To Aussies thinking of broadband

[Ausatco]

Pacific Internet ADSL

I would like to mention another worthy contender, Pacific Internet (PI).

$200 setup fee gives you a D-Link DSL-200 modem, which, unlike some other ISPs, you own, plus one ADSL splitter/filter to separate phone traffic on the phone line from ADSL. Then, for $64 a month I get

- 512k down/128k up ADSL
- 1Gb per month D/L
- Unlimited uploads
- 5 email addresses
- 10Mb webspace
- A helpdesk that answers pronto and is actually helpful
- Flexibility in account setup and management. (I was an existing customer of another ISP that was taken over by PI. That ISP allowed broader priveledges on its accounts than does PI, and was more "techy" oriented for the fiddlers amongst us (me!). Contrary to their basic policy, PI let me keep my old account and its priveledges, and my old mailbox as well as the 5 new ones, etc. They had a price and plan change 2 days after my account was set up. They gave me that new plan and price, saving me $200.00 up front, $5.00 a month and doubled the DL limit that I signed up for.

ADSL reliability has been spot on.

There is a new issue emerging for broadband suppliers - leeching and account profiling. I am a small user (I don't get close to my 1Gb a month, let alone the 8 or 10 where this issue kicks in) so this is not a problem for me.

I only ever had one phone line to my house. My dialup costs before PI ADSL were

- $22.00 a month for the plan
- $25.00 a month for calls
- $12.00 a month for diversions to my mobile when the house phone was busy with internet.

= Total of $59.00.

So for an extra $5.00 a month I get broadband and those other costs are wiped - it has to be a good deal.

I cannot fault them - PI has my ringing endorsement.


AA