Flat-rate deals come and go

By MICHAEL FOREMAN

Telecom has launched JetStart, a $65-a-month flat-rate broadband internet service, as another provider, Chello, is about to close its cable-based broadband service in Wellington.

JetStart, a speed-limited version of Telecom's JetStream digital subscriber line (DSL) service, offers unlimited traffic at 128kbps upstream and downstream speeds.

The service, which costs $64.90 a month from Telecom-owned Xtra - comprises a network charge of $29.95 and an Xtra charge of $34.95.

It will also be available from 10 other ISPs listed at Telecom's website.

JetStart users will have to pay an installation fee of $178 but existing JetStream users will be able to downgrade to JetStart for $50. New users will also need to buy a DSL modem if they are not already renting one from Telecom.

JetStart's launch had been widely anticipated by users after pricing had been leaked in a wrong posting on Telecom's website last month.

But the payment to Xtra has been increased by $5 since then, possibly to make the service more attractive to third-party ISPs.

Meanwhile, Chello, which launched a cable-based flat rate broadband service in association with TelstraSaturn Wellington last June, has pulled out of the New Zealand market.

Last week Chello users received an e-mail from TelstraSaturn advising them that its service will discontinue here from February 1.

While users were invited to join TelstraSaturn-owned Paradise, the e-mail admitted that Paradise could not offer a flat-rate broadband service. While Paradise offers JetStream it is conspicuously absent from the list of ISPs supporting JetStart.

Chello users paid $80 a month for unlimited downloads at a theoretical speed of 512kbps, Paradise offers a choice of a 128kbps service with a 10Gb monthly data allowance for $66.95 a month, a 256kbps downstream/128kbps upstream service with a 5Gb monthly data allowance for $76.95 a month, or a 512kbps/128kbps plan with a monthly data limit of 1Gb for $79.95.

Links:

Xtra JetStart

Telecom