Exetel simplifies NBN plans

Internet service provider Exetel has halved the number of residential plans it will offer users in National Broadband Network mainland trial sites and cut prices by between $5 and $30 a month.

The company has begun offering a top-tier service with 100 Mbps downstream speeds, 40 Mbps upstream and 25 GB of download quota for $45 a month.

Users can triple the data quota for an extra $5 a month, or opt into Exetel's most expensive service - a 150 GB download quota - for $60 a month, down from its previous price point of $89.50.

Other options for lower tiers have also been minimised, with those on the 12/1 Mbps plan only offered a 50 GB quota for $35 a month.

Customers on the 25/5, 25/10 and 50/20 Mbps speed tiers can choose a monthly quota of 50 GB or 100 GB.

Exetel removed its highest download quota option - 200 GB - across all NBN plans.

But the company has retained a $100 installation charge for NBN connections, despite the network being installed for free by NBN Co.

New Zealand expansion explored

The company has also begun exploring options to expand its reach into New Zealand.

Business partner and chief engineer Steve Waddington, revealed on his blog that the provider would look to implement a local loop circuit there to complement its existing point of presence in the country.

He said it would "significantly increase our bandwidth there".

But he openly doubted whether any services offered in New Zealand would be significantly cheaper than already available in the country, due to relatively higher bandwidth costs there.

"I guess we will have to see if we can still offer a service at a price people will want to pay," he said.