Speed test: Vividwireless launches in Sydney, Melbourne

Vividwireless has expanded its '4G' wireless broadband service to Sydney and Melbourne - and iTnews has the exclusive first Sydney speed test results.

The Vividwireless HomeGateway

Our tests were conducted with the Vividwireless HomeGateway, which offers two ethernet ports, two VOIP ports, WiFi (up to 5 connected devices) and a theoretical top speed of 21 Mbps.

A Vividwireless spokesperson told iTnews that the ISP's $75 unlimited broadband plan was financially viable in the long term, even if it attracted heavy torrent downloading customers to the network.

Vividwireless' $75 unlimited broadband plan could be ideal for SOHO business people and workers who have the flexibility to work from home but don't have the option of fast ADSL2+ available.

The Vividwireless experience

The Vividwireless experience was better than expected - with no issues calling landlines or mobiles through a bundled $11 Engin VOIP account. There were no dropped VOIP calls, line noise or breaks in conversation.

Internet access was uninterrupted and latency steady at 130-200ms except for one occasion when the signal disappeared at 1am, although the terms and conditions do make it clear that this is when any planned maintenance will be done to avoid disruption during the day. 

The main caveat when considering signing up for Vividwireless is where the service will be used. Whilst Telstra's NextG business wireless broadband gateway 9GB plan is slower than Vividwireless and is more expensive, Telstra's service has signal coverage across Australia whilst Vividwireless only covers a relatively small area around the central business districts of Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.