This isn’t a Naked DSL update really, but it’s a significant development in the broadband space, so we decided to blog on the topic of the new Terabyte Broadband plans. Just in case you don’t know, in ISP terms 1 Terabyte is 1,000GB or 1,000,000MB. Yep…that’s a lot.

In the past week, 3 ISPs have come out and announced that they have launched ADSL2+ plans with a Terabyte of data allowance. This really is a phenomenal amount of data! This year has seen some big improvements in ISP plans and data allowances and customers are the real winners.

Let’s look at the Terabyte plans and what is on offer.

iinet – www.iinet.com.au

The iinet Terabyte plan is $99.95 per month and includes 500GB of peak time allowance and 500GB of off peak allowance. iinet counts both uploads and downloads in the allowance. You do need to have the iinet landline bundle at $29.95 per month to qualify for the Terabyte plan.

The iinet off peak period is from 1am – 9am and there are no excess fees if you do somehow manage to exceed your data allowance in either period! Your speed is simply shaped back to a very pedestrian 256k/256k.

The set up fee is $79.95 whether you choose a 24 month contract or no contract at all. If you choose a 24 month contract you can get up to $100 off a modem from iinet.

Click here to sign up with iinet >>

TPG – www.TPG.com.au

TPG announced a few days later on Whirlpool that they will be introducing a 1Terabyte plan. It apparently won’t be launching until September 1st, but will include the following features:

• ADSL2+ Speeds
• 1 TB Quota (500GB peak+ 500GB off peak)
• Home Phone Line Rental
• Number Porting
• Unlimited Local Calls
• Free IPTV
• 6 or 18 month contract options

At just $69.99 per month it’s far cheaper than iinet, but it will be provisioned as a ULL service and so transferring to this service could be difficult for existing Naked DSL customers.

iPrimus – www.iPrimus.com.au

iPrimus announced the day after iinet that they were launching a 1.1GB plan! Plans will need to move to unlimited pretty soon as just announcing extra GB for the sake of being the biggest in the market is going to be a marketing stunt that wears off pretty quickly with consumers.

The iPrimus Terabyte deal is priced at $99.95 per month. it is actually very similar to the iinet Terabyte plan. It comes with 500GB of peak data and 611GB of off peak data. Primus counts both uploads and downloads in the data allowance. The off peak time is from 2am – 10am.

If you can exceed your data allowance then the speed is simple shaped back to 256k. You of course need to be within an exchange with a Primus DSLAM to be able to get their Terabyte deal.

iinet is in the news right now for its new Terabyte ADSL2+ plan. What has slipped more quietly under the radar is that iinet has also just released new Naked DSL plans. And they have a 600GB Naked DSL plan!

iinet has reduced the number of plans they have and massively increased the data allowance. The highest plan at $119.95 per month now has 300GB peak and 300GB off peak for 600GB in total!! The entry level plan is now $59.95 per month and comes with 50GB peak and 50GB off peak. Compared to the highest plan, that doesn’t seem like a lot of data, but it wasn’t long ago that for $59.95 per month iinet were giving only 5GB + 5GB. Times are changing!!

All the iinet Naked DSL plans count both uploads and downloads in the data allowance and all plans are shaped to 256k/256k if you exceed the data limit, so you won’t have to pay excess fees. The off peak period on Naked Home 1 is 2am – 8am. The off peak period on Naked Home 2 and 3 is 1am – 9am.

The new iinet Naked DSL plans are as follows:

iinet continues to have incentive of a $79.95 set up fee rather than $150, if you join on a 24 month plan. They have however also changed some of the terms so that there are now contract break fees if you leave a 24 month contract early. See here for full deatails.

Netspace has just released new Naked DSL plans. They have reduced the number of plans they have and massively increased the data allowance. The highest plan now has 300GB peak and 300GB off peak for 600GB in total!!

