They’re the two favourite ISPs for Lifehacker readers, but soon they will be one. iiNet is buying Internode in a $105 million deal.
The deal is expected to be completed by the end of February. iiNet has maintained some of its other acquired brands — Westnet and Netspace being the clear examples — and Internode will also continue as a separate business unit. “Off-net” customers — those using a service wholesaled from Telstra — will be migrated to the iiNet network. Apparently that covers 15,000 of Internode’s 190,000 customers.
There’s a press conference at 1630 today and we’ll run all the in-depth news after that.
Sam
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:12 PMSad :(
I have nothing against iiNet – but Internode were one of the few ISPs out there that consistently strived for the best quality delivery of service, and customer service.
Sam D
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:33 PMThis… I know they’re saying that nothing is going to change, but I wonder when things like Astraweb access will be trimmed off for iiNet’s “shareholders”?
hellboy1975
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:15 PMNot really happy with this development…
Rod
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:16 PM…the hell???
SERVAH
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:16 PMPlease say it isnt so. If this happens I’ll be switching to Telstra. I’ve been with Internode for many many years and there level of service and infrastructre is second to none.
SERVAH
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:18 PMUPDATE: iiNet are buying 100% of the shares, they own internode but internode will still operate as it does now.
http://www.internode.on.net/news/2011/12/259.php
PHuZZy
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 5:18 PMFOR NOW
Richard
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:16 PMI am an iiNet customer but this can only be a bad thing for consumers. Competition is lessened and iiNet will become a bloated inefficient company reminiscent of Optus or Telstra.
Mark
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:17 PMBugger.
Need I say more?
Ilia
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:18 PMCombining good with best! We are going to have the best ISP ever :-)
Barry
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:26 PMIt might not create the best ISP in Australia, it might create a bloated inefficient company and could be very much bad for competition (from Richard).
I just hope the iiNet network can handle something like 15,000 more clients on their network otherwise you will have very unhappy clients screaming.
I hope it works out for all that are concerned (ISPs and Clients that is)
Drew
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:42 PMI’m sure Internode and iiNet customers will be left on their current infrastructure and won’t be all ported on day one.
orko138
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:26 PMIt will still need to meet regulatory approval vis-a-vie ACCC. It will probably still get through, but you could try holding your breath and see what happens.
JNYBLK
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:32 PMI just moved from iiNet to Internode
Sam
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:46 PMiiNet just moved you back.
Pete
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:36 PMSmart way to block out a TPG buyout of iiNet? I’d rather this than TPG owning everyone…
Bernadette
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 6:49 PMTrue, iiNet purchasing my favourite company is better than TPG doing so..but still makes me sad that there’s no room for good local companies in the big world of the NBN
sean
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 4:51 PMFFS, if i wanted iinet i would’ve signed up for iinet,
Senexx
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 5:07 PMI don’t know what TPGs plans are but I treat TPG a lot like Dodo, I wouldn’t touch them. So on that basis I agree with Pete.
PHuZZy
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 5:19 PMIt’s about time that IINET got rid of the Peak/Off Peak plans like all the other GOOD ISPs………
Matt
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 5:38 PMFuuuuuu……
This sucks as someone on an Optus resold Internode plan, considering they’ve dumped them with the Netspace acquisition, I can’t see my plan lasting.
Tim
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 6:25 PMYeah me too… my plan suits me greatly being naked, and Internode, but it’s via wholesale Optus port…
Cooincidentaly (?) the Optus Marketing people have called me twice this week to offer me a naked ADSL2+ service directly with them for $30 less than what I pay Internode now, for 500GB, versus 250GB I get now. Interesting. At present I get other things from Internode for “free’ like Usenet access and unmetered content like iView, that at present, is worth me to stay with Internode…
But if (sorry… when) those things get pulled by iiNet… it’s time to cross over from the orange of the rebel alliance to the dark side, by which I mean the green side of overlord Optus…
Ben
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 6:41 PMMichael Malone strives very hard to deliver a very high level of customer service with iinet. Internode management will stay for at least twelve months. This is better than TPG owning iinet and ruining both iinet and internode with its cut price service. TPG is already showing signs of being left behind. This is the only way for smaller companies to compete in an NBN world where the government owns all the infrastructure and only a small bit of money is to be made on each connection per month.
Glynn
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 7:32 PMGood post Ben.
Chris
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 10:55 PMWhy are they saying that the NBN favours larger companies? Surely with every house in Australia connected to the one network with a common wholesale price and available to every ISP/RSP that connects, wouldn’t that put every ISP from the corner provider to Bigpond more or less on an equal pegging?
James
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 11:23 PMShame…. listed companies always suck at delivering customer wants. Gets lost somewhere in the twenty levels between customer support and the boardroom.
Peter Ortner
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 3:36 AMOh wow. Last month iiBorg handed over $60m to buy TransACT, and now this.
Merry Christmas Simon Hackett. :)