Recently iiNet signed a deal with Fairfax Digital and Anytime, this is rather significant in the way average users use the internet, by granting the ability for people to stream movies to their desktops and media centres at home, in a type of rivalry to Cable Television such as Foxtel.

By one ISP Provider signing a deal, it opens the door for more flexibility and options on a normal Broadband account, and indeed many ISPs will follow this to compete with iiNet and any other ISP who takes the same path. Video on Demand (VoD) is not a new technology, being around since the early 90’s, however VoD as we know it today only started settling in around 1999-2000. Currently, the only VoD Provider in Australia is TransACT, however they only provide to customers in ACT, so having a significantly large ISP like iiNet and it’s service coverage offering VoD, will bring it to nearly everywhere, especially when iiNet is still rolling-out it’s iiDSLAMs in a fairly fast time.

But back to the original point, Offering VoD in the coverage iiNet has will pretty much revolutionize the way average Australians use the internet, no longer will users just download email and chat, but partake in watching movies and TV Series in a way which would rival Foxtel, but be tremendously cheaper. Especially as stated here:

Anytime on Volt has signed a 12-month deal with internet provider iiNet to allow iiNet customers to download the movies — some of them close to one gigabyte — without affecting their monthly download limits.

So when iimedia starts, it should be somewhat interesting to watch the next twelve months afterwards, because in the monopolized market which is Broadband in Australia, this could both increase iiNet’s stake in the market and either change internet usage drastically or fail in the attempt.

Switching to iinet for my ISP. Eventually had to do it unfortunately. TPG was promising to upgrade the Liverpool Exchange to ADSL2+ since March, however they dropped it from their DSLAM Rollout without any notice or explanation (Cheers TPG).

You may think that my ISP transfer might be solely based on getting a better speed, while this is partially correct, it isn’t completely right. You see, I use to be on TPG’s 1.5Mbit Plan with 20GB a month for a measly fifty dollars a month, true it was a plan too good to be true, but it lasted a while, I was on it for a little over a year. When they dropped it, purporting to Telstra’s price-hike on wholesale prices to ISPs, they had Liverpool on their Rollout, and I thought “Hey, I only have to be on another of their plans for a month or two and then I can get ADSL2+! For cheaper too!” So with that I choose TPG’s 1.5Mbit, 25GB, for $69.95.

The Plan was fine, but when the sole reason I was on it disappeared without a trace then I swore that I would switch ISPs unless it somehow miraculously appeared again. So here I am about to switch to iinet for $60 with VoIP, waiting for TPG to drop me as it was due to be cancelled on the 10th, so iinet can pick me up. (Really a shame that you can’t churn to ADSL2+).

I probably would have gone with Internode had they serviced my area, but ah well, beggars can’t be choosers. As someone currently in tune with the ISP community, I can honestly say that iinet offer the best packages out there at the moment.

I mean, for $60 you get:

* Up to 24Mbit Speed.
* 21 GB (7GB onpeak / 14 off)
* VoIP
* 30MB web space (Beats TPG’s 10MB)
* Back up dialup account (Something alot of ISPs Lack)

My Ex-Plan was:

* 1.5Mbit Speed
* 20 GB
* 10MB Web Space

A significant difference. Well worth the price, it has my approval.

Get this, I had setup a cancellation of my TPG ADSL account on the 2nd of Augest and this was processed on the 4th according to the email sent back. My account is suppose to be cancelled on the 10th of September, I chose this date due to two reasons.

1. It is a mandatory requirement to give TPG, a 30 day notice.
2. My current Billing Cycle ends on the 11th of September.

With that in mind, there’s no possible way TPG would bill me for the next billing cycle even though I have set a cancellation before that, right? Wrong. TPG billed me for $69.95 today for next month, which shouldn’t have happened at all..

So I decided to ring TPG, oh how I love how it’s call centre moved to the Phillipines, and didn’t have to hold long fortunately. I spoke to someone and told them the details, and after a long hold, she told me she’ll send an email to the billing department and that I’ll be refunded after my cancellation has taken place on the 10th, which will require 3-10 days to be refunded. So I have to wait a possible maximum of 15 days to get refunded for something they shouldn’t have taken out? They took out money they didn’t need for a non-existant billing cycle, out of my bank account which I Did need?

All I can say is well done, TPG, well done. This might make my switch to Iinet more problematic, financially.