The entry level plan is now $59.95 per month and has also received a significant data allowance boost. All the Netspace Naked DSL plans have an option of contract lengths ranging from no contract up to 24 months. All plans count both uploads and downloads in the data allowance and all plans are shaped if you exceed the data limit, so you won’t have to pay excess fees.

Here are the new Netspace Naked DSL plans:

The off peak period on Naked Home 1 is 2am – 8am. The off peak period on Naked Home 2 and 3 is 1am – 9am.

iinet has just released Naked DSL at a range of new exchanges. Of particular note are several regional exchanges in Queensland which currently have quite limited Naked DSL availability.

These Queensland regional exchanges that now have Naked DSL availability through iinet are:

• Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland
• Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland
• Toowoomba in regional Queensland, about 100km west of Brisbane

Each of these exchanges has Optus equipment that supports Naked DSL, which means providers such as Exetel, Netspace, Dodo and Internode (with their Ultra plans) are also available for broadband with no line rental. The Optus DSLAMs in Caloundra however have reached capacity and so this announcement from iinet will be welcome news so that Naked DSL is once again available.

Click here for more information on iinet Naked DSL plans.

Sign Up With iinet Naked DSL

The release of iinet Bonded DSL is a great innovation for businesses looking for greater download and upload speeds. Bonded DSL could also be used at a home, but there is the requirement for two PSTN phone lines, which would require most homes to connect a second additional line.

What Is Bonded DSL?

Bonded DSL from iinet occurs at the phone exchange when two adjacent ports can be used to create one single connection – in theory at double the speed of just a standalone connection. So instead of a theoretical maximum download speed of 24 Mbps, the theoretical maximum becomes 48Mbps! The upload speed also has the potential to double.

Like with all broadband services there are no guarantees of exactly what speed you’ll get – because of external factors like line quality and user equipment – but there’s a good chance that Bonded DSL will help you download a lot quicker! There are some actual examples on the iinet website of customers using Bonded DSL and their download speeds. The distance from the exchange is listed for each example customer, which is a useful reference.

Pricing

The cost is $99 per month on top of the current iinet Business ADSL2+ or iinet Business Naked DSL plan that you have. For example if you are on the iinet Business 2 ADSL2+ plan you pay $79.90 per month for 50GB if you bundle your landline with iinet and 40GB if you don’t. The additional $99 per month will get you the Bonded DSL connection (provided all the qualification checks are met) and you retain your current download allowance.

Some of the qualification checks are that:

1. You can get iinet ADSL2+ in your area
2. There are ports available at the exchange
3. You need to have 2 ports next to each other for Bonded DSL – this will be checked
4. You need to have two PSTN phone lines

If you’d like to know more about Bonded DSL or sign up for it – call iinet on 1300 300 835. That is an iinet business priority line, if you’re asked for a partner code just quote ours - h zero 3 2 and business customers can use that phone number.

Here is an iinet ad explaining a little more about Bonded DSL. Thanks Finn. (Finn even has his own Facebook page)

Internode has brought its NakedUltra ADSL2+ plans back into its product suite. Internode has active DSLAMs (ADSL2+ or Naked DSL equipment) in about 150 phone exchanges throughout Australia. The NakedUltra plans are provided through Optus DSLAMs and extend Internode’s Naked DSL offering by about 200 exchanges.

Far more customers now have access to Naked DSL through Internode!

The other really positive news is that the NakedUltra plans are far more competitive in pricing and download allowance than when Internode last sold them. The entry level plans are exactly the same in pricing and download allowance as Internode’s NakedExtreme plans, which are provide through Internode DSLAMs:

• $49.95 for 10GB of downloads per month
• $59.95 for 30GB of downloads per month

For $59.95 per month Internode is also providing EasyNaked on Optus DSLAMs with 70GB of data allowance. The EasyNaked plans count uploads and downloads in the data allowance. If you apply for EasyNaked, Internode will attempt to connect you to one of their own DSLAMs in the first instance. If Internode is not available in that exchange or is out of ports, then they will attempt to connect you via the Optus DSLAM.

