Wednesday, November 17. 2010An Interesting DayJohn Linton We have been having some discussions, protracted and not really getting anywhere, with three companies over the past three months about some sort of collaborations. We have had similar, much briefer, discussions in the past 24 months on similar or related subjects but they, too, came to nothing. The problem was always the same - two companies can seldom find enough trust with each other for either of them to 'give up' their total control of what they do. I, of course, am dreadfully 'scarred' by our Lorraine Rose experience - so badly that I would never consider giving up even the slightest control of how Exetel's key services are provided or even influenced. One of the reasons for transferring our Pipe circuits to Nextgen, AAPT et alia as soon as they are out of contract is because the thought of TPG having any influence over even minor parts of our network is something I view with horror. However one of the companies involved in the most recent discussions may prove to be a much more realistic possible 'joint venturer' in that their needs and our ability to meet those needs provide a much more logical fit and could benefit both companies without the normally inherent loss of 'sovereignty' - by either company. We will see what happens but there is some sort of sensible basis of proceeding further which we have never reached in previous discussions. Whether or not this particular set of discussions does eventuate in a positive outcome or not - I think I am more confident than I have been in the past that Exetel has some things of very real value to offer in some sorts of joint venture arrangements that deliver both benefits to both parties without compromising 'sovereignty' issues. Then again I am obviously biased in my view points so we will see what happens in this instance and see if one or more of the other 'opportunities' can be revived on a similar basis. We continue to make progress in our nascent out bound sales program in Sri Lanka with yesterday being the most successful day in the first five days in terms of actual sign ups. The people involved in Colombo continue to identify things that we need to do with the software to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the early processes we have put in place and that will almost certainly be an ongoing requirement. Fortunately that is one of Exetel's key strengths - the ability to identify how software can improve any aspect of business and the people skills to actually get new processes implemented in the shortest possible times. Training additional people will now begin and we see no reason not to reach the objective of two fully functioning out bound sales teams by early in 2011.....assuming progress continues to be made at the current rate. We still have not managed to work out a sensible solution for offering 'naked' ADSL2 plans despite putting in more hours to try and do so than we have for any other service. The stark fact is that there is now no rational reason to have 'naked' ADSL2 (from Exetel's point of view - nor I suspect from any other provider's view point). The fact that 'naked' ADSL is anything but 'naked' - given that it requires a standard PSTN telephone line that has to be 'disabled' in terms of dial tone makes a mockery of cost saving attempts and really is a perverse way of providing a 'telephoneless' service. We need a thinking breakthrough. Meanwhile the 'onslaught' on wire line continues: though, of course, this sort of effort does not address the households with a need for ADSL. It fits with the concept of wireless broadband of course. Copyright © Exetel Pty Ltd 2010 Trackbacks
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Whilst I can understand why you are scarred by the Lorraine Rose affair, it was the reason I joined Exetel many years ago now. I read on Whirlpool the saga you were put through and thought that anyone who could battle through that mess and carry one would the ISP for me. I suppose there are many new customers using Exetel who know nothing about those dreadful times you went through.
Comment (1)
There are still concerns in the market that TPG will attempt to acquire the remaining non-consumer aspects of AAPT. According to one TPG staffer I've spoken to, TPG's primary interest is AAPT's intercapital fibre assets - the "missing" piece in TPG's required assets to run a national network.
Do you think you'd guide Exetel through a similar exercise in moving AAPT circuits to Nextgen/Digital River/Optus should this occur? Comment (1)
We would regard buying from a company like TPG as very dangerous to our business.
In the event that AAPT was sold to such a company we would exercise our contractual rights to move any circuits to an alternate provider....Optus, Telstra would be the obvious alternatives. We do consider the current situation as unsatisfactory and have and will continue to talk with AAPT about the situation....in a friendly, but concerned, way. AAPT (Powertel) were a 'foundation' supplier to Exetel and we would regret having to end that relationship. Comments (5)
Hi John,
My top tips for those people to be wary of. 1. Those that ride pushbikes to work - non conformists. 2. Those that order skim milk lattes - trying project an image of something they aren’t. 3. Those that always expound the virtue of the religion they follow. 4. Those people that always agree with what you say without offering the possibilities of viable alternatives. Dataco / Lorraine Rose / are only abhorations from the past, and you have learned much since then don’t write off those who seek to collaborate purely based on this. cheers bill Comment (1)
An honourable magistrate and nice bloke to boot offered me this sage advice in my younger years....
