Tuesday 16 March 2010

Internet filtering...no thanks [updated]

About every six months, I get a phone call from Telecom, who's been my phone company and ISP for the last 6 years, asking if I wouldn't like to sign onto a one-year plan in exchange for some headphones. I always say no, that the option value of being able to switch is worth more to me than some goofy headphones, but that I have no current intention of switching. About half the time, I then get a call from Telecom's customer satisfaction unit asking whether I'm happy with Telecom's service (maybe the term option value makes them nervous); I always tell them that I've no plans of switching unless Telstra goes ahead and buries some faster pipe to my house.

But David Farrar reports that Telecom's planning on implementing the government's new internet filter.

Telecom: the day you implement the filter is the day I switch to whichever company offers the best plan that isn't under the filter. I'll either be taking my home phone line with me or just cancelling it - our cell phones work well enough, and Skype works for international. You're currently getting about $110/mth from me for internet and telephone. I've been pretty happy with your service - especially since you put in ADSL2+ in my neighbourhood (4 MB download speed) - and I generally think that the other companies that haven't laid their own pipe are kinda leeching off your investment. But I'll take a leech over a censor that helps to break the internet.

Christchurch readers: any particular recommendations for ISPs other than Watchdog, Maxnet, Telecom, Telstra, and Vodaphone? Looks like I'm likely to need a new one come year-end. I'll ask again when the time comes.

Update: Tech Liberty's keeping the list of friendly ISPs. Farrar had said Telecom's likely to use it; TechLiberty says that they haven't yet decided. Slingshot gives the nicest quip: "We’re the pipe, not a censor."

3 comments:

  1. Just got Orcon in our flat and it seems to be going pretty well. They've got a bunch of plan options and you don't have to sign up for a fixed-term contract (which always annoys me as a student who doesn't have to move around). You can also do your phone through them, or get a cheaper phone company and just do net through them. Plenty flexible.

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  2. Slingshot seems to offer the best data packages / speed ratio for the money and they have no plans to implement the filter

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