Naked ADSL Trial [ Edited ]

[paul]

Hi Telstra,

It was recommended on the Whirlpool Forums (Bigpond discussion sub-forum)  by a Telstra Rep to post any queries here.

I've been a Telstra Naked trial participant since July 2010. Unfortunately myself and (as I understand) other trail participants have not been contacted by Telstra to provide any feedback (pros/cons) on the trial. This trial runs for two years, ending in July 2012.

I'm a Telstra user who doesn't require standard phone access other than the ability to contact Telstra regarding my service.

I have no idea whether the "Naked" style of internet service will be offered post July 2012. With the high usage of mobile phones (many on a plan with "included" call credits) and the availability of VOiP through an Internet service, there is an increasing number of users like myself who would prefer (and want) a "Naked" internet service from Telstra.

So to summarise.

• Will Telstra offer a retail Naked ADSL service?
• If yes, what monthly cost and included data allowance(s) will be offered?
• Will I eventually be contacted by Telstra to provide feedback on the trial that has been underway for around 15 months?

Regards,

Paul

[jokiin]

I looked at getting that when it was available also, I think the current train of thought is to bundle the services to offset the cost, go for single bill and you effectively get homeline budget for about $2 a month due to the discount when taken with your ADSL plan, would be surprised if they continued or offered the pseudo naked service again

[Kalak]

I agree.

I was originally on the trial myself, however I am no longer.  I think with the increase in value provided by the bundles and the large quotas now available, it's highly unlikely that they will continue the 'trial' or look at offering it as a commercially available product.  Perhaps when their offers were not as competitve in the marketplace as they now are, it would have made sense, however the bundles have shown a massive increase in 'net-adds' so I don't think they need to offer a naked service to be competitive.

[Ben_F]

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paul wrote:

Hi Telstra,

It was recommended on the Whirlpool Forums (Bigpond discussion sub-forum)  by a Telstra Rep to post any queries here.

I've been a Telstra Naked trial participant since July 2010. Unfortunately myself and (as I understand) other trail participants have not been contacted by Telstra to provide any feedback (pros/cons) on the trial. This trial runs for two years, ending in July 2012.

I'm a Telstra user who doesn't require standard phone access other than the ability to contact Telstra regarding my service.

I have no idea whether the "Naked" style of internet service will be offered post July 2012. With the high usage of mobile phones (many on a plan with "included" call credits) and the availability of VOiP through an Internet service, there is an increasing number of users like myself who would prefer (and want) a "Naked" internet service from Telstra.

So to summarise.

• Will Telstra offer a retail Naked ADSL service?
• If yes, what monthly cost and included data allowance(s) will be offered?
• Will I eventually be contacted by Telstra to provide feedback on the trial that has been underway for around 15 months?

Regards,

Paul

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According to the (internal) information on Naked DSL that I read recently, AFAIK there isn't any intention of offering a Retail Naked DSL service that I've heard of (I suspect NBN being a primary motivator but it could be coming and I just don't know about it yet).

$88.00 for 200GB usage isn't that bad when I compare with other Naked DSL products around the same usage limit. That combined with the fact that, in the real emergency event that you need to use your landline, its there (I've had more then 1 of these occasions).

B.

[paul]

Thanks Ben,

I think you're right. Telstra signing onto the NBN probably sank any possibility of a commercial naked service. As the other posters have pointed out, bundling will redice the final cost. I have a post paid mobile so I'll have to compare the final cost after bundling. Currently the mobile ($59) plus naked ADSL costs $100/month give or take a dollar. I need a download inclusion of between 50-100GB/month. So hopefully I can get close to $100 after discounts.

[jokiin]

I would have thought if anything that the trial was for their own internal comparisons, they wouldn't really need to contact the customer, an ADSL service over a phone line is not something they need to test or would likely want feedback on, I'd consider the trial to be what was market acceptance/interest like to the product, did it cause any issues from a support perspective etc, that kind of thing

[MrRooster]

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paul wrote:

Thanks Ben,

I think you're right. Telstra signing onto the NBN probably sank any possibility of a commercial naked service.

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If that is the case, then Telstra will be dealing themselves out of a huge chunk of the market.

I signed up to the Naked trial, but got sick of ringing up every month to get my bill corrected, however as soon as the NBN comes to town, I will be Naked (with whomever)

And so will the 20 or so friends and relatives who are already exclusively Voip, who are paying extra for an unused landline.

We are not looking for the cheapest service in the country, but will not be paying for an unused service.

