Optus' portable wi-fi device (a Huawei E583C) costs $99 to buy, and comes with a voucher for 8GB of data, which lasts for six months, or until you use it up - whichever comes first.
There are two big problems with the Optus unit, though: firstly, Optus' network is highly variable when it comes to data speed. In some areas (especially regional areas where Optus has its new regional 3G network) speeds can be OK, but in congested city areas and suburbs, Optus' mobile network can really crawl when it comes to internet speed.
The second problem is that Optus charges usage in 10MB blocks -- meaning that if you log in and use just a few hundred kilobytes to check your email, a full 10MB will be deducted from your account balance. Although this is somewhat like 60 second billing for mobile calls, Optus is the only operator that applies the same sort of thinking to mobile internet billing, and it really reduces the amount of usage you'll get out of each recharge voucher.
If you want to unlock the Optus Mobile Mini Wi-Fi modem to use with overseas SIM cards while travelling, you'll have to pay Optus a $100 fee. However, if you've already spent $100 in recharge vouchers, Optus will unlock it for you for free.
If you're very technically savvy you can follow the instructions here to unlock it u r self.
Recharging costs:
$15 300MB, 15 days expiry
$20 500MB 15 days expiry
$30 750MB 30 days expiry
$40 3GB, 30 days expiry
$50 6GB, 30 days expiry
$70 6GB, 3 months expiry
$80 8GB, 3 months expiry
$100 11.5GB, 6 months expiry
$130 15GB, 12 months expiry
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