Three Months Free ADSL

[ForumAdmin]

As you would know Exetel buys ADSL services from all three of Australia's major carriers.

Each of these carriers, from time to time, offers Exetel various 'deals' to increase the volume of business we bring to them.

We are considering offering a 'deal' to new customers (yes, once again current "loyal" current customers cannot benefit from this because the carriers always base promotional offers on new customers) that provides three months free usage.

We would welcome any comments anyone might have on such a deal.

[Dr Tezza]

Lucky 'new customers' !

[rm555]

At the moment, I don't think Exetel's Optus plans are that attractive to people who are relocating (and looking for a new ISP at the same time) due to the active phone line requirement. It currently costs $199 ($159 to activate line through telstra + $40 activation fee) to sign up to an Exetel Optus plan on a 12-month contract.

Internode and iiNet charge $129 and $150 respectively on a one month contract and do not require an active phone service. For TPG ADSL + Homephone customers, it's $129.95 on a 6 month contract and an active phone service isn't required either.

But 3 free months should be a good incentive for customers without active phone services to consider Exetel as well.

[bodogbodog]

We would welcome any comments anyone might have on such a deal.

Bring it on - and good luck to those new customers who benefit - including my friend I'm about to refer to Exetel from Helstra Cable
Exisitng customers might miss out but we've been enjoying the other benefits that come from belng Exetel customers for varying lengths of time

Any clues as to when it might surface?

[ForumAdmin]

We would welcome any comments anyone might have on such a deal.

Bring it on - and good luck to those new customers who benefit - including my friend I'm about to refer to Exetel from Helstra Cable
Exisitng customers might miss out but we've been enjoying the other benefits that come from belng Exetel customers for varying lengths of time

Any clues as to when it might surface?

Assuming we sort out the details over the long weekend - Tuesday 14th looks possible.

[bodogbodog]

Assuming we sort out the details over the long weekend - Tuesday 14th looks possible.

Thanks - sounds promising
Hope you guys are going to get sometime over the long weekend for a break

[ForumAdmin]

At the moment, I don't think Exetel's Optus plans are that attractive to people who are relocating (and looking for a new ISP at the same time) due to the active phone line requirement. It currently costs $199 ($159 to activate line through telstra + $40 activation fee) to sign up to an Exetel Optus plan on a 12-month contract.

Internode and iiNet charge $129 and $150 respectively on a one month contract and do not require an active phone service. For TPG ADSL + Homephone customers, it's $129.95 on a 6 month contract and an active phone service isn't required either.

But 3 free months should be a good incentive for customers without active phone services to consider Exetel as well.

I'll look into it.

As far as I know, Telstra doesn't discount the PSTN reconnection/installation charges....but I'll check.

TPG...who knows what the line capability might be.

[ForumAdmin]

We are favouring a "Telstra Win Back"campaign after suffering from Telstra Retail's bully boy tactics for the past two plus years.

Two of the "Telstra win back ideas" are to either offer three months free internet or to offer zero per month internet when the Telstra Retail customer also 'bundles' a telephone line with additional discount off the telephone line rental when the customer also 'bundles' a mobile phone service. This would produce something like an ADSL Including 10 gb + 10 gb, telephone line rental with low call charges and mobile phone capped plan for $39.50 a month......or all of that plus unlimited local, national and calls to Optus mobiles for $49.50 per month. There would be an option to just buy ADSL and telephone line rental with a range of gb inclusions on a twelve month contract with the first two, three or four months free.

We will use the long weekend to determine exactly what to do in this regard before we settle on what growth, if any, we will plan for residential ADSL over the coming months. Though I do have to say that after suffering from Telstra Retail's bully boy tactics for over two years I would like to play a small part in giving them 'a taste of their own medicine'.....but then I keep forgetting that Exetel is a commercial enterprise and must strictly adhere to commercial principles.....it just isn't as enjoyable.

I think something that specifically targets Telstra Retail's ADSL users would get a reasonable amount of 'publicity' if it was promoted in the right way. We might be able to use mainstream TV advertising to achieve that?

