Internode has unveiled fibre-to-the-home broadband pricing starting from $29.95, $10 less than its cheapest ADSL+ plans.
Internode says its $29.95 plan for the NBN Stage One pilot program in Tasmania will have a 25 megabit download speed and 2 megabit upload -- slightly more than the maximum possible 24 megabit speed of ADSL2+, but in real terms, about double what most people get on ADSL2+ with an average phone line. Users on this plan will get a 15GB usage allowance.
50 Mb/s plans cost from $39.95 while 100 Mb/s plans start at $59.95. There are no long term contracts or early termination charges on any of the plans.
The 15 FTTH plans -- shown in full below -- which are only available only to people living in the three areas serviced by the NBN Stage One pilot program, run by NBN Tasmania.
Prices for Internode FTTH plans in the Tasmanian pilot will be available on a monthly basis until June 30, 2011, when official NBN wholesale pricing is expected to be available.
Internode is also offering free fibre setup for customers in the northern Tasmanian towns of Smithton and Scottsdale and the Hobart suburb of Midway Point.
Internode is one of three retail service providers selected to deliver broadband services over the fibre-optic network that NBN Tasmania is building. These services are expected to be delivered from next month, with orders being taken from today.
Internode managing director Simon Hackett said Internode had set its prices for the NBN pilot to encourage people to use the new service. “We believe price is the catalyst for rapid adoption,” he said.
“Internode wants to learn as much as possible about how customers use fibre broadband services from its investment in this pilot program, so we want to get as many customers on board as possible. By setting our FTTH prices at below our ADSL prices, we believe this becomes an irresistible offer.
”Customers, both in Tasmania and nationally, should keep in mind that this initiative is designed as a pilot program. These prices and products may bear little resemblance to what emerges under the NBN proper, but it’s a great start to offer FTTH plans that are affordable for ordinary people.”
Internode already delivers FTTH services to customers at nine 'greenfield' commercial and residential estates across Australia, via the OptiComm wholesale network. Recently Internode began to offer FTTH broadband services to residents of Point Cook in Victoria via the Telstra FTTP network.
While Internode will not initially offer analogue telephone services on the NBN Fibre network in Tasmania, customers can choose to keep their existing phone line on copper; or to use Internode’s NodePhone voice-over-broadband service.