Scott Howard wrote:
> >
> > Cable doesn't require a phone line either.
> > Therefore $60 vs $78
>
> You're missing the point.
Perhaps you are: - You will still get TWO BILLS.
1. I currently have 2 phone lines at home, 1 for voice - the bill is
about $450 for 3 months, the other for modem the bill is about $75
for 3 months.
The $75 line will be cancelled either way.
>
> If you have cable you have a phone line (which you use for your voice calls)
> and a cable connection.
This is correct. and the bill for my voice line will remain the same. so the
arithmetic is
O@H $64 less $50 saved by not having the SECOND LINE. Net extra cost $14.00
> If you have ADSL you have a single ADSL service which is both your phone line
> _and_ your data service.
No. TWO services ONE line ... One copper pair carries both ADSL and voice! BUT
you get TWO BILLS - one for voice, same as you always did AND another for ADSL.
In my case the arithmetic is easy, CABLE or ADSL either way I still get the $450
bill every 3 months for voice calls.
> ie, it's not only the phone-line-for-data you're getting rid of, it's the
> phone-line-for-voice!
NO. .... ONE COPPER PAIR ......... TWO SERVICES .....TWO BILLS
> You also have a voice phone line which you're paying $15-ish for, giving a
> total telecoms bill of $65/month, plus voice calls. If you get ADSL that'll
> go to $78 - an extra $13/month for an extra 200-odd Kbps :)
>
I see what you're getting at - you are under the impression that Telstra is going to
forego the voice line rental - about $20/month ( inc GST).
We are talking about Telstra not an oraganisation known for thier benevolence, good
mangement and ethical behaviour (witness todays downgrading of the BPA Cable
bandwidth - makes it identical spec to ADSL). We will continue to get the same
voice SERVICE charges we always have.
Anyway $64 for Optus@Home cable is still $14 cheaper than $78 for 256k ADSL. And
O@H at better than 512k, with 1024 off-peak, is superior to Telstra's $89 package.
My ire is raised though, by the fact that everyone knows that after Telstra has
suckered as many people as it can into 12 or 18 month contracts they will, in a few
months drop the monthly rate for new subscribers, just as they did with BPA Cable
in January this year.
Remember there's The Smith Family, The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul they
are benevolent, ethical and well managed. What does Telstra have in common with
those organisations?
BTW the Project Manager for ADSL is quoted today as making claims that "Telstra's
ADSL is 30 to 50 TIMES FASTER THAN A MODEM". Is this statement by the man who has
just spent over $200 Million on the project, indicative of poor understanding or
poor ethics?
Perhaps thats a question for Prof. Fels and the ACCC. The way things have gone
today, it won't be long before their opinions are known.
Cheers
John
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