[ForumAdmin]

Current thinking:

1) $39.50 ADSL rental inc 10/10 gb, inc PSTN telephone line with low call costs

2) $49.50 as above inc unlimited local, national and calls to Optus mobiles

3) A further $10.00 off both above if also bundled with a $19.95 capped mobile plan

4) 3 months free ADSL on an Optus ADSL/Telephone Line range of plans

5) Zero cost ADSL per month with bundled telephone line of $30.00 per month or $20.00 a month if bundled also with a $19.95 mobile phone plan.

More iterations to go - suggestions welcomed.

We would hope to have whatever is finally decided on the web site by COB on Tuesday 14th June.

We would expect to begin contacting/calling 'lost to Telstra' ADSL customers in early July.

[bodogbodog]

Couple of questions / suggestions

Re point 1) Why only 10/10 package (or is that the more to come?) - its not a big allowance - would people to buy bigger allowances - no one is going to be speed limited after 10gb, maybe you could have bigger quota options or the ability to pay for extra gb's at full speed

Re point 3) What about other CAP plan options - eg CAP35 is popular given the 1gb of data versus the CAP19 of 200mb

Seems your thinking is to dumb down the plans/quotas - guess that might fit the profile of an uneducated Telstra customer but a lot of them will want higher capacity

[ForumAdmin]

Couple of questions / suggestions

Re point 1) Why only 10/10 package (or is that the more to come?) - its not a big allowance - would people to buy bigger allowances - no one is going to be speed limited after 10gb, maybe you could have bigger quota options or the ability to pay for extra gb's at full speed

Re point 3) What about other CAP plan options - eg CAP35 is popular given the 1gb of data versus the CAP19 of 200mb

Seems your thinking is to dumb down the plans/quotas - guess that might fit the profile of an uneducated Telstra customer but a lot of them will want higher capacity

1) There will be other options

2) Other capped plans will be options.

This is the current state of thinking which will be reviewed many times over the long weekend.

Thank you for your questions.

[rm555]

1) $39.50 ADSL rental inc 10/10 gb, inc PSTN telephone line with low call costs

Since this has a bit less quota than OT20 which has 20gb/20gb and is also $39.50, I assume we are to expect another round of plan changes soon?

And will any of these offers apply to Telstra-only exchanges? Internode just came out with a 30GB (although Zone 1 only), 8mbit ADSL1 or ADSL2 + landline bundle on Telstra exchanges for $60/month. TCV20-50 + Homeline Budget still compares favourably on ADSL2 enabled exchanges but for those limited to ADSL1, T8-50 + HLB is $70.45/month.

[ForumAdmin]

1) $39.50 ADSL rental inc 10/10 gb, inc PSTN telephone line with low call costs

1) Since this has a bit less quota than OT20 which has 20gb/20gb and is also $39.50, I assume we are to expect another round of plan changes soon?

2) And will any of these offers apply to Telstra-only exchanges? Internode just came out with a 30GB (although Zone 1 only), 8mbit ADSL1 or ADSL2 + landline bundle on Telstra exchanges for $60/month. TCV20-50 + Homeline Budget still compares favourably on ADSL2 enabled exchanges but for those limited to ADSL1, T8-50 + HLB is $70.45/month.

1) Any new plans have no relevance to 'old' plans - we still have customers on plans that they signed up over five years ago.

2) All of this discussion is based on Optus network based plans.

3) We will look at what can be done in terms of 8192/384 plans if we get accommodations from Telstra - at the moment the plan price you cite from Internode would be higher than our buy price from Telstra Wholesale.

[ForumAdmin]

Would six months at half price be better than three months at zero price?

[bodogbodog]

Would six months at half price be better than three months at zero price?

I think the 6 months at half price is better - for Exetel as well as customer - keeps the "love" coming for a longer period of time
Not sure what contract term you are going to put on these new plans but the 6 months option will help people over the length of a contract and hopefully encourage them to stay
Not sure what the impact of the CAPx rebates would be on a zero cost plan - how is that credit applied? - the 50% off option would make it easier for that credit to be applied to the plan