New kid on Australia's residential ADSL block - News - Communications

To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

--------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
--------------------------------------------------------------

New kid on Australia's residential ADSL block

By James Pearce, ZDNet Australia
March 12, 2002
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/New-kid-on-Australia-s-residential-ADSL-block/0,130061791,120263767,00.htm

Melbourne-based Internet Service Provider Pacific Internet is launching a residential ASDL service, HomeDSL, and claims the focus is on 'flexibility'.

Joining Internode in the troubled residential broadband market, Pacific Internet's big selling point, flexibility, is based on users' ability to customise their own plan, and the option of not having a contract. Its plans are based on the connection speed, costing from AU$59.95 for 256/64 K to AU$99.95 for 1500/256 K. Each plan comes with 500MB included downloads and an excess fee of 14.9c/MB. Additional included megabytes can be purchased for AU$30 per month.

The big benefit for heavy users of the Internet is the optional extras, claims Pacific Internet. For an extra AU$10 per month, users can buy unlimited downloads between the hours of 1am-8am. By spending AU$20 per month extra, users can have unlimited downloads from 12am Saturday to 8am Monday. This is achieved by utilising downtime on Pacific Internet's business service.

-It comes down to utilising the capacity that we've got," Dennis Muscat, managing director of Pacific Internet, told ZDNet Australia. -During the week there are peak times, but outside those peak times there is the ability to download a lot more, and we have the capacity to do that and we can afford to be generous."

Kylie Hutchison, product manager for Pacific Internet, added: -We think it's going to be great value to net savvy users, who often use Linux and freeware, and download a lot of updates, and we have these on our mirror sites."

Telstra provide 256/64 K ADSL for AU$59.95 with 300MB included downloads, and 1500/256 K ADSL for AU$224.95 including 5GB downloads.

Muscat also claims the 'freebies' in the product give about 30 percent extra value. These include unlimited uploads (cited as 30 percent usage on average), free access to Pacific's local servers, and a dial-up account for nationwide roaming, charged at AU$2.00 per hour.

The set-up costs are AU$294, with an extra AU$180 if you need a USB modem. If you choose to enter a 12 month contract, the cost is AU$219 plus AU$180 for the USB modem.