The higher NakedUltra plans are as follows:

• $69.95 for 40GB of downloads per month
• $79.95 for 50GB of downloads per month
• $89.95 for 60GB of downloads per month
• $129.95 for 100GB of downloads per month

If you are unsure which Internode services are available in your area, please enter your phone number or address at our Naked DSL home page. The plan tables will show you all your available options. If you’re ready to sign up with Internode, simply click the link below.

Click Here to Sign Up With Internode

Internode has made its “Easy Naked” Naked DSL plan more attractive by dropping the price by $10 and increasing the data allowance to 70GB. The new price for Easy Naked is $59.95 per month.

It’s important to note that the data allowance on the Easy Naked plan includes both uploads and downloads. All other Internode Naked DSL plans only count downloads as part of the data allowance. Like all Internode Naked DSL plans, the Easy Naked data allowance can be used at any time of the day or night (no peak or off peak).

So if you compare the other Naked DSL plans that Internode has available at $59.95 per month, you’ll see that the Easy Naked plan is very good value.

1. NakedExtreme ADSL2+: For $59.95 per month you get 30GB of downloads.

2. NakedUltra ADSL2+: For $59.95 per month you get 30GB of downloads.

So unless you need a significant amount of uploads, the Easy Naked plan will likely be better value for you if $59.95 fits your budget.

Contract lengths on Easy Naked are either 1 month or 24 months.

Click Here to Sign Up With Internode

Internode has started to launch their expanded Naked DSL and ADSL2+ services in Tasmania. About 6 months ago they announced the building of their own ADSL2+ DSLAM equipment in about 10 new exchanges throughout Tasmania. This week the first of these new exchanges which can supply Internode Naked DSL were made available.

The exchanges which now offer Naked DSL are Bathurst, Howrah, Kingston, Lindisfarne, New Town, Sandy Bay, Launceston South and St John. Click the following link to see the full details of exchanges for Naked DSL in Tasmania.

The Internode Naked DSL deals start at $49.95 for 10GB of downloads each month. Internode’s customer service and network quality are also extremely well regarded. They are consistently one of the top performers in annual Whirlpool broadband consumer survey.

Click here to sign up with Internode >>

iinet has released a new rental plan for its BoB modem for Naked DSL. In case you haven’t heard about BoB, it is an ADSL2+, Wireless and VoIP enabled Belkin modem especially branded for iinet. BoB is super easy to set up which is one of its most attractive features. This article is about the pros and cons of the rental plan, so for more details on the BoB modem itself visit www.iinet.com.au or read our iinet BoB Review.

Cost of iinet BoB Rental

The rental is $9.95 per month on top of your monthly broadband plan. This isn’t a rent-to-own situation so as long as you are renting the modem you will have to pay the monthly fee.

See all the BoB pricing here.

Over a 24 month period this works out to $238.80. If you wanted to buy the iinet BoB modem with no contract then it is $369. If you buy BoB upfront on a 24 month plan the discounted price is $269. These prices include the modem and a phone handset. So after 24 months you’d be slightly ahead with the rental option except for the fact that you don’t own a modem. So if you want to keep Naked DSL (or ADSL2+) then you’re going to have to buy a new modem or keep renting BoB at $9.95 per month.

Pros of iinet BoB Rental

There are two key advantages of renting BoB.

1) You don’t need to pay upfront for a modem. BoB isn’t the cheapest modem on the market and so spending $269 to $369 upfront to get BoB is a big deal. Especially when the Naked DSL connection fee is $79.95 to $150 as well. Naked DSL will save you money – especially if you make a lot of home phone calls and get them for free with iinet VoIP. But it’s still a decent investment if you’re buying a modem and paying a set up fee.