I believe that in the under 30 age group no Naked = no business. Also in the astute market this is so. So, Telstra will have to cling on to the technophobes who don't like/ are scared of Voip.

This does not seem like a great business model to me.

[Ben_F]

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MrRooster wrote:

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paul wrote:

Thanks Ben,

I think you're right. Telstra signing onto the NBN probably sank any possibility of a commercial naked service.

---

If that is the case, then Telstra will be dealing themselves out of a huge chunk of the market.

I signed up to the Naked trial, but got sick of ringing up every month to get my bill corrected, however as soon as the NBN comes to town, I will be Naked (with whomever)

And so will the 20 or so friends and relatives who are already exclusively Voip, who are paying extra for an unused landline.

We are not looking for the cheapest service in the country, but will not be paying for an unused service.

I believe that in the under 30 age group no Naked = no business. Also in the astute market this is so. So, Telstra will have to cling on to the technophobes who don't like/ are scared of Voip.

This does not seem like a great business model to me.

---

Who knows what the NBN will bring. I mean, currently you are required to have some form of Fixed Line service (Be it a standard Phone service, or ULL (Unbundled Local Loop, which is what is used by our competitors Naked DSL offerings).

Current Naked DSL offerings appear to factor in the cost of a landline service somewhere. For example, take a competitors offering: 200GB Peak + 200GB Off-Peak (Off Peak is 2am to 8am) = $89.95, with a Customer Service Guaruntee waiver that means you don't get the statuatory compensation that applies if your phone service is unusable, as you waive it upon signup.

With Telstra, you get 200GB of Quota to use any time, plus a working PSTN service (and the attached CSG should that service stop working for any period of time), for as little as $88.00 (effectivley the same price point when you think of usable quota). 

In an NBN world, I would hope that its up to the individual if they wish to have a Landline service, or to do away with it. At this point in time however, The Landline Rental charges is designed to contribue to some of the cost of maintaining and fixing the physical line in the event that the service goes down. 

You aren't just paying for nothing, your paying for a working copper line from the Telephone Exchange to the Network Boundary Point. Your Internet connection charges are covering the cost of your Equipment in the exchange, a little bit of line maintinence, and the backhaul required to utilise the internet.

[jokiin]

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MrRooster wrote:

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paul wrote:

Thanks Ben,

I think you're right. Telstra signing onto the NBN probably sank any possibility of a commercial naked service.

---

If that is the case, then Telstra will be dealing themselves out of a huge chunk of the market.

---

I don't see it that way, at the time they did the trial naked services through Optus resellers were around $10 a month cheaper, that price gap has eroded though, the wholesale cost for dialtone or not is almost the same now, the plans might still be differentiated by a price gap but now come with included calls anyway, at almost the same cost it's not worth the trouble, Telstra's approach to discount when bundling is the same sort of thing really, it just negates the landline cost, consider the total cost when making any comparisons

[MrRooster]

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Ben_F wrote:

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Who knows what the NBN will bring. I mean, currently you are required to have some form of Fixed Line service (Be it a standard Phone service, or ULL (Unbundled Local Loop, which is what is used by our competitors Naked DSL offerings).

And a fibre connection (or wireless) will be required to use the new network.

Current Naked DSL offerings appear to factor in the cost of a landline service somewhere.

As indeed would any service. Unless we all go to the data center, then some means must be used to carry the data to our premises, and that is an expense.

With Telstra, you get 200GB of Quota to use any time, plus a working PSTN service

I do not want or need a PSTN service. And I am not the only one.

In an NBN world, I would hope that its up to the individual if they wish to have a Landline service

Having a PSTN service is optional now (on NBN). So why not build the landline cost into Naked fee as other retailers have done?

The Landline Rental charges is designed to contribue to some of the cost of maintaining and fixing the physical line in the event that the service goes down. 

You aren't just paying for nothing, your paying for a working copper line from the Telephone Exchange to the Network Boundary Point. Your Internet connection charges are covering the cost of your Equipment in the exchange, a little bit of line maintinence, and the backhaul required to utilise the internet.

Just as I would if I had a Naked service with another provider. My son has a Naked service and would rather have no landline connection than pay for a superfluous service. He uses solely mobile for his calls.

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So, what I am saying is that if Telstra/Bigpond choose not to participate in the Naked plans, then they will increasingly isolate themseves from a lot of users.

All services should be optional, for instance you can have PSTN without internet, why not vice versa? Obviously the cost of a stand alone service will be higher than combining services over the same connection. But why not allow the consumer to choose, instead of forcing them to accept an unwanted service?