TOCPCs – The Elite Geeks Blog

Attention all NextG customers.

Please be advised, your service is now more expensive and / or less valued.

Telstra recently increased the speeds available to consumers on its NextG network from 3.6Mbps to 7.2Mbps of the advertised 14.4Mbps available on the network (the hardware Telstra supplies can only get 7.2Mbps PEAK).

This new change could see customers doubling their NextG internet bills, or discovering the data is disappearing quicker as a result of the faster speeds provided.

This customer alert advises users to be more aware of the usage of their NextG accounts, as they could expect nasty surprises centered around the next bill, including, but not limited to repossession of house and home to pay for the NextG internet access.

Customer’s with fears of going over their usage, or fear finding themselves in financial hardship should contact Telstra immediately and express their complete distaste at Telstra’s poor retail offerings, after highlighting the retail offering the maximum amount you can get is 3GB, and for users in combi vans, or on the move a lot, that comes in at $184. There is no shaping on these plans either, they aren’t unlimited, they come with $0.30c/MB excess usage charges.

So, for the average user on the go, to get a average movie from a company like ReelTime (700MB), you are looking at $210.
All of a sudden, the cinema experience is better and cheaper!

Customers should definitely keep tabs on the usage of their service at close range (you should log more hits on the usage meter than you do browsing the internet, there is no freedom with the Bigpond NextG Wireless plans). Wireless is supposed to give you freedom, no wires. Unfortunately, it gives you less freedom. You would be making sure the usage meter doesn’t go over, and you end up paying excessively in excess usage for browsing the internet. You could do better at a wireless hotspot, internet cafe, or if you ever do it, stealing wireless internet from unsecured access points.

Even worse still, Telstra’s plans when compared to Virgin’s plans, are somewhat extreme. With Virgin, you can get $60/mth, 4GB of broadband access, unlimited phone calls. Telstra’s NextG comes in at 3 times that price, and that’s still less value, because you still have to pay mobile call rates for mobile calls!

Don’t sleep. Watch the usage meter. It could make you homeless, hungry and bankrupt.

Enjoy!