[WXC/VFX] Will we see some more competitive pricing for VFX now?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] Will we see some more competitive pricing for VFX now?

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441 posts

Ultimate Geek

#613371 22-Apr-2012 21:41

networkn: Personally I don't think these numbers could be correct, but at the end of the day it's all just guesswork until the official plans are released.

Hi.

These numbers are straight from an Xnet salesperson on the phone today. So unless she is mistaken, or has given incomplete information, then those are the numbers

I guess time will reveal all.

Regards Allen.

Farrbot

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Wannabe Geek

#614541 24-Apr-2012 20:32

Had a call from an xnet rep this evening saying my broadband plan was being changed. I wasn't in at the time but when I rang back I was told that my data plan was going up from about $34 to $39.95 with data going up from $1.05 to $1.28 per GB. Currently spending about $95 a month with xnet.

Maybe I'm not the sort of customer they need, anyway I guess that's it from me. Looking at better options now

networkn

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#614542 24-Apr-2012 20:33

LOL so they are charging you more, but not giving you more?

Something doesn't sound right with xnet over the last few days.

Farrbot

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Wannabe Geek

#614563 24-Apr-2012 20:50

That's certainly what it looks like unless they are trying to "encourage" people onto some other plans yet to be announced. I have been with them for a number of years but this just isn't a competitive offering.

gzt

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#614566 24-Apr-2012 20:54

Farrbot: Had a call from an xnet rep this evening saying my broadband plan was being changed. I wasn't in at the time but when I rang back I was told that my data plan was going up from about $34 to $39.95 with data going up from $1.05 to $1.28 per GB. Currently spending about $95 a month with xnet.

Maybe I'm not the sort of customer they need, anyway I guess that's it from me. Looking at better options now

My data went up to that price ages ago. I don't think I've paid that price since sometime last year. Not sure about the base. Maybe your old price account turned up when they were reviewing existing plans for the new system.

I've also been looking around as well this week. It seems most ISP's are moving to phone/data integrated pricing and very few are offering data separate from phone.

I'm expecting XNET to reveal a similar integrated pricing plan soon. But I am guessing...

[edit: maybe with a bigger chunk of data, or some kind of sliding usage scale]

Farrbot

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Wannabe Geek

#614612 24-Apr-2012 21:54

I'm sure you're right. Seems odd suddenly changing my plan just before announcing new plans. Anyway I have been having a look at the current offerings and as you say most of the value seems to be with new phone / data bundles. Snap looks quite good here in the south with "free" 03 calls and 150GB for $100. Will wait and see what Xnet will be offering first.

SamF

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#614618 24-Apr-2012 21:57

Hmm, I wonder if they're going to force people off the Torrent plan? :/

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duckquack

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Master Geek

#614638 24-Apr-2012 22:36

SamF: Hmm, I wonder if they're going to force people off the Torrent plan? :/

More importantly what about the cause and effect model. Most providers are providing substantially more data for the same price, lets assume Xnet does the same, essentially everyone almost has a torrent plan i.et lots and lots of data in some cases four time more than they had before.

Whats my point......when everyone realises they have all this extra data available and they start mass downloading/streaming files will the back haul network cope or will it come to a grinding halt?

Niel

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#614734 25-Apr-2012 07:40

A friend of mine is high up in internet security. He claims funding for our internet access upgrades come from corporations using NZ for their offshore backups. They need the speed, and see NZ as relatively stable/safe compared to some EU/American countries.

Exchanges need a minimum performance which gets reviewed from time to time, and cabinets are upgraded with fibre links. So combined with international link upgrades we should be able to cope with mass downloads and thus now we are ready to switch to FTTH and support high bandwidth.

As to why XNet choose to do the plans the way they do, they are running a business and have their reasons. It is their choice. We can get frustrated, but we cannot tell them how to run their business as they have their own objectives and direction they want to take. Who knows, maybe they want to do more voice than data. After all, they have to gear up for providing voice services over fibre as the only provider currently actually capable of doing so reliably.

Those that have been around a while will remember XNet was born out of WxC trunk call services deciding to open their network to internet customers since they had the spare capacity and equipment in place. It is not a broadband provider which also does phone services, broadband is not the core business, don't be surprised if they focus on low data customers and if you want lots of data you can pay for it or change provider. The managed data slider on http://www.xnet.co.nz/internet/data/ only goes to 50GB...

