Despite the fact that Telstra’s 4G network has the best coverage in the country that doesn’t mean it simply monopolises its situation by not offering any additions to its plans that don’t attract additional costs. It has cunningly converted the payphones it has inherited from when the network was government owned and used them for a dual purpose and that’s for both making calls and for providing access to the internet from your mobile device.
This system isn’t entirely novel as New Zealand’s private network provider Spark offers much the same service, having inherited little used public payphones when it bought up the publicly owned network. Apart from Telstra Air, Telstra is also offer data-free access to Apple Music for eligible customers.
Telstra Air Wi-Fi hotspots
It’s not anyone who has access to these 900,000 hotspots, but if you have a plan with Telstra you will find you can access them from your mobile device when you are in close proximity to a payphone.
The type of plan you need can be either a contract, SIM-only, prepaid or mobile broadband. If you are a subscriber to Telstra home broadband you can also stop outside a Telstra Air payphone and access the internet.
How to get access to Telstra Air
It’s not quite like connecting to any Wi-Fi hotspot you first must install the Telstra Air app on either your Android smart phone or iOS. Once you get in sight of a Telstra Air telephone booth you can then connect. You won’t find that every telephone booth has one but you will certainly find them dotted around in numerous places throughout the larger towns and metropolitan areas. If you are buying your mobile access from a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), such as Aldi Mobile, which pays to use the Telstra mobile network, you aren’t granted free access to Telstra Air.
How much does Telstra Air cost?
When this service was first made available 2 years ago Telstra subscribers were given free access. This was only supposed to be a way of attracting more customers but up until today that free access has been maintained and the deal is now on offer up to 27th March 2018.
What other offers does Telstra have?
Apple Music doesn’t attract any data and is one of the latest attractions offered by Telstra for use throughout Australia.
- If you have just started a new mobile plan don’t forget to use Apple Music, as it doesn’t attract any additional charges.
- If you’re a Telstra customer and you are on a post-paid plan, Apple Music is available to you free of data charges for a period of 6 months.
All new and current Telstra subscribers who are on paying for a consumer plan are able to take advantage of a free 6 months membership to Apple Music free of data costs. Apple Music offers from Telstra aren’t available on enterprise or business mobile services.
Steps for getting access to Apple Music
Log yourself in to “My Account”
The access to this Telstra freebie is really quite simple as all you need to do is follow these steps.
- Find the tab for “Plans & Usage” tab.
- Choose the” Mobile” service you subscribe to.
- Click on the” Add-ons” tab and then add Apple Music.
At the moment it’s all free access until the middle of March 2018 so you can sit back and enjoy all the Apple Music you want without building up a huge data bill. The normal charge for this service is $11.99 per month.
Gains of Apple Music membership
If you link your current Apple ID to this membership to Apple Music it allows you to enjoy a very personal music experience. Once you do this you will get the following at your fingertips:
- Music recommendations to suit your taste
- Handpicked radio stations to match your mood
- Access to your complete iCloud library of music
Process for linking your Apple ID once your Apple Music membership has begun
- Open up the Apple Music app
- Tap on the tab ‘For You’ tab
- You’ll get a prompt for signing in
If you have forgotten your password or you need to get an Apple ID you should for help to support.apple.com.
Using any of your devices you have access to more than 40 million songs, as well as your complete music library. If you download songs you can then listen to them when you are offline.
There are certain devices that are compatible with Apple Music and they include:
- iOS 8.4 or greater
- watchOS
- TVOS
- Android 4.3 or greater
- SONOS controller build 6.2.2 and higher
Summary
Despite Telstra’s huge investment in its 4G+ mobile network, it is still prepared to offer a few freebies to loyal customers. There doesn’t seem to be any restriction on how much you can download, either through Telstra Air Wi-Fi hotspots or through your free membership to Apple Music, so that’s an added benefit too.