in addition to earlier post: something you might consider is buying a 3G Pay and Go on Orange network because that gives you free roaming between Orange and Three. I think you get "unlimited" downloads for £5 per month (I'm on contract with Orange so not absolutely certain of Pay and Go prices). It's probably reciprocal so go for the cheapest provider. Similarly, once you're here check out the best deals on line: even the high street phone shops have on-line shops that offer much, much cheaper prices, some of whom provide "un-locked" phones, which you should then be able to take back to Oz and use there with your own chosen provider (assuming frequency ranges are same).

In reply to a post by faplock:

I would guess that ALL British libraries are the same but can only speak for Gloucestershire. .

No. My local library, Stevenage provides free WiFi access.

In reply to a post by Stevenage_Neil:

In reply to a post by faplock:

I would guess that ALL British libraries are the same but can only speak for Gloucestershire. .

No. My local library, Stevenage provides free WiFi access.

And as I said earlier, West Sussex libraries charge for all internet access. You can buy a years pass for £12 otherwise you pay a day or half day rate (which quickly goes over the £12). One of the libraries has BT Openzone and some of the others may get some form of WiFi - but would still be chargeable at the aforementioned rate.

It is very different across the country as there is no government requirement to provide net access in libraries and the previous funding that used to provide it ended a few years back.