Telstra’s nationwide Wi-Fi network is called Air and will launch on Tuesday

HOW we get on the internet is getting a huge shake-up. Telstra has just launched a Wi-Fi network that spreads right across Australia and overseas.

TELSTRA is launching a nationwide Wi-Fi network on Tuesday that will allow broadband customers to access their home broadband allowance just about anywhere in Australia and even overseas.

Called Telstra Air, the new national Wi-Fi network combines a mixture of old payphones, cafes, sport stadiums, shopping centres and train stations. Hundreds more hot spots will be rolling out later in the year.

Overseas, Telstra Air members will be able to access their broadband usage at over 15 million hot spots in 18 countries including the UK, Spain, Germany and France at no extra cost.

There are two ways customers can access this service.

For customers to access this service, they will need to either pay for an access pass, or if they are a Telstra broadband customer, offer part of their home network for others to use.

Telstra have reassured customers that this option is safe, with the network completely separate from that used by the owner. This means your data and network isn’t at risk, as neighbours won’t be able to access your individual network.

Customers can chose to opt into this service, and every new Telstra broadband modem sold from Tuesday will be Telstra Air ready. Already there are 1.1 million Telstra modems in homes that support Air if existing customers choose to opt in.

To reduce the impact on internet speeds, the “Neighbourhood” network (which uses individual modems) will also be limited to just 2Mbps. When other Air customers use your network, the usage will come from their quota, not the home internet owner’s.

Telstra Air will be the country’s largest Wi-Fi network.

ADSL customers will allow a maximum of one device connected to their secondary network at once, while NBN and cable customers will have an allowance of three devices.

Customers will be able to find and connect to the Telstra Air network through their laptops web browser or an app on their iPhone or Android smartphone. There they can find exact locations of Telstra built networks or a heatmap of Wi-Fi strength for suburban or international hot spots.

If you’re not a Telstra broadband customer, or would prefer not to share your modem, you are still able to purchase access to the Telstra Air network. This is priced at $6.60 for 1-hour, $10 for a 1-day pass and $23 for a 5 day pass. The best part about that is it includes usage overseas, so Australians now have a very affordable way to access internet when they’re travelling, regardless of whether they’re a Telstra customer or not.

The telco will also be launching new broadband plans on Tuesday, with the standout being the $89 plan which includes a Telstra Air compatible modem, 200GB of data a month, a Telstra T-Box and a six month subscription to the Presto streaming service.