One of the big disincentives to signing up to mobile broadband services -- especially as your main means of Internet access -- is the excess data charges you face when you go over the limit. Primus has just introduced two plans that eliminate data limits in favour of 'shaping' your connection down to a 64Kbps speed. That's a familiar model in ADSL, but hasn't been much used in wireless broadband before. Primus is offering a $49.95 a month plan which is shaped after 6GB and a $79.95 plan which drops after 12GB; for both, you need to sign up for two years and get an access speed of up to 3.6Mbps (via the Optus network). Would a shaped wireless broadband plan appeal to you, or would the lack of speed drive you mad at the end of each month? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Internode today launched its Naked Extreme broadband plans, which potentially overcome one of the biggest problems with ADSL: the distance limit from exchanges, which for conventional services is just above 4 kilometres (and that's in cable length, not as the crow flies). In exchanges where it has installed its own equipment, Internode now claims it can extend ADSL services as far as 7.5 kilometres, offering a potentially much larger coverage area. If you're suffering in a broadband blackspot, this would be worth checking out to see if your region is covered. The company also enjoys a solid reputation for customer service, though I would be lying if I said my own recent switch to Internode was trouble-free.

Just weeks after changing the way it charges for Next G data access on mobile phones, Telstra has updated its pricing for wireless broadband services for PCs. The somewhat confusing set of previous plans (which included variants based on access speed, download limits and time spent online) have been replaced with four options: 400MB a month for $39.95, 1GB a month for $59.95, 3GB a month for $89.95, and 10GB a month for $129.95. Excess data is charged at $0.25 a megabyte. While the prices (which take effect from August 24) are an improvement, they're still rather more expensive than any other rival plans -- the 1GB offering is more than twice the cost of some similar offerings. But as ever, with wireless broadband, service availability is vital, so if Next G's the only game in your town, this should provide a little relief to the hip pocket nerve. (And we still wish there was a way to get Next G working on Linux machines, particularly the Eee PC.)

One consequence of Vodafone's recent launch of a USB 3G broadband stick modem that I didn't immediately realise was that it means that its older cabled USB modem is being taken off the market. Indeed, Vodafone's own site says that the device was no longer available as of August 11, but you might still be able to track down an older model if you visit a Vodafone store. Why does this matter? For Windows or Mac users, not having the cable is a definite advantage. However, if you want to add mobile broadband to the Eee PC, the older E220 model is a better choice, because you can make it work out of the box, as I've detailed before on Lifehacker. Getting the E169 to work is trickier, because its dual-mode function confuses the standard Xandros install. Blogger Liam Green-Hughes has detailed one approach to solving this problem, but it's a tad fiddly. Of course, Vodafone isn't the only choice in town -- Optus and 3 both offer 3G packages using the U220, although they're also increasingly promoting the stick-only option. Each has price complications you need to be aware of too: Optus' new prepaid option has a hefty 10MB minimum download, and 3 users need to be careful about roaming charges, though that may change in the near future. What's your preferred approach to keeping your Eee PC connected? Let's hear about it in the comments. [Thanks Alex and Kaydo!]

Here at Lifehacker, we've regularly tempered our discussion of 3's broadband services with the warning that if you end up roaming outside a 3 coverage area, it'll cost way too much to be worth it. It looks like that situation could improve in the near future, with 3 announcing today that it plans to expand its services to cover 96% of the population (the current level is 56%). First areas off the rank will be Newcastle, the NSW Central Coast and the Mornington Peninsula, all of which will see 3 build its own network coverage by the end of the year. 3 s also looking to offer roaming onto Telstra's Next G 3G network in other areas to reach the 96% goal, though we'll hold off on judgement of that until pricing arrangements are revealed.

Vodafone has expanded its wireless broadband range with a new USB Internet Stick, which lets you access 3G broadband without the hassle of an external modem hanging from your notebook PC. (Rival 3 launched a similar offering back in May.) Vodafone says that the stick (available in black or white) will self-install using software stored on its 4GB of resident memory, which is a claim I'll be interested in testing, having just spent the better part of a fortnight trying to get an existing Vodafone USB modem working on a Vista machine. (It also suggests that the unit might not work on a Linux box such as the Eee PC, unlike its predecessor.) Standalone pricing starts from $29.95 a month on a 24-month contract with a 1GB monthly download limit; given Vodafone's famously elastic approach to contracts, make sure that you get any conditions that are important to you specifically noted in writing before signing up. [Vodafone Mobile Broadband]

Telstra's Next G wireless broadband coverage has always been more extensive than any of its 3G competitors, but that's come at a price: a ridiculously high price, as it happens. Now Telstra has dropped the pricing on its Next G data packs, making them moderately better value.
The $10 mobile data pack now includes 150MB of data (up from 20MB), and the $29 mobile data pack includes 300MB (up from 80MB). Excess data now costs 50 cents per MB on the $10 plan, or 25 cents per MB on the $29 plan (it was previously $1 on both plans). Those plans apply to all Next G phones, including the iPhone if you happen to have ignored the warnings and signed up with Telstra for the phone.
That still makes Next G much more expensive than its rivals. For instance, $39 a month with Vodafone gets you 6GB on a USB modem, while 3 this week launched a plan offering 6GB for $39. So shop around, think carefully before you commit, and share your thoughts on this price change in the comments.

It's long been accepted wisdom that entry-level broadband plans are rarely worth the money: $30 a month sounds cheap, but if you only have 200MB of downloads to play with you'll be lucky to keep your systems patched, let alone get anything done. But the situation does appear to be improving. Internode has launched a $34.95 a month plan which includes 5GB of downloads. It's unlikely to appeal to a serious hard-core geek (especially as it's a slow 256Kbps service), but it could make it feasible to switch your dial-up-diehard relatives into a speedier always-on world. Any other good discount broadband plans you've encountered? Share them in the comments.

Arguing continues over the best way to build the National Broadband Network. The Competitive Carriers' Coalition (everyone except Telstra, basically) has issued research suggesting that if Telstra gets to build the NBN, the cost to consumers will be 15% higher, a claim Telstra has rejected. The NBN issue will take a while to play out, but in the meantime, we all want our broadband as cheaply as possible. What strategies do you use to ensure a good-value broadband deal? Let us know in the comments.

3's latest mobile broadband offering, the prosaically named Broadband Internet Key, is pretty much a standard 3G modem but adds one really useful feature: no cable. Plugging directly into a USB port means you can effectively use the Internet on the go (think trains) without stuff dangling in the wrong place. The pricing is nice ($15 for 1GB a month on a 24-month plan) and the device works on both Windows and Macs (and Linux, though it isn't officially supported). There's only one major catch . . .

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