Internode throws a lifeline to Easymail users - News - Communications

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This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
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Internode throws a lifeline to Easymail users

By Rachel Lebihan, ZDNet Australia
February 11, 2002
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Internode-throws-a-lifeline-to-Easymail-users/0,130061791,120263393,00.htm

Internet Service Provider Internode has thrown a lifeline to thousands of Easymail customers who will be stranded when Telstra dumps the service next month, thrusting the telco titan in a somewhat selfish light.

The South Australian-based ISP has offered to manage the easymail.com.au domain name and provide mail forwarding and other services free of charge to the 70,000 customers Telstra will ditch in March, despite the telco titan's own refusal to make mail forwarding arrangements for abandoned customers.

Whilst the provision of the service will cost the ISP somewhere in the -small tens of thousands of dollars range" Internode managing director Simon Hackett acknowledges the move will pave the way to capitalise on some of the customers who take the opportunity to upgrade to a paying Internet access service.

The offer is there for Easymail users to take up Internode Net access but they're not required to, he said.

"It's altruism inspired by the potential to demonstrate we're nicer people than Telstra," Hackett told ZDNet Australia.

The telco behemoth has not responded to Internode's proposal, which was put forward on Friday, however Hackett promised to keep -rattling [Telstra's] chains on this".

"It's absolutely no problem for us to support and forward [mail]," Hackett said, adding that Internode could get the e-mail forwarding service up and running within a week, which means existing Easymail customers won't be left out in the cold and e-mail addresses will keep working.

-I can't understand the decision [not to] from Telstra," Hackett said. -It seems mad."

The other alternative, he said, was for Telstra to review that decision.

Telstra's decision to axe the no-frills, free e-mail service last week has drawn criticism from Senator Richard Alston, who has been contacted for comment on the latest twist in the tale.

A spokesperson for the shadow minister for communications Lindsay Tanner said he couldn't see why Telstra couldn't offer the same service as suggested by Internode, -considering how profitable they [Telstra] are".

-We call on Telstra to continue the service but if that's not going to be the case it should negotiate with Internode to hand over the subscribers on fair and reasonable terms," the spokesperson told ZDNet Australia.

Telstra has been contacted for comment.