You are not going to tell Ferrari they must make a budget city car, or Volvo they must make a performance car (they will though if you are willing to pay for a T6 with a high price tag). We should not tell XNet what they must provide, however we are free to suggest what we would like. And we are free to discuss our opinions on forums like this.

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SamF

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#614795 25-Apr-2012 10:46

Niel: <snip> As to why XNet choose to do the plans the way they do, they are running a business and have their reasons. It is their choice. We can get frustrated, but we cannot tell them how to run their business as they have their own objectives and direction they want to take. Who knows, maybe they want to do more voice than data. <snip>

You are absolutely right, they can run their business as they see fit, but I think we will be 'telling' them how they should be running their business when we start leaving in droves (assuming there are no nice surprises in store with the new plans). Sure, Xnet may be focusing on low usage clients, but I doubt that they loose money from high usage clients.

thekiwi

295 posts

Ultimate Geek

#615305 26-Apr-2012 09:59

As an XNet customer (and have been for many may years now ... including having my Toll Calls with World Exchange way way back when) what annoys me a little with the whole Xnet debacle (and I intentionally call it that now) is the way they (and many here) assume that they represent some Gold Standard in service and product provision ... while at the same time XNet staff (eg those representing here at times) will openly ridicule the offerings of others (ie 2Talk comes to mind).

Some examples:
* If XNet have a network fault (and they do have a few) not only is your access affected, often its a case that their own Support lines are impacted, so you cant get hold of Support via a normal "phone call". When that has occurred its mega frustrating.
* I gave up over the recent billing fiasco. For the last 6+ years Ive never gone over 20Gb of data/mth and my average would be 10-12Gb/mth with the odd spike with ISO downloads etc. Yet all of a sudden I do 35Gb in one month AND get charged for it. Despite sending in historical data, including my own Router stats, nothing ever happened. A bit like this thread... if they delay long enough customers just give up and XNet get to profit from it!.
* I gave up trying to sort out with Support why, on the occasion where my authenticated session would drop, that it can take 15 mins to re-authenticate. Has always happened, and still does.
* Im glad I (and the family) only really use our internet connection during Work Hours ... cause on the odd occasion where you want to watch a UTube video or download anything "in the evenings", you can forget it. The disparity in speed between workhours and evenings is MASSIVE.

Now if I was a cynic it would be easy to lay a case that XNet are using commercial practices to get the most $$ out of existing customers by whatever means, including notifying customers of new plans, but holding out just long enough to bleed them of those few extra $$'s. When it gets to heated, then bring the plans in.

If XNet is so hot with its Service, tell me how they can so stuff up a simple change process for offering new products/pricing. Heck if the "web pages werent ready", who on earth then is responsible for their Change Management, cause it certainly doesnt give a lot of confidence for their Change Control which would impact network infrastructure.

Now I know the many XNet fanboys are probably going to roast me alive, but at the moment Im beyond caring. I used to promote the XNet service where ever and whenever I could ... heck I got additional family all signed up for both Tolls and Internet ... now they have all shifted ... and right now I question my sanity of having held out this long. Partly its been my own laziness with getting myself sorted with shifting ... but now its actually costing me and Im beyond "partly annoyed".

So my suggestion to Xnet and the staff that frequent here. You do provide a good service, but its not the best. You do have good options available for managing data, but that is now at the cost of your being price competitive. Most importantly, you have your issues, as does every other ISP. The old saying "Dont remove the twig from your brothers eye until you remove the log from your own" certainly would be worth applying. Maybe spend more time on Customer relations and less sarcasm aimed at other providers of VOIP (eg).

networkn

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#615308 26-Apr-2012 10:07

TheKiwi, you have some interesting points, but to be fair, these comments here are not going to give you the answers you want. Find the CEO's email address and fire him an email or some similar communication. I suspect he may not be aware of some of these issues or the impact his customers are experiencing, it's often good for them to hear that directly.

I agree with your comments about the webpages not being ready, that was quite odd, especially given the lead time to this announcement.

hagfish

23 posts

Geek

#615310 26-Apr-2012 10:12

I get the feeling that most of us curmudgeons here on this thread are grandfathered onto some variant of the Mighty Torrent Plan of Olde, and have been waiting for many months for some kind of "All You Want for $100/mo" plan. Or maybe it's just me. And I don't even have a static IP.

Maybe all Xnet's other customers are quite happy ticking along with VOIP, and checking their e-mails/FarmVille once in a while. I will say that speeds have definitely seen an uptick in the evenings in the last week or two. I will also say that my time as a happy xnet customer seems to be coming to an end.