things may be improving in oz, isp wise anyway -
- js.
1.5Mbit ADSL drops below $120
Dan Warne
Competition is becoming savage in the broadband market, with price leading ISP
Netspace releasing a 1.5Mbit ADSL plan with 8GB of data for the jaw-dropping price of $119.
A 'flat rate' version of the plan is available for the same price, allowing customers to continue using their connection at 56Kbit speeds, even if they have reached their 8GB limit.
The aggressive move by Netspace is likely to trigger a price war at the high end of the ADSL market. Other ISPs are already coming close to Netspace's leading price, with
plans ranging from 3GB to 10GB of data from $125/mth upwards.
Netspace Managing Director Stuart Marburg told Whirlpool the plan was profitable, but did not include a 'lot of fat', due to Telstra's high pricing for the physical 1.5Mbit connection.
"What we are really trying to do with this plan is provide options for people who want a fast link, but don't necessarily need huge amounts of data -- although 8GB is quite enough for a lot of people," he said.
Netspace has become popular with the file sharing community due to its free peer- to-peer data.
However it only provides one email address with its broadband services. Mr Marburg said this was under active review at Netspace, but that their team had been focusing on getting the new plan out the door first.
The new Netspace plan may be of interest to customers wanting to migrate off cable, especially Optus users who finally lost NetStats in the last 3 months. The new plan offers the closest speeds possible to cable and 5GB more than Optus or Telstra offer.
Internode also recently boosted value at the low end of the market, bumping up its sub $50 plan to match Netspace's 1GB of included data. It also released a 2GB plan for $59.95, providing a welcome intermediary step between its low end plan and its 4.5GB plan. Netspace offers a similarly priced 2GB plan, but with a bonus 2GB of data to be used in off peak times.
http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/1144