One caveat we missed when sharing news of iiNet’s naked ADSL2+ release is the inclusion of uploads in the usage limits. This is a nasty trend that is now spreading beyond just Telstra, something we were hoping would decline rather than spread. According to Whirlpool, iiNet feels their caps are higher than otherwise to compensate (we thought the caps could have been better even before hearing this) and no other plans are affected.
iiNet is correct that more serious users are now uploading a lot more than they used to, whether through P2P traffic or offsite storage. But in our books, counting uploads is a double dip – an ISP somewhere else is counting downloads when you are sending uploads, so is it fair to be ‘charged’ on both streams?
Another factor Whirlpool spotted is slow transition to naked ADSL, even
if you are already with iiNet. This sounds very much like an issue with
Telstra control of exchanges, as they have to action the transfers
while having zero interest in doing so. The Whirlpool story sees iiNet
point to further action through the ACCC to get a 2-3 day process in
place as their negotiations with Telstra are “going nowhere fast.”
We’re happy to see a naked service now available on the market, so big ups to iiNet for taking that massive first step. Next stop: competition due to arrive early next year. Then we’ll see who lays down the gauntlet as a price vs features war begins. [Whirlpool]