Telstra ADSL vs TransACT (was Re: TransACT@CLUG this month)

[Eyal Lebedinsky]

jeremy at itassist.net.au wrote:
> Has anyone actually run into this mysterious 3Gb download cap?  I keep
> blowing 3Gb and haven't been hassled yet.  Even my frinds who are
> topping 40Gb a month aren't being penalised.

Well, as any Telstra ADSL user knows by now, charging for above 3GB
starts very soon, and it seems this will be strictly enforced.

I had a go at complaining how they changed the basic rule, where I
knew I only pay a set monthly amount and now they open ended my
contract at $40/h (on the 512Kb plan). Their answer was very simple
"cancel if you don't like it".

Attached below is the Telstra letter for the enjoyment of members who
are not Telstra users.



Dear Telstra BigPond(TM) Broadband member,

You may recall that we informed you that Telstra BigPond has been
reviewing
members' feedback in relation to the Freedom Plan Acceptable Use Policy
and
that whilst this review was occurring, a 3 gigabyte (GB) monthly
allowance
was in place.

In addition to members' feedback, Telstra has had to take account of its
cost structure in providing the service and how to most equitably recoup
costs from members.  Telstra's cost in providing the service varies
directly according to the usage level of our customers.  It is simply
not
commercially viable for Telstra to provide a flat rate charge for all
members when some are downloading very large amounts of data, in many
cases, greater than 20GB a month.  Telstra does not recoup the cost of
providing the service in these circumstances.

Telstra has now completed its review and is employing a user pays
principle.

Accordingly, we will be introducing an additional usage charge for
customer
usage above the 3GB cap on the Freedom Plans from 1 December 2001.  The
additional usage charge will be 18.9c per megabyte (MB) between 3GB and
5GB, and 17.5c per MB thereafter. 

We will also be introducing a 5GB plan and a 10GB plan with unlimited
speed
for Telstra BigPond cable and speeds of 1.5Mbps/256Kbps for Telstra
BigPond
ADSL.  For high data users, these plans provide a lower per MB usage
charge, compared to the additional usage charge for the 3GB plan. The
5GB 
and 10GB plans will be effective from 1 December 2001, and current
members
wishing to migrate to these plans will be able to do so from midnight 15
November 2001, but the new plan will not come into effect until 1
December
2001. Information on these plans is available on the broadband website
at:

        www.bigpond.com/broadband/newplans
        
We would like to also remind you of a number of features about Telstra
BigPond broadband Internet that will assist you in managing your usage
and
costs;

Your Usage Meter can be accessed through the Account Management facility
found within the Telstra BigPond section of telstra.com. For your
convenience, the direct link is provided here;

        https://bcoba-server.bigpond.net.au:8443/rhwc/smu 
        
The Usage Meter will be upgraded and go live from 1 December 2001 and it
will send automatic usage notification emails to assist you in managing
your usage and costs.

Content on a number of free sites provided by Telstra BigPond broadband
does not contribute to your 3GB monthly usage allowance.   These include
free access to games and game playing on Wireplay, access to music and
videos on theBasement.com, the Broadband Content Guide and major sports
sites.  Details of the free sites can be accessed through:  

        http://www/cable/services/free.htm
        
We believe the new pricing structure outlined above is an equitable
solution for our members. Usage varies enormously from one broadband
member
to the next and to raise the monthly fee for all Freedom Plan members
would
see the majority of users subsidising the use of a small proportion of
heavy users. Those members using less than 3GB will not be impacted by
the
changes, while members who wish to use more than 3GB per month can
choose
to do so and pay for that additional usage.

To reflect the changes outlined above, we have revised both the Terms
and
Conditions and the Acceptable Use Policy. These revisions have been made
in
accordance with clause 10.4 of the Terms and Conditions of the Telstra
BigPond broadband agreement and are effective 1 December 2001. You can
view
the updated Acceptable Use Policy at: 

        http://www.bigpond.com/broadband/newplans/
        
Telstra BigPond is committed to providing a quality broadband service
that
is fair and provides value. We trust you will see these changes and
improvements as a positive step towards delivering this to you.  We
thank
you for your continued support of Telstra BigPond broadband Internet.

For further information, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions at;

        http://www.bigpond.com/broadband/newplans/
        

Kind regards,

The Telstra BigPond Team


(tm) Trademark of Telstra Corporation Limited ABN 33 051 775 556

--
Eyal Lebedinsky (eyal at eyal.emu.id.au) <http://samba.anu.edu.au/eyal/>