More ISPs are switching on their 8Mbit/s ADSL services, with Internode the latest to offer its customers the option of higher speed broadband outside its own ADSL2+ coverage areas.
Internode is the latest ISP to offer its customers the option of higher speed broadband following Telstra Wholesale's announcement late last year of an 8Mbit/s ADSL service.
ISPs scrambled to announce plans that take advantage of the new 8Mbit/s download and 384Kbit/s upload speeds, with Internode among the first to make its plans public.
Internode customers can now choose one of three high-speed plans ranging from a data allowance of 20GB for $79.95/month to 80GB for $139.95.
Exetel, TPG, Amnet, Pacific Internet, People Telecom and aaNet are among other well-known ISPs taking advantage of Telstra's faster wholesale connections.
Most ISPs divide the data quota in their plans into "peak" (daytime) and "off-peak" (late night) categories or offer one amount available for use at any time.
However, aaNet, well-known in the industry for its bargain-basement pricing, is trialling a new "data discount" system, in which downloads between 1am and 8am count for a fraction of their true size. Savvy users will make its 5GB plan for $39.90/month and 20GB plan for $49.90/month stretch a long way.
Many ISPs are making the higher speed plans available with data allowances matching their old 1.5Mbit/s plans and adding a premium for the speed boost.
NSW-based ISP Exetel is offering NSW residents a range of 8Mbit/s plans, ranging from a 12GB quota for $65 /month to a heavy duty 48GB plan for $95/month. In addition, there is no limit on data downloaded between midnight and midday each day. However users who download more than 36GB per month in this off-peak period may be "sin-binned" or have their speeds reduced for the rest of the month.
TPG's plans offer slightly less bang for your buck. Its 18GB plan costs $79.95/month and its 40 GB plan is $99.95/month. Some users will be attracted by the offers of a free static IP address which comes with TPG's plans.
People Telecom provides an option to "shape" connections (or reduce their speed) when the quota is exceeded or to pay an additional $5/GB for excess data. It plans range from 25GB for $89.95/month to 40GB for 104.95/month.
One of the few entry level plans is offered by Westnet, who sell a 1GB plan for $69.95/month. Higher plans divide the data quota into peak and off-peak categories, for example a 60GB plan (20GB peak / 40GB off-peak) for $109.95.
The actual speeds that users enjoy are affected by the distance between their house and their telephone exchange. As the following graph indicates, users are well advised to check the distance between their houses and the local exchange before assuming the full speed bump to 8Mbit/s:
While higher speeds are welcome, especially for users on telephone exchanges where even higher ADSL2+ speeds of up to 24Mbit/s are not offered, Telstra has not leveled the playing field completely.
It declined to increase the upload speed to its technical ceiling of 1000Kbit/s.
Hopes of nationally-available wholesale ADSL2+ were also dashed last year, when Telstra announced it would only be offering ADSL2+ on exchanges in which retail competitors had already installed their own DSLAMs.