Exetel releases mainland NBN pricing

Less than a week afterwards rival Internode announced pricing for the National Broadband Network, Exetel has revealed its prices for mainland NBN trial sites.

The cheapest start at $34

The cheapest start at $34.50 per month for 20 Gigabytes of data for speeds of 12/1Mbps, and reach up to $74.50 for 200GB of data. This is less expensive than Internode's cheapest plan which starts at $59.95 per month phone and internet bundle for a 12/1Mbps connection and a 30GB data allowance.

According to Linton, pricing for the fibre service has been a "major issue" as the Federal Government claims the network will offer "more speed at the same price of ADSL2" and there was no fixed quotes from back haul providers to and from the NBN POIs.

The plans will as well include VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services, for which Linton said Exetel clients would be receiving another email advising them how to test VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) over their connection given they have compatible equipment or handsets.

"Assuming the Labor government's 'NBN2' proceeds as planned this provides a participating ISP with the possibility of increasing the percentage of their clients who use the ISP's own VoIP service quite dramatically," Linton wrote.

"It as well poses a threat to 'stand alone' VoIP companies who will almost undoubtedly see their businesses wiped out as, as far as I can see, there is no way that an end user won't use the 'free' VoIP service that every ISP will include in a Labor 'NBN2' service."

Communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, welcomed the competition by the retail service providers noting Exetel's entry level price of $34.50 was nearly half that released by Internode and lower than the sub-$40 package announced by Dodo last week.