Never trust a man who is one or a mixture of the following: - evangelical christian - non-drinker who's not on the wagon - vegetarian - has the thin underside of his tie longer then the top thick part - profoundly professes how much he loves his wife to anyone who'll listen Comment (1)
Hi John.
I got bored, went on WP and got Simon Hackett to say that Internode displays its "term of contact" pricing... ... Then I asked for a screen as proof of that. He has not come back to the thread. A thread he started, this morning, about their new plan. Just thought you'd like the chuckle given the recent drama you had with pricing clarity. Comments (2)
It always takes us a while to work out what any ISP's prices really include and what total costs are.
Perhaps they find the same problems with ours? I don't think Internode's new Telstra pricing is very good....if that's the result of so much effort. Comments (5)
I can't figure out if the plan is a reply to somebody or a stop gap for churn.
I know some will consider both options to be the same thing. I don't, and it's dam hard to explain why. If the phone line is not a ptsn/voip hybrid (ie: full quality pstn), I would assume it's aimed at Telstra churns (?). If it is a hybird home phone... I'm somewhat lost until I remember "average" (I really REALLY hate using labels like that) consumers wont read the description of the home line service. Comments (2)
Did you know/are you aware:
Were one to factor the cost of a standalone 12AUD/mo Astraweb inclusion to your Telstra/TE-2d/$68 'entry plan': Steven's ADSL2+ package becomes 20dollars =33percent MORE expensive per month than the equivalent ~Internode~ Telstra $60 price point that, dare I suggest, with 60gbytes (down +up; Grr) would have to meet the 'current needs' of 90pc of your 'downloaders' - yes, even with uploads, considered. And Still Exetel would have the problem getting Off-peak to 12hours; it is getting interesting, I will say that. Comments (4)
What I was driving at, the number of people that may afford Telstra ADSL2+ Wholesaled at near $70 pm can't be a large market; though it is a buyers market I am aware. I'd considered Exetel's T8192-U makes sense at $68/'No excess', but uplink 0.3Mbps dampers the attraction. It hardly makes a valid upgrade path from 1500, such dated ADSL1.
I sense Exetel leave subscribers little choice but to transfer out to receive '100-60gbytes' for realistic pricing, like around 60-a-month. TPG; Internode, as from 18/11/2010. Higher than 100gbytes usage one clearly has Dodo. Comments (4)
Do yourself (and your friends) a favour and stay away from Dodo.
Comments (2)
I will take the flat-rate, novel, model TPG-Dodo-Exetel- trend towards offer, over the tiered n' variable Bigpond\iiNet' waste\bs concepts, any time neighbour.
Comments (4)
These days I recommend Exetel for users with relatively low data requirements and/or those that appreciate excellent service / support / billing.
For those that say I never phone support anyway, I don't care too much if it's slow or down occasionally and/or want huge data quotas for leaching I send to TPG. I don't understand how Dodo still exists in the market. Is it just to give the TIO some more work to do? Comments (2)
Perhaps because Dodo seems to have almost as large an advertising budget as TPG.
Comments (5)
I think watch an industry get 'shaken, not stirred', possibly even 'downsized', may aid ones comprehension.
The Retail Providers that depend on selling (limited)data requirements today will likely continue on for the duration yet, but eventually they will be just selling an "XXMbps connection", that is: X-features for Y-dollars_fixed and "Support will simply be on a website\forum" that is satisfactory, reliable. Internet as a basic facility. I don't expect the Voice helpdesk model can continue for much longer as the internet progresses - other than it motivate customers to other networks not blowing such funds on absorbitant call centres. Fortunately TPG keeps things in tight discipline for the errors to be self-correcting, as an industry is led, 'typically uncomfortably' by its commendable 'example'. Accurate+honest billing system, exile out from data 'caps' (suppose that became a trend?), all work nicely to reduce the ombudsmans involement. So time will tell how the users actually voted just when the large company trading statements are released after December. Comments (4)
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