Tax returns done, I can at last allow myself some time for blogging and browsing. Using up our internet download limit for the month, two days early, was actually helpful for a change as I did not get sidetracked from my task at hand.
In normal circumstances I would be ranting and raving about the restrictive broadband service in Australia. We are on a, so called, unlimited broadband plan but this means we have a certain download limit and then get speed restricted. The restricted speed was so slow that I could not download email without timing out nor get into web mail.
The current top plan with my ISP allows 30gb of download/upload a month for A$109 (US$102). With 2 adults and 4 ‘grown’ children being regular and active internet users this is just not enough for us . I do not know of any Australian ISP that offers truly unlimited downloads. Until recently uploads were not included in the allowance. Our service is deteriorating rather than improving! I guess I had a rant after all.
Apologies from those whose emails I should have replied to earlier. I will have to have a catch up now and try and wade my way through the spam to the real emails.
I think it is completely scandalous and reflects more of the Australia that our convict relatives arrived in rather than contemporary Australia. Regardless of who is elected, it will be years before most of Australia has access to serviceable, cost effective, reasonably fast internet service.
I am not sure we will ever have a cost effective internet service. Apart from Telstra’s pricing structure, which controls the market and prevents healthy competition, ISP’s are going to charge for the services that will allow for speed and more download limits. They will be offering TV shows and movies etc for download but at an extra price.
Optus has now joined those who are including upload limits in download limits. I imagine a time when photo and video uploads are only possible if you subscribe to a paid service with your ISP.
The excuse given is too much bandwidth being used for illicit downloads but I reckon they are trying to restrict us now only so they can charge for services in the not too distant future.
Australian internet service drives me to drink. I am out of AU now on an extended trip and I tell you boy do I love the internet abroad.
Many Australians seem unaware of exactly how much we get ripped.
It is literally the bane of my existence.
telstras pricing controls preventing unfair competition my arse telstra charges .15 cents a MB over your limit if ur not capped due to the fact that it has to be fair to the competition who most charge $3 dollars a GB so that telstras 150 per GB to everyone elses 3 if anything its the fair trade rules that have been preventing our internet capabilities
Telstra is in the position it is by governmental providence. The government splashed out all the money making the company, and installing the infrastructure. It then sold a fully operational communications giant for cold hard cash. The fully operational communications giant now sits at the top of the hill demanding offerings from the peasants below. “Competition” comes from the swamp leeches on the giant’s butt. The peasants can access some services if they run up, attach a leech and use a bit of copper wire to run a connection back to their hovels.
I’m an Australian living in the US. For $29 a month, I get 4mb speed and totally unlimited useage. I can torrent movies, watch streaming television and never have to worry about my “useage”.
Australians DO NOT know how much they are missing out on and how much they’re being ripped off – as usual.
I think it is completely scandalous and reflects more of the Australia that our convict relatives arrived in rather than contemporary Australia. Regardless of who is elected, it will be years before most of Australia has access to serviceable, cost effective, reasonably fast internet service.
absolutely disgusted at australia’s interent currently… im paying 99 dollars amonth for a plan thro optus 30gig cap… well its only been 7 days and we are capped already thankx in no part to the plan we are on also including uploads as part of our usage… what a rort… and i hear that other countries have way faster internet for a fraction of the cost and some even have no usage caps? GG, thought australia was supposed to be the lucky country… my arse, if our current internet services are anything to go by id say we are slipping from 1st world to 2nd world real fast
it will be years before most of Australia has access to serviceable, cost effective, reasonably fast internet service.
I don’t like these restrictions. First in our country our internet provider also use this download limits rule but now here is unlimited downloading.
Hi Guys I thought SA was bad….I don’t fell so bad…my conection does loss signal now and again…I am in The Cape..so we say its the mountain….or the wind.Sue after reading this story…you should do a artical on how you juggle famliy life with web…O…and the house work..I would love to read Thanks…
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There are now ADSL2+ broadband plans in Australia that are truly unlimited, with no caps and no throttling.
Not all providers’ plans are deteriorating. Several services are now offering more data, better prices, lower excess charges (50 cents per GB at Exetel), higher shaping speeds (up to 4mbps at TPG) and better on and off-peak times.
If you can get it, the $75 per month ADSL2+ Unlimited 24/7 TPG plan is probably the best truly unlimited broadband plan around, and I’m sure other Australian broadband providers will soon be following suit.
I have cable at my house but I have not used it for over 2 years. First i got rid of Foxtel because i mainly watch the ABC and felt i was not able to fully utilise the service. I had a broadband plan with Telstra which was the max download limit at the time, i think it was 20GB.I got caught out once though when i received a bill for over $1000, The reason being that Telstra charged me $150 for every GB over my limit.(i.e. $150 x 10GB = $1500).I then moved to TPG ADSL2 which throttles me if I go over and is much cheaper per GB .It is a bit slower but I am very wary of having anything to do with Telstra as I feel their only motivation is to rip you off with deals you might not fully understand and therefore land massive bills.
I had salesperson at my door yesterday from Telstra. He said he could get me hooked back up to cable for $88 per month and would include 100 GB and telephone for that. I said I was interested and if he gave me the terms and conditions i would get back to him in a few days. He would not have it and said if i did not sign today i could not have the deal .He did say i could stop the proses at any time in the next week.I decided not to take deal it looked like he thought i was mad not to take and left saying that if signed i could change my mind latter ,he gave no chance to look at the proposal beforehand and let him know in a few days.
I feel this type of marketing should be outlawed and Telstra marketing policies should be scrutinised.
Agree about the marketing techniques which are unfortunately all too common.
I have been with Optus cable for years and even though there were better download limits to be had elsewhere I stayed with them because of reliability. I recently moved over to a new plan with them which offers 160gb download a month – with 3 heavy users here it is wonderful not to have to watch our usage all the time – can now watch YouTube videos as much as I want