Back in June, Telstra increased broadband data allowances for customers who bundled a bunch of other products with their home internet connection. Now it has increased the data allowances and dropped prices on its BigPond ADSL range more generally, but the prices are still only available to customers who sign long-term contracts and take on other services.
One change which we are in favour of is a big reduction in the number of plans from 12 to four, which makes working out what’s on offer a bit easier. The 2GB a month Elite plan, which costs $29.95 a month, has its download speed capped at 1.5Mbps. The remaining Turbo plans all run at up to 20Mbps, and come at $39.95 for 2GB, $69.95 for 50GB, or $89.95 for 200GB. The last two plans are considerably cheaper than their older alternatives (200GB previously cost $179.95 a month). (The prices apply to both ADSL and cable options.)
The increase in download caps is welcome, but those prices still require you to sign up for a 12-month contract and keep your main phone line with Telstra, which means a separate line rental fee. Also bear in mind that Telstra always counts both uploads and downloads when assessing usage, a trend which is common but certainly not universal.
Telstra also offers extra discounts for customers who sign longer 24-month contracts and take on additional services. This could represent a potential saving and you’d need to assess your own needs carefully, but being tied down to a single company for a long period won’t necessarily get you the best deal in the long run. If you figure you don’t need a home phone at all, check out our roundup of naked DSL plans.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.