[LINK] Australian ISPs offer US advice, smugness, on net neutrality

[Stilgherrian]

On 01/10/2008, at 9:30 AM, Scott Howard wrote:
> As luck would have it I went into an AT&T store yesterday with a  
> friend while he bought an iPhone.  The plan he ended up selecting  
> was the unlimited "minutes" (ie, calls), unlimited text, "unlimited"  
> data.  It cost US$149.95 per month, which today equals about A$183  
> per month.  That doesn't include the ability to sync with his  
> corporate Exchange mail system (US$15/month extra), and despite  
> being unlimited data, does NOT allow using the phone as a modem  
> connected to a computer.
>
> The equivalent Optus plan?  A$129 per month, including 3 GB of  
> data.  And as far as I'm aware that includes Exchange sync, and no  
> specific restrictions around using it as a modem.
>
> ie, the Australian plan was around 30% cheaper than the US  
> equivalent, with the only difference being unlimited v's 3GB data.
>
> OK, so 3GB isn't "unlimited", but isn't that exactly what we're  
> talking about here - the fact that "unlimited" isn't always the best  
> option?

Goddammit! There I go, relying on media reports again. I should know  
better... ;)



> For what it's worth, 3GB/month is around 30 hours/week of 128kb/sec  
> Internet radio...

And I should do my own bandwidth sums...

Stil


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