[wellylug] telstraclear nz usage reporting script

[s gallaghan]

With xnet you can 'cap' at a $ level, if you use less you pay less, if you 
reach this level you are dropped in speed to 64k with no extra cost, or you 
can buy more data. This seems a good way as you always know the max it will 
cost each month and you don't pay for what you don't use.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Hoult" <bruce at hoult.org>
To: "Wellington Linux Users Group" <wellylug at lists.wellylug.org.nz>
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2008 1:46 PM
Subject: Re: [wellylug] telstraