Exetel brings unmetered downloads to NBN plans

ISP Exetel will offer eight hours a day of unmetered downloads across its range of National Broadband Network internet service plans, in part to offset a return to higher prices for the services.

The company said it would allow unmetered downloading between 1am and 9am, "perfect for scheduling those large Windows, iOS or Linux update downloads".

Despite accusing other ISPs of charging "very high prices for the privilege of connecting to the NBN", the move to unmeter a portion of downloads appears to be an offset for Exetel raising its own NBN prices.

Its basic 50 GB, 12/1 Mbps product for NBN fibre and fixed wireless went from $35 a month to $49.50 a month.

A new 12/1 Mbps tier, offering a download quota of 150 GB, was introduced for $59.50 a month.

Exetel's 25/5 Mbps, 50 GB quota service goes from $40 a month to $54.50 a month.

It has beefed up a second 25/5 Mbps product from 100 GB to 150 GB of quota, though the price also increased from $55 to $64.50 a month.

An old 25/10 Mbps service has been culled entirely, making the 50/20 Mbps tier the next step up, though the plans are not available in Tasmania.

Exetel's 50/20 Mbps plan with 50 GB quota rises from $50 to $69.50 a month. The ISP has also killed off a former 100 GB quota option that was $55 a month, replacing it with a 150 GB plan for $79.50 a month or a 250 GB plan for $84.50 a month.

At the high-end, Exetel's former 100/40 Mbps, 25 GB quota plan for $45 a month is gone. The cheapest 100/40 Mbps plan now comes with 50 GB, at a cost of $79.50 a month.

The former 100/40 Mbps 75GB plan for $50 a month now comes with 150 GB for $89.50 a month; the 150 GB, $60 a month plan is now $94.50 a month and comes with 250 GB of quota; and a 300 GB, $70 a month option has become a 500 GB, $139 a month service.

Exetel had been offering cheap NBN plans since February last year when it substantially cut prices for the services.

In the past, the ISP has introduced restrictions on unmetered off-peak plans it has offered, such as "a limit of three times the average of all other customers in the off-peak period" and P2P shaping.