2010 pricing - a worked example

This quotes a question in another thread, and includes my answer from the same thread.

Technically a form of cross-post, but it creates a new thread with the info brought out into the clear, whereas the previous thread now has a lot of historical gubbage.

The question:-

In reply to a post by Fantasmo:

Hi,

I don't want to create a brand new thread as my question is very similar to the OP.
I am thinking about signing up but have to query the way the quotas work.

During the signup process I'm told that I can download 2.5GB during peak or 200GB off peak. Am I literally given a choice of whether I use the Internet during the day or evening, or can I run up 2.4GB during peak and 199GB off peak and still be within my 2 unit quota?

Another possibility is that if I only downloaded in the day (unlikely) and reached my 2.5GB, I would not be able to download in the evening as I'll have eaten up my quota?

Damn this is confusing...

My (slightly edited) answer:-

It's complicated at first but a very good system. You have in fact pretty well got the hang of it, but not quite.

It isn't a choice. If you haven't seen this page have a go at it with any browser except Internet Explorer, the calculator/estimator doesn't work in that. It's good for seeing different combinations and working out ones it doesn't actually have itself.

I gather you are on 21CN or FTTC/FTTP, not 20CN.

Let's deal with your second question first - that's easy. You would indeed have used up your quota (if the days were all Mon-Fri). You wouldn't be stopped from downloading but you would be eating into the following months quota because of the carry-forward of over/under-use system. Unless you buy some extra, I'm not quite sure if/how you can do that.

Now the first question - looking at the page I linked to. Open it if you can while you are reading this.

1GB peak takes 0.8 units. Similarly 2GB takes 1.6 units. So 0.4GB take 0.32 units. 2.4GB as you specify = 1.92 units. You therefore have 0.08 units left, giving 8GB off-peak or 80GB night-time.

Similarly you can do different combinations of how you would use the 0.08. So 4GB off-peak and 40GB night-time is a possibility. Or 3GB off-peak, 10GB night-time. Or 2GB, 60GB night-time.

Edited by RobertoS (Wed 06-Jan-10 20:35:32)

So is this quota system a good or bad thing?
Is seems over-complicated to me, but maybe I don't know what problems it's trying to solve.
It's not that I have a vested interest, not being on AAISP...

It's brilliant. The estimator, (which was created in a hurry and could be improved), lets you get a fair idea of how many units to contract for.

The speed a unit is used depends on whether you are in peak time, off-peak or night-time. There is also a carry-forward of over-use and under-use up to your contracted amount. So with a bit of care it is highly flexible and allows "fixed" cost broadband but significant over-use in a month without throttling or excess charges.

It does retain the high (deliberate deterrent?) peak-time cost, but not as rigidly as the previous pricing model. The reputed service quality and high off-peak/night-time allowances have to be paid for some way. For someone normally at work in the AAISP peak time I think it is highly competitive.

Well I was deliberating a move soon but to be honest the calculations have put me off, I just was something straight forward

I'd say it was definately a good thing because it provides much more flexibility in how you use your line.

The problem it is trying to solve is the mix of line-types and the differences in standing and usage costs associated with them. That's what makes it complicated.

There was a suggestion before the scheme was implemented (on usenet I think) to use the term "credit" instead of "unit".

In essense you buy some credit at the beginning of the month and it gets used up at different rates depending on when you use your line. Just like phone credit might get used up at different rates depending on what sort of numbers you call.

There's an added bonus that you can "borrow" from the following month as well.

-Steve.

During 2009 I was on the £20.95 2GB "pro" package, and the main reason I upgraded to this was to get the extra control panel option to select nointerleave / interleave / autointerleave , and also to select standard / stable / superstable. My package has been automatically converted to the £20.95 "3U" package, but I only really need 2 "units" of data as I am not a heavy downloader and 2U only costs £17.95. I'm wondering if it's possible to change to the 2U package yet still retain the "pro" control panel options?

In reply to a post by boliston:

During 2009 I was on the £20.95 2GB "pro" package, and the main reason I upgraded to this was to get the extra control panel option to select nointerleave / interleave / autointerleave , and also to select standard / stable / superstable. My package has been automatically converted to the £20.95 "3U" package, but I only really need 2 "units" of data as I am not a heavy downloader and 2U only costs £17.95. I'm wondering if it's possible to change to the 2U package yet still retain the "pro" control panel options?

I was on the 4GB package and have now been put on 5 units and *think* i have a massive carry over

Where abouts are the extra control panel options to be found please, folk mention them but I have not been able to find them on mine

Well you could give it a go as they are an excellent ISP

The calculations maybe someone here could help you with

If I have read the instructions correctly then the system they use is what I always hoped that Newnet would so. But they haven't and I don't think they will, hence the possible migration. There are some months when I don't use all my allowance and its nice to be able to carry it over to the next.

Hi
I too, was also considering a move. I was slightly worried about my ppeak time useage now I am more worried about whether I would be able to work out a system that seems unbelievably complicated, time zones, units, pro aaaarrrrghhh
Key