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    MyRepublic calls bullshit on NBN claims nobody wants 1Gbps

    Singapore-based ISP MyRepublic is calling bullshit on NBN Co CEO Bill Morrow’s claims that Australians don’t want super-fast broadband “even if we offered it for free. Here’s the thing, I completely agree. No ISP is capturing user intent on their plan selection pages, so users are stuck selecting up to 100Mpbs as a max and each ISP is pricing it differently, many exorbitantly. There is no data that actually proves Morrow’s claims. Naturally there’s a variety of reasons why people choose the plans they do, but cost, especially a monthly cost, is a massive contributing factor to all purchasing decisions.

    Do most people need 1Gbps down or 40Mbps up, no, probably not, but that’s missing the point. Even if one person does and can’t select that as an option, we’ve underutilised the NBN infrastructure tax payer’s chipped in billions of dollars to create. Basically we’re artificially making things slower than they technically could be, which really just begs the question, what’s the right price. To be commercially viable for ISPs there would need to be a certain amount of customers wanting the fastest service, but with no way to express that, its a wild assumption that nobody wants or needs the fastest speeds.

    MyRepublic have evidence of consumer demand for the fastest speed at a fair price, adding 10,000 customers on 100Mbps since launching in mid-November 2016. It helps when MyRepbulic are offering 100/40Mbps NBN plans for just A$59.99 per month, while you’ll pay over $100pm on other ISPs for what is essentially the same service. As someone about to move into a new home (around a month from now) into a greenfield estate with FTTP, I’m tempted to ditch Telstra and consider alternatives like MyRepublic because of price and if I could get a 1Gbps service, I absolutely would. My new address is so new, its not on Google Maps or nbn’s site, but somehow it is found on my Republic’s address checker.

    The company says in Singapore, over 90% of orders are now 1 Gbps and even New Zealand has 1Gbps and in just 2 months, 40% of all new orders are selecting the 1Gbps product. Logically it doesn’t make sense that Australian’s needs and wants would differ so dramatically from residents in these countries.

    MyRepublic have launched a petition and are asking Australian’s to sign it, to register their interest and let the Government know they want faster internet. Rather than Morrow and others making sweeping assumptions about demand, its time we used actual data about  consumer demand to gauge interest.

    Managing Director at MyRepublic Australia, Nicholas Demos said,

    We said at launch that the Telco incumbents and government have pulled the wool over the eyes of Australian’s for years and kept the conversation focused on data caps instead of broadband speed.

    We have only been in the market for three months but already have 10,000 customers opting for the fastest speed available. In Singapore, over 90% of our orders are now 1 Gigabit (Gbps).

    In New Zealand, MyRepublic launched the 1Gbps plan two months ago and already 40% of new orders are buying that product. We want Australian’s to have a true voice so we are calling out to the nation to sign our petition and register for our upcoming promotion that will bring Gigatown to one Australian community. If the government won’t do it then we will, just as we have done in New Zealand, Singapore and Indonesia.

    Currently MyRepublic Australia offers consumers one package for $59.99 per month, with the fastest NBN speed available in their location, up to 100Mbps, unlimited data and local support.

    Enough is enough, our incumbents and government haven’t done anything to ensure consumers are getting the fastest speed internet at an affordable priceand we all know that’s what Australian consumers want. We also want to drive the decrease of the NBN’s connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) charge because this is crippling Australia.

    To register your interest for MyRepublic Gigatown, head to https://myrepublic.net/au/gigaspeed/ and make sure you share your feedback on the NBN Co’s comments.

    Jason Cartwright
    Jason Cartwrighthttps://techau.com.au/author/jason/
    Creator of techAU, Jason has spent the dozen+ years covering technology in Australia and around the world. Bringing a background in multimedia and passion for technology to the job, Cartwright delivers detailed product reviews, event coverage and industry news on a daily basis. Disclaimer: Tesla Shareholder from 20/01/2021

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