From: Andrew Freeman [afreeman@pcug.org.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 6 August 2002 9:18 AM
To: ecita.sen@aph.gov.au
Subject: Submission to the Senate - Inquiry into the Australian
Telecommunications Network

I write in a purely personal capacity.

I feel it is important that the uptake rate for ADSL in Australia be 
increased dramatically. I feel that this would be achieved if the pricing 
regime for ADSL in Australia changed. At present generally people buy an 
amount of data, for example 3 gigabytes a month, which if they exceed this 
amount in downloads, they need to typically pay extra for additional data 
received. This is a major disincentive to people using ADSL as they cannot 
predict in advance how much it will cost them with certainty.

In the UK flat rate ADSL plans now exist, and there has been a massive 
increase in uptake since these were introduced.

I feel that the government should require Telstra to introduce similar 
plans to those which exist in the UK, both for its own customers, and for 
those businesses that re-sell Telstra ADSL. I am confident that would 
result in a massive increase in the ADSL penetration in Australia.

As an interim step the Government should as soon as possible require 
Telstra to give customers and re-sellers the option of flat rate ADSL plans 
which include a specified amount of data (for example, 3 gigabytes a 
month), then unlimited data at a throttled back speed of no less than 56K, 
for a reasonable price (which should in my view be closer to $50 a month 
than $100 a month). This is not a perfect solution, but does give customers 
certitude on cost, and also give them a much better service than they 
currently get with standard 56K internet services.


Regards

Andrew R. Freeman
E-mail: afreeman@pcug.org.au
Postal address:    PO Box 649, Belconnen ACT 2616 AUSTRALIA
Telephone - after hours: (02) 6258 7411 (a.h. and answering machine)
Web home page:       http://www.pcug.org.au/~afreeman