Tel$tra Timed Data Calls a reality?

[George Bray]

Conspiracy theory time.

Could Telstra be alluding to the subject of timed data calls in
anticipation of their supposedly "consumer" ISDN services?

By threatening to do this they're educating the market about pricing for
data calls, be they via PSTN or ISDN.  When they come to release their ISDN
packages, the PSTN timed data charges might be more costly than ISDN. Hey,
what a great way to get people to buy this fancy upgraded ISDN service
that's cost us $300M. Pitty it's only 128K.

I'd bet that it's all a marketing stunt, but I'll be viscously vocal if
they proceed.

In any case, Optus is going to cream Telstra with cable bandwidth
eventually. Optus typically have understandable pricing schemes, where you
can bet the new Telstra Timed Data Call Charge would be something like:

17.5 cents flagfall, which includes the first 230 seconds of data transfer,
not including device negotiation time, with additional pricing per 137
seconds of 12.7 cents per 100 KM (17.9 cents 500 - 745KM, 0.231 cents per
KM over 745KM). Additional discounts apply if you're dialling the
On-Australia internet service. All this charged to your desktop published
account with mimimal information for you to track whether what they're
charging is what you're being charged.

The speculation is that Optus will provide a flat monthly fee for the
bandwidth you choose.  Use it as much as you like.

        ficticious late night speculation from...


--
George Bray (geo@moreinfo.com.au) Phone +61 2 9484 9922  Fax +61 2 9980 7736
MoreInfo Internet Publishing, Sydney Australia  http://www.moreinfo.com.au

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