Internode trumps Telstra with 240 GB offer

ISP Internode has undercut Telstra's aggressive 200 GB broadband offer on its own Agile DSLAM ports in response to the incumbent's latest retail price attack.

The Adelaide ISP also "simplified" the plans it offered on Telstra infrastructure, including the suspension of its Easy Broadband product on Telstra ports.

Managing director Simon Hackett revealed the new plans in a blog post this morning.

They included a 240 GB offer for $99.95 standalone or $89.95 when bundled with a NodeLine phone service.

The offer effectively offered 40 GB of data more than Telstra at the same price point, but was only available to users in about 149 exchanges.

The ISP also revised its NakedUltra plans on Optus ports and the prices of plans that were being offered on Telstra's infrastructure.

Hackett said that Internode's ADSL1 and ADSL2+ plans on Telstra infrastructure had been "greatly simplified."

Part of that simplification saw the elimination of Internode's 200 GB ‘Fast' plan which Telstra had been undercutting by $100 a month.

Hackett said customers would remain on existing plans unless they decided to change.

Easy Broadband limited to Agile ports

Internode also limited availability of its Easy Broadband plans to exchanges "where an Intenode/Agile ADSL2+ port is available".

"No new Internode Easy Broadband services are being offered using Telstra Wholesale ports at this time," Hackett said.

"Until the price squeeze is resolved, the plans on T[elstra] ports aren't sustainable. So we aren't offering new ones on unsustainable underlying port cost infrastructure at this point."

Hackett said the structural alteration had been caused partly by Internode "forward-pricing [the plans] based on promises from Telstra Wholesale of how the pricing was about to get better for us."

"It didn't get better for us. So we've revised the offering accordingly," Hackett said in a Whirlpool post.

"And we are continuing to encourage Telstra Wholesale to sharpen their pencil in a real way. We do expect that'll happen - but we don't control when."

Daily interactions

Hackett said Internode was "continuing daily interaction with Telstra Wholesale on their pricing offers" to try and achieve a reduction in wholesale prices that could then be used to compete with Telstra's retail offers.

"We're [also] certainly assisting the ACCC with their enquiries," he said, referring to complaints lodged with the regulator by at least three ISPs in response to Telstra's pricing conduct.