[SoftrermaBioniaSat]

Telstra finally offer ADSL2+... however it's just so damn expensive and unfordable. The data caps are still really bad too.

Unfortunately this will impact the uptake of higher speed broadband and also the development of services like VoIP and IPTV.


source http://www.whirlpool.net.au/
Telstra releases ADSL2+
Phil Sweeney | Yesterday, 8:15 am | Telstra
BigPond has finally released ADSL2+ plans, and has also updated its ADSL1 line up, bringing it somewhat up to date with competitors.

The new plans offer speeds of up to 20000/1000, or 8000/384 in areas without ADSL2+ coverage. BigPond has also scrapped its 512/128 plans, and has significantly reduced the cost of its 1536/256 based products.

But hope for significantly increased coverage of ADSL2+ has been dashed, with Telstra only enabling ADSL2+ where competitors have already installed the technology due to "regulatory constraints". Presumably, Telstra still feels it would be forced to offer ADSL2+ to competitors where no competition exists.

But while the news of higher speeds is being welcomed, users are less likely to be enthusiastic about the pricing. Telstra's ADSL2+ plans start at $59.95 for 600MB at speeds of up to 20000/512 ($10 more if you don't use Telstra for phone rental). Competitors (including Optus) already offering ADSL2+ include between 8GB and 60GB for the same price, don't count uploads and don't cap the upload speed to 512Kbit/s.

The other major issue to be worked out is what wholesale access Telstra will provide to competitors. Currently it offers them 256/64, 512/128, 512/512 and 1536/256 for residential use. It's possible it will offer the 8000/384 plans to competitors as it only uses ADSL1 technology.

Given ADSL2+ is only being enabled in exchanges with existing competition, it's unlikely to be offered to competitors at all. Regardless, Telstra is almost certainly going to be in trouble with the ACCC if it doesn't make significant changes to its wholesale product line up.

[sPncEjF7]

Um, who cares?

Why would you want to go with Telstra anyway. Expensive, count uploads, bad service. There's not one advantage compared to all the other providers and there's plenty already offering ADSL2 for good prices.

[altosburg]

Um, who cares?

Why would you want to go with Telstra anyway. Expensive, count uploads, bad service. There's not one advantage compared to all the other providers and there's plenty already offering ADSL2 for good prices.

Im forced to go with Telstra because of their **** network. Im forced to be a cable user of theirs because even though i live in one of the biggest suburbs in my state, Im located too far away from an exchange to get fast reliable ADSL. ****.

[SoftrermaBioniaSat]

Um, who cares?

Why would you want to go with Telstra anyway. Expensive, count uploads, bad service. There's not one advantage compared to all the other providers and there's plenty already offering ADSL2 for good prices.

Don't you realise the power telstra has in the market?


I know there are many other ADSL2+ providers out there... however

#1... not everyone has an ADSL2+ enabled exchange

#2... Telstra owns most of the infrastructure the other providers use for ADSL2+. The only thing the other ISP's own are the DSLAM's. Telstra own the exchanges and the fibre links to those exchanges. So in many respects if Telstra don't improve the copper network and the fibre networks, ADSL connectivity suffers for everyone. If you can't get ADSL with Telstra then you sure as hell wont get any form of ADSL from any other ISP.

#3 Mums and Dads always look at Telstra as the big telco that should be able to provide a decent service, even though there might be a slight premium, however it's not just a premium they will pay, these plans are an outright ripoff.

#4 This goes with number 3... Bigpond has the largest share of broadband users in Aus, so this certainly will affect many Australians what they perceive as modern high speed broadband. Many mums and dads just have no idea how pathetic Telstra are.

[Immonnaornach]

gg internode.

[SoftrermaBioniaSat]

gg internode.

Just like Ozguy I'm stuck on cable because I can't get any form of ADSL. So unfortunately there are Aussies at the mercy of Telstra and their pricing.

Fortunately Cable pricing isn't too bad (despite the fact it hasn't got cheaper in 3 years). However we are still left with shitty upload speeds. Cable still holds the crown for download speeds which I've heard reports of downloading around a solid 22 Mbit/s... remember 24Mbit ADSL plans are full of false hopes, as the speed of the connection degrades pretty quickly as you move away from the phone exchange. The average connection is actually around 12-14Mbit/s. Those that live really close (like next door) get around 20.

[PetraCromlich]

Gotta love fast Internet service with bandwidth caps so low you can actually only max out your bandwidth for less than 10 hours a month.

I can max out my bandwidth for 4.2 hours a month. Thankfully I don't pay for it.

[SoftrermaBioniaSat]

Gotta love fast Internet service with bandwidth caps so low you can actually only max out your bandwidth for less than 10 hours a month.

I can max out my bandwidth for 4.2 hours a month. Thankfully I don't pay for it.

We like to use the symposium of... it's like a Ferrari but with 1 litre of petrol/gas in the tank.

The Ferrari is expensive to begin with, it's fast but then you hardly get to drive it.

[beckercpa]

/weeps for Lenny

Telstra's ADSL2+ plans start at $59.95 for 600MB at speeds of up to 20000/512 ($10 more if you don't use Telstra for phone rental). Holy crap that blows chunks. I had no idea Telstra was reaming people so hard.

[SoftrermaBioniaSat]

Holy crap that blows chunks. I had no idea Telstra was reaming people so hard.

It's ciminal, I expected high prices... but not to this extreme. I'd certainly say that running business like this is certainly un-Australian, and it upsets me a little that this is allowed to go on in my country.

[Ambrakam]

gg internode.

ditto! whoop whoop!!

sux for you lenny and ozguy