Primus launches high-speed broadband service
Primus claims the new service is four times faster than the download speeds offered in other premium ADSL deals, as they say Australia's leading Internet service providers currently present a maximum speed of 1.5 Mbps.
Chris Firth, general manager of Primus Telecom's business division, says the new product will deliver one of the best ADSL services in the Australian market, outdoing the competition in speed, cost and reliability.
"To date, the major ISP's have not targeted this segment of the market with a product that delivers ultra-high speed broadband over traditional twisted copper pair," said Firth, attributing Primus' ability to compete in this area to its network ownership in all Australian mainland capital cities.
However, Bjarne Munch, senior research analyst for Meta Group, says the high end business market requires more than what Primus is offering.
"I would be surprised if this [Primus' new deal] makes a significant dint in corporate broadband in Australia," said Munch, adding that the offering is not as reliable as the present lease-line services.
"They [Primus] make a big deal out of being able to provide high bandwidth but its not actually business grade DSL," said Munch.
Primus says the new service is an extension of its existing broadband range. However, customers can now download broadband data as fast as their line quality will allow at the time with a minimum speed of 2Mbps/384k ranging up to 6Mbps/640k for no additional charge.
The service will be offered for a monthly price of AU$185 including a 1GB download allowance, with higher capacity options available.
Firth says the deal gives Primus customers ultra high broadband speeds for prices normally levied for a 2Mbps service.
"At a time when other ISP's are attempting to apply strict limits to their services, Primus Telecom is delivering greater value at a very competitive price point," said Firth.
Yet Munch predicts that the deal will not gain significant acceptance in the high end corporate marketplace.
"The business broadband market wants reliability as well as ubiquity. Primus are aiming at the wrong market, it's [the deal is] more applicable to the lower end business sector," said Munch.