modems are for sale - cheap - in Thai VISA classifieds.

Thanks dotcom. They're selling the CCU-550 CDMA 1x EV-DO 800MHz USB Modem which has a max speed of 2.4mbps forward link, and reverse link of 153.6Kbps:

http://www.cmotech.com/english/products/pro_06.html

Having said that, I can't use the 3.1mbps forward link the CCU-680 offers: CAT doesn't run at that speed where I live. So I could have saved about half my cash, as I paid CAT Thb10,990 for the CCU-680. Double drat! Hopefully I'll find some technical advantage in future, but the signal reception of both models seems to be the same spec, so no distance-from-the-tower advantage to be had either.......arrgh

[Flapman]

And .... the CCU-680 can take an external antenna (e.g. connect to a high gain yaki antenna), which may be useful if the signal is weak somewhere. Not sure if the CCU-550 also acts as a USB flash drive: the CCU-680 gives me 70Mb of free space available for my files.

It seems for the ad that the CCU-550 takes a standard SIMM card, whereas the CCU-680 doesn't - so must be pre-configured by CAT with the unique user ID.

[richard10365]

If you do find a house inside the city, the new 3G network by AIS is pretty fast. You have to have the right phone for it. I just got the HTC Diamond and I blue tooth my internet connection to my laptop and its quite impressive. I was sitting in McCormicks waiting room today treating the flu and streaming videos and running my cam at the same time.

The price can add up if you use it alot. 1 baht for 5 MB. It's worth taking a look.

[mcgriffith]

I second the above.

Finally got fed up with the shared ADSL LAN in my apt bldg.

Went to AIS, bought the modem (USB plugin, size of a flash drive). Price is 5990 B. Didn't get the phones offered; the rep told me they are limited to ~400 kps max....the modem is capable of 7.2 mps, although the system does not support these speeds yet (but no doubt will in the future).

I won't bore you with all the particulars, plan options, coverage area, out of CM pricing on EDGE, etc.

Suffice to say it's fast, it's always connectible, and after the initial investment in the modem, it costs ~199B a month (for 500 MB). No that is not a typo.

If you live outside the coverage area for 3G, you will be on EDGE, and you will pay on an hourly usage scale. Inside the 3G coverage area, you get 500 MB free for the first 6 months (download and upload combined) and pay 1 B for every 5 MB after that (ie not an hourly usage scale, but rather a data usage scale).

Check it out.

[mcgriffith]

I'm quite satisfied with IPStar. Use it a little over a year now.

Nienke

Nienke,

I looked at http://www.csloxinfo.com/broadband/ipstar4_ennon.asp and found the following prices. Are they real? How do the loading rates actually compare to the, for example, claimed TOT ADSL? I ask because I am paying 700 baht for 1MB + and measure close to that most of the time from BKK; less from the ourside world but still more than 256/128. So how can Loxinfo ask 2500 to 8000 baht for the same rate?

This is, in my opinion, The Best Option.

(If you have money enough)

Sounds good, but I would like to gently point out that I am getting speeds consistently between Plan 1 and Plan 2 of the above...for 199B a month! Not 2500 or 4000 B.

Of course to be fair, I do not do file sharing, live video streaming, etc. If I was using a lot of bandwidth that way I would recommend IpStar as an alternative for people who live out of town.

IpStar is more for the home user. Satellite dish with a terminal, attached to a PC. Prone to outages I understand from bad storms/lightning/heavy rain, as well as sun spots and other atmospheric problems.

My laptop with this tiny modem (smaller than a thumb) can go anywhere in Thailand (or anywhere worldwide) and have highspeed broadband internet. The modem (Huawei) supports GSM, GPRS/EDGE, HSDPA, WCDMA. Quad band (850, 900, 1800, 1900) as well as 2100 MHz (true 3G world standard). You can go to Cambo tomorrow, where they have true 3G now (live TV on internet, movie on demand, stupid fast speeds), buy or rent a SIM card from the provider, insert in this modem.....and have speeds that blow away anything in this country, including IpStar.

Modem costs 5990, minimum plan 199/month.

Like I said, check it out....