Blog: AAPT spells out its unlimited message

AAPT sends a dictionary-laden care package to Computerworld Australia's news desk to respond to an article on 'unlimited' broadband plans
A curt message from AAPT

A curt message from AAPT

We weren't really expecting an outcry from readers when we published our article on Optus' new 'unlimited' naked ADSL2+ plans A harsh email from Optus' corporate communications team, or a horses head perhaps, but certainly not a dictionary.

In response to the article, in which we mentioned unlimited broadband plans without quotas from the likes of AAPT, TPG and Exetel, we received a nice little package, bow and all. Upon opening, we discovered a Little Oxford English Dictionary and Thesaurus with a pink note book-marking and highlighting the definition for "unlimited". Alongside lay a curt note:

"Hey James,

Unlimited: adj - not limited; very great in number. Unrestricted, unconstrained, unrestrained, unchecked, untrammelled.

Just a reminder that we're still the only telco offering a truly unlimited 24/7 super-fast broadband product: no throttling, no shaping, no excess charges.

Cheers,

Tahn"

The response from Tahn Shannon, head of corporate communications at AAPT, was a timely response in an escalating battle for consumer's broadband modems and, ultimately, their wallets.

Apart from its obvious relevance to Optus' latest plans, the response also comes the same day that Internode introduced its latest spate of ADSL2+ plans, which expands the service provider's coverage to exchanges that don't currently house its own DSLAM equipment. Internode doesn't yet offer unlimited broadband plans, but with Optus yet again reinstating the often mis-used term and smaller ISPs keen to offer the capability to users, it's only a matter of time.

Until then, we'll call this one of the more innovative public relations stunts. We'll even forgive the use of a UK dictionary rather than the more authoritative Australian equivalents (the Macquarie).

We just have one question for AAPT: Could you define 'excessive use' (or 'fair use') on an 'unlimited' plan?

More about: AAPT, AAPT, APT, Internode, Optus, TPG
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Comments

1

Sam

Mon 10/05/2010 - 21:33

I've just gone for the AAPT ADSL1 Unlimited bundle, only it seems to be limited to a max download speed of 150kbs (although they quote 1500kbs) i only get 30kbs on average. I've been with them for 1 month and it's going to cost over $700 to get out of the contract. DO NOT GO WITH AAPT!

2

misstery

Tue 18/05/2010 - 16:23

We have used AAPT's Business Broadband ADSL2 (20GB) for 10 months now and everything was fine until we went over our limit. Then, without any warning at all, we got hit with a massive charge of $110 per extra gigabyte. For anyone who is not aware, AAPT's 20GB Business Broadband package is $121 per month. So you'd assume the charge is somewhere in the region of $6 per GB yet their extra use charge is an outrageous $110 per GB.

So I call up and politely ask what they can do about it. The answer "it's a reasonable charge". Then I ask about the possibility of cancelling "you're tied in". The customer service was incredible, I thought I was talking to someone making a spoof. So we gave up on the phone and tried emailing. All we got was a massive run around, forms sent to us over and over again for us to fill out but no real response to the central question: "How can you possibly justify $110 per GB? And are we important enough to you for you to want to go out of your way to keep us?"

After several weeks of this we finally got a simple reply " Unfortunately we cannot reduce the amount charged for the excess usage, hence charges stand.".

Needless to say we will be cancelling our AAPT contract and moving to one of the MANY cheaper options. I would advise anyone considering AAPT's business broadband package to be very, very sure they know what they're getting into before signing up.

3

Jason

Fri 11/06/2010 - 23:27

So let me get this straight no.2. Because you can't read its there problem. Hah

4

gnome

Sat 12/06/2010 - 16:06


No, Jason, the problem is not that end-users find it difficult to read fineprinted multipage documents.

The problem is service providers who pay a lot of money to lawyers who ensure that the T&Cs are unreadable for lay people. And the SPs who use this legalistic smokescreen to bury what they are actually charging.

More power to the ACCC.

5

RS

Sat 12/06/2010 - 17:22

Hear hear gnome...

It's all really straight forward...

But don't forget to refer to * and ** and of course ***

They're umm, not quite so straightforward...

6

provides access

Mon 17/01/2011 - 08:43

Good entry. I appreciate you for posting it. Keep up the fine blogging.

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