If you want to get iinet Naked DSL and get the simplicity and features that BoB provides, and don’t want to pay upfront, then the rental could be a great option for you.

2) If you join iinet on a 24 month plan with the BoB rental, you also get the $79.95 set up fee waived! So you can get started with iinet Naked DSL with no set up fee and no upfront payment for a modem. It’s a pretty compelling proposition if you don’t like paying upfront for things.

Cons of iinet BoB Rental

The big downside to renting your BoB unit is that you never own the modem. If you want to own the modem that is! If you’re the type of person who will use a modem for 3 or 4 years until it dies on you, then renting BoB is going to cost you more in the long run ($477.60 over 4 years).

So if you decide to stop renting BoB after a couple of years, that’s fine. iinet supplies you with a postal bag to send it back. But you’ll then need to buy your own BoB modem or go and buy another brand of ADSL2+ modem (with VoIP and Wireless if you want similar features to BoB).

What Should You Do – Buy or Rent?

It really comes down to personal preference and available cash flow. Some people prefer buying – they buy their house, they buy their appliances and buy their cars. You don’t have to buy a BoB modem to connect to iinet Naked DSL, so there are cheaper options available. And some people prefer to rent and that’s equally fine and comes with its own benefits. Do what suits your preference and your financial situation (we are not certified financial advisers so please go and get some expert advice if you want to know if buying or renting suits your situation better!)

If you don’t want to pay upfront fees to join Naked DSL, but know that it will save you money if you sign up, then the rental option with no set up fee is very attractive to get you started quickly and easily.

Visit www.iinet.com.au for more information BoB rental, see the iinet Naked DSL plans or sign up with iinet

TPG, one of the top Internet Service Providers in Australia, now has more ports available in the Salisbury exchange in Queensland. Just in case you have come across this page looking for Naked DSL or broadband in the Salisbury exchange in South Australia, you will be happy to know that TPG (and iiNet, Internode etc) are available in Salisbury, SA as well.

With minimum prices of $49.99 for 40 gigagytes of data (20 gigabytes offpeak, 20 gigabytes peak) per month, TPG’s Naked ADSL2+ Plan is the ideal solution for someone who is a loves surfing the net, watching online videos and downloading the occasional album from iTunes. For higher download requirements, TPG has a great range of Naked DSL and ADSL2+ plans (including free VoIP options on the Naked DSL plans)

Click here to see the TPG Naked DSL Plans >>

If you are unfamiliar with what Naked ADSL2+ is, then we’ll explain? In a nutshell, Naked ADSL2+ allows you to access the Internet without having a landline. This is so you don’t have to pay for a that extra cost of a home phone that you barely use. This accounts for the “Naked” part. ADSL2+ just means that the Internet you receive is noticeably faster compared with standard ADSL. This means less waiting for you and more time to spend enjoying what you do love doing online.

There are several other ISPs in Salisbury, but with against such a generous quota, they really have to work hard to make their equivalent broadband deals stand a chance. For $49.95, the ever-popular Dodo offers you a quota of 10 gigabytes (5 gigs offpeak, 5 gigs peak). The Perth-based iiNet offers the same quota of 5GB + 5GB for the same price. Netspace also offers 10 gigabytes for $49.95, but there is no offpeak and peak time. There is also Exetel. For $50, you’ll get 25 gigabytes of data to use during peak time and 60 gigabytes to use offpeak.

Even though Exetel offers more bandwith for virtually the same price as TPG, TPG’s Money Magazine awards for “Cheapest Broadband Plan – Low Speed” and “Cheapest Broadband Plan – High Speed” for 2009 lend a bit more credibility to its name. No matter which plan you choose, if you don’t have ADSL2+, you’re missing out on some of the fastest speeds available on the internet. Choose your Naked broadband ADSL2+ plan today to spend less and surf more!

Click here to sign up with TPG Naked DSL >>

PS – if you want to keep your landline connected, you can also sign up for TPG ADSL2+