iPrimus
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iPrimus release new NBN Fixed Wireless plans

• Plans up to 1TB
• 12 Mbps down/1 Mbps up
• NBN Fixed-Wireless to be rolled out to 500,000 homes

Adam Wajnberg

23/01/2017 04:18 PM

iPrimus continues its record of commitment to the NBN by releasing updated plans for Fixed Wireless customers, going all the way up to 1TB, The news follows the first connection of a customer to a Fixed Wireless connection in Warrenheip, Victoria.

iPrimus was also the first company to connect a customer to the National Broadband Network in Tasmania, which will be the first state to be completely covered by the next generation network.

”This is just another piece of the puzzle fitting into place as we continue to be a market leader on the NBN. We are extremely pleased to offer the new broadband services and home phone bundles to customers in these rural and sparsely populated areas. It is a very exciting time for the families located in the scheduled rollout areas and our team is delighted to be at the forefront of delivering the new technology coupled with our award winning customer service” commented Geoff Horth, CEO of iPrimus parent company M2 Communications.

Fixed Wireless broadband is commonly mistaken for regular mobile broadband services, but differs significantly in how it is delivered. At its core, it involves a broadcast of a 4G/LTE mobile data signal from a central transmission tower. But instead of subscribers receiving signal to a modem with a small antenna, each subscriber uses a roof-mounted antenna to capture the signal, which connects to a cable carrying the signal to a regular modem/router.

This direct subscriber broadcast model allows for specified bandwidth to be apportioned to each individual customer, guaranteeing a certain speed and allowing for vastly greater amounts of data being transmitted – typical mobile broadband plans max out around 20GB, while the fixed wireless model has plans starting at 40GB, more in line with regular fixed-line broadband such as ADSL and Cable.

The NBN will aim to deliver fibre optic cable connections to 93% of Australian homes, with 3% served by satellite and 4% served by Fixed Wireless. This still accounts for nearly half a million homes who will be receiving this standard – exclusively in areas that have to date had no large-usage broadband options.

The antenna –to – modem model can still be used to boost the signal and reliability of regular mobile broadband from providers like Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, though these services are designed more for mobility than for heavy home use.

If you’re in an NBN ready area for Fixed Wireless and want to discuss these plans with iPrimus, call their Melbourne contact centre on 1300 137 794.

If you’re currently using mobile broadband in a metro or regional area and want to examine fixed-line options (for greater speeds, reliability and data allowances), call us on 1300 106 571 to determine the best plan for you.

iPrimus and iiNet sign deal with NBN Co

• iPrimus and iiNet have signed an agreement with the NBN
• Both ISPs can now sign up new customers to the network
• Pressure is on for other ISPs to sign the agreement

Sarah Routledge

04/08/2014 04:41 AM

iPrimus and iiNet can now add new customers to the National Broadband Network (NBN) after last-minute negotiations, putting pressure on the ISPs who are yet to sign an agreement with the NBN Co.

The NBN Co, which is building the national fibre-optic network, requires Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to sign a commercial agreement before they can start adding new customers after the trial period ends.

While 17 ISPs had already signed the agreement, many of the larger companies have been holding out for a better deal.

"We are delighted to be a part of such an important agreement for the future of the telecommunications industry in Australia. Primus is an established leader in high speed broadband fibre connections and we expect to continue our leadership position as the NBN continues its rollout," said Primus Australia CEO Tom Mazerski.

The agreement with the NBN is a 'major milestone' iPrimus said in a statement.

iiNet, which had been negotiating on issues such as who bears the liability to customers when there are problems with the infrastructure, quickly followed iPrimus in signing the deal.

"After negotiations with NBN Co, final changes to the wholesale broadband agreement [WBA] resolved earlier key sticking points, in particular: issues relating to appropriate sharing of risk and liability resulting from use of the network,'' iiNet's chief regulatory officer, Steve Dalby, told Fairfax Media.

"We welcome NBN Co’s changes to the original WBA as a sensible and positive approach. Our product development, testing and marketing will continue uninterrupted, which is a very positive outcome for NBN Co, iiNet and, most importantly, our new NBN customers."

With iiNet and iPrimus on board, the pressure is on for other ISPs who are still holding out for a better deal to sign up. The NBN Co will not allow ISPs to add new customers until a commercial agreement has been reached.

The wholesale broadband agreement is the NBN Co's contract with ISPs to provide services on the network. The initial agreement went through five rounds of consultation, five discussion drafts and hundreds of hours of face-to-face discussions, according to the NBN Co.

