Optus offers fluid quota on wireless broadband plans

Optus has launched a new range of wireless broadband plans that split usage between peak and off-peak times.

The plans are slightly different to those used in the fixed broadband world, in that there is no set division of a total quota allowance for peak and off-peak periods.

Rather the Cap 20 plan, for example, offers users "between 1GB and 2GB of data" for $20 a month over two years.

The cap includes a certain amount of "value" - $80 on the Cap 20 plan. Users are then charged eight cents per MB in peak times and four cents per MB off-peak to access data.

Peak was described as 7am to just before midnight and off-peak as midnight to 6:59:59am.

An Optus spokeswoman told iTnews the plans were Optus' first to eliminate excess usage charges.

Users that exceed their cap will be placed in the "Optus walled garden" where they can continue accessing Optus webmail, Zoo and Facebook for free - or pay for another data block.

The new plans go up to a $100 a month product, which includes between 10 GB and 20 GB of data, up to a maximum $800 "value".

The Optus spokeswoman said the split between peak and off-peak was not about increasing network utilisation in off-peak periods but was about "responding to customer feedback" for higher quota limits and no excess charges.