[rant] Re: migrating from Telstra ADSL to TPG

[Alex Satrapa]

On Friday, February 14, 2003, at 09:41 , Marek Samoc wrote:

> On a related subject: can anybody share experiences of migrating from
> Telstra ADSL to TPG? My understanding (from reading TPG web pages) is 
> that
> one needs to cancel the Telstra ADSL *first* before even applying for 
> TPG
> ADSL? Any gotchas in the process?

I haven't done it yet, but the process according to three ADSL providers 
I've talked to is something like this:
  - Call Telstra and (politely) tell them that you're switching to a new
    ASDSL provider (they'd appreciate a reason, even if they don't ask
    for it - eg: they cost too much), and ask for a magic
    number (I can't remember what it's called)
  - Call [insert new ADSL provider name here] and tell them you're
    switching from Telstra, and provide them with the magic number from
    Telstra.  This means that the new provider can put a rocket up the
    Telstra people, who will take as long as possible to disconnect you
    from the Telstra network (so they get a couple of days/weeks bills
    out of you, even when your ADSL has been switched off)
  - Eventually, Telstra give you a confirmation that their side of the
    switching process has been done, so you call your new provider and
    confirm with them.
  - New provider, eager to start billing you for ADSL and providing a
    service that's actually worth the money, attempts to connect you
    into their ADSL network, but finds that Telstra have sabo^H^H^H
    made a trivial clerical error, and you go back a couple of steps
    and start again
  - Eventually, Telstra lets go of your ADSL pair, and your new
    provider gets you connected to their network (in the meantime,
    Telstra has charged both you and your new provider for access to
    the ADSL service that you couldn't use and the new provider
    couldn't provide)

Be prepared to have no Internet access for anywhere from 3 days (when 
Telstra staff are happy and feeling like being cooperative) to 3 weeks 
(when Telstra staff are being the usual jobsworths that so many are 
these days).  And don't forget, if you disconnect sometime into a month, 
Telstra will try to charge you for the whole month in which they finally 
got around to disconnecting you - so if you disconnect at the end of 
February and the "clerical errors" take them two weeks to disconnect you 
(at the beginning of March), you'll be paying for all of March as well 
as the rest of February, even though your ADSL login was disabled at the 
time that you called.  Check your bills very carefully!

Telstra's making noises about streamlining the switchover process, but 
actions speak louder than words, and Telstra is being strangely quiet.

Note that some ISPs (I'll mention TPG here, because I work for them) 
provide a dial-up backup to the ADSL - you may want to check with your 
chosen ISP about the dial-up backup, and how much it will cost to have 
the dial-up backup in place until the ADSL is actually connected - this 
will minimise downtime, but increase your costs.

I hope I don't sound bitter and disillusioned - I'd hate anyone to think 
that I didn't have the highest professional regard for Telstra.  They 
really are doing the best they can to satisfy their shareholders.  I was 
happy with the quality of network connectivity that they provide, and 
the technical helpdesk was able to answer my simple questions 
immediately.  I guess I'm just sour because I'm a customer, not a 
shareholder ;)

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