Optus has lined up alongside AAPT, Exetel and TPG in offering an “unlimited” broadband package. As with its rivals, the devil is in the detail — “unlimited” in this case is code for “we’ll shape you after you exceed the limit”.
In our recent discussion of why ISPs don’t like unlimited plans, we noted that those ISPs which do offer the option generally reckon on most people not utilising the option. Optus’ Fusion packages make sure of that — while the package is promoted in its media release as “unlimited broadband which can be used at any time of the day”, in practice you’ll be shaped once you hit the limit (15GB on the $99 package, or 50GB on the $129 bundle). That’s probably enough for many people, but I don’t think it’s what most people mean by “unlimited”.
Other changes on Optus’ offerings include a $10 drop in its entry-level Naked DSL plan, and the elimination of excess usage charges (in favour of shaping once again) on most packages.
Ben Dy
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 12:12 PMThat’s not “Unlimited” at all!
Talk about FALSE ADVERTISING!
echelon
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 12:25 PMCorrect me if I’m wrong, but haven’t Internode and Netspace been offering shaped capped plans for _years_?
Is this really news? “Optus have caught up to the competition.”
Roger Barnes
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 12:35 PMDidn’t ACCC crack down on that type of misleading wording in the past?
clint
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 1:03 PMThis article seems to be holding back alot. This is very obviously very wrong and misleading by optus.
um mr angus kidman, is this a ‘trying not to piss off the advertisers too much,’ I of course assume you are not :)
I fully expect a massise fury follow up by lifehacker condemning this also with their followup interviews with the ACCC and optus.
Wil
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 1:20 PM@Roger Barnes: Yep that is why Telstra renamed their plan to liberty instead of unlimited. Be interesting to see what the ACCC has to say.
Peter Hardy
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 1:44 PMNaming aside, I much prefer shaped plans to dealing with excess usage charges.
woodddog
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 3:47 PMOptus will be in trouble of these names, throttle to 256 is still slow, not as bad as 64, but meh… naughty optus?
warcroft
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 3:51 PMYep, the ACCC definitely cracked down on the shaped ‘unlimited’ terminology.
StOOpid Optus.
Robert
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 7:54 PMI think they are skirting the regulators because both ACMA and ACCC consider 256kbps to be broadband (people reselling Telstra services have offered these for years). So “Unlimited Broadband” is probably morally reprehensible, but legally ok.
warcroft
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 8:41 AMAh!
Good point.
Park Folvig
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 1:02 AMSo that means any internet plan that doesn’t charge excess usage fees is “Unlimited”? … clear case of of being mislead. But they do have a case technically even though we are getting ripped off.
Dr_Stef
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 11:57 AMInternet will never be really unlimited..
Grant Muir
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 3:01 PMUsual crappy Oz broadband crap, overpriced shonky service.
TPG’s Unlimited is very good, pity their service blows.
Miguel Sanchez
Monday, May 3, 2010 at 4:50 PMCOMCEN are guilty of doing this aswell. What gets me is the old plans were actually cheaper and still deemed “unlimited” if by unlimited they mean once you hit your cap u get shaped. Now they are offering a more expensive “unlimited” plan (only 30GB)thats actually the same as the old capped plan but cost u more. Absolute rubbish.