The NBN Co estimates that by the end of 2012, over 975,000 households and businesses across Australia will be covered by NBN services, and aims to connect three million homes over the next three years.

iPrimus connects customers to all five new NBN sites

• iPrimus announces it has connected customers to each new NBN site
• NBN customers highlight faster speeds available
• Fibreoptic network a huge plus for education and communication

Jesse Somer

04/08/2014 04:41 AM

Broadband provider iPrimus has just announced it has connected customers to every one of the five new mainland Australian NBN Co first-release Fibre-to-the-home sites. iPrimus now has fibreoptic broadband customers in Willunga SA, Brunswick VIC (a suburb of Melbourne), Armidale NSW, in the western suburbs of Mundingburra and Aitkenvale in Townsville QLD, and in the towns of Kiama Downs and Minnamurra in coastal NSW.

Although the NBN has yet to become fully operational, iPrimus customers in the FTTH trial can receive broadband internet speeds of up to 100Mbps for downloads, and 40Mbps for uploads. This is breakneck speed, and customers have already shown their appreciation for the advance in technology.

Willunga South, SA resident Nigel Williams had this to say about the new network: “Even when we had two laptops downloading and four people playing games, our iPrimus NBN service worked perfectly without any dropouts. Downloading Windows updates were incredibly quick too – a 1GB update was completed before I’d had time to boil the kettle.”

A Kiama Downs, NSW local, John, concurred with other iPrimus NBN customers about how the service has affected family life at home: “We all use the internet, and immediately noticed the faster speeds when browsing the web, accessing emails, particularly those with large attachments and in the children downloading projects and information for their homework. We’ve also been watching TV online, which is a much better experience without the buffering.”

Over in the inner city suburb of Brunswick in Melbourne, mother of several sons, Victoria Vincent said: “I immediately noticed how much quicker and easier it is to Skype friends in Sydney and family in England. I’ll definitely be keeping in touch with them more regularly.”

For those who have opposed the NBN, these comments from everyday people show how the new fibreoptic NBN can help families in terms of education and communication, as well as its obvious quality implications for Australia’s medical and business service industries.

iPrimus Australia General Manager of Marketing and Products, Andrew Sims, believes this is the first step forward in a larger process: “This is a great milestone for Primus Australia. There has been a lot of work to get to this point, including developing internal processes, connecting to the interim POIs (Points of Interconnect) and ensuring the customer experience is the best in the industry,”

Sims continues: “Our goal is to ensure customers have a seamless transition when they make the switch to an iPrimus Fibre-to-the-home service and enjoy the superior customer service we provide from our 100% Australian based call centre.”

iPrimus ADSL2+/ADSL1 Zone 1 plans

• iPrimus lowers cost of Zone 1 plans
• Zone 1 plans are mostly available in metropolitan areas
• Broadband plans available with or without a home phone line with iPrimus

Alana Faigen

04/08/2014 04:41 AM

iPrimus has recently lowered the cost of their Zone 1 plans. Zone 1 packages are mostly available in metropolitan areas, and they’re targeted to customers in areas that don’t have access to the PrimusNet infrastructure. iPrimus provides customers with the Zone 1 plans via Telstra’s infrastructure.

iPrimus will supply Zone 1 customers with ADSL2+ speeds, however where this isn’t possible, iPrimus will deliver speeds of either up to 8Mbps or 1.5Mbps. Customers who are fortunate enough to have access to the PrimusNet ADSL2+ plans are eligible for the same plans but with a price tag which is $10 cheaper on each offer.

To bundle or unbundle?

The Zone 1 packages are available as a standalone product (where you have your home phone line with another carrier), or they’re available as a bundle with an iPrimus home phone and the ISP will give you $10 off your broadband each month. If you want to rid yourself off the home phone altogether, you should check out iPrimus’s cheap Naked broadband plans.

Set-up fees and contract lengths

There are three contract lengths on offer:

0-month contract: $189 set-up fee
12-month contract: $129 set-up fee
24-month contract: $79 set-up fee

Modems

0-month contract: $159 Wi-Fi modem or $89 1-port modem.
12-month contract: $129 Wi-Fi modem or $69 1-port modem.
24-month contract: $99 Wi-Fi modem or $49 1-port modem.

The Zone 1 plans

Starter Plus (Zone 1) 20GB peak + 20GB off peak $49.95
Family (Zone 1) 50GB peak + 50GB off peak $59.95
Kahuna Plus (Zone 1) 150GB peak + 150GB off peak $79.95
Big Kahuna (Zone 1) 350GB peak + 350GB off peak 109.95
QUAD-1 (Zone 1) 511GB peak + 600GB off peak $129.95

Prices above are for unbundled plans – if you wish to bundle your service with an iPrimus home phone, take $10 off the cost of the price listed above. iPrimus home phone plans start at $29.95 per month.

To sign-up or find out more about the Zone 1 plans, call iPrimus on 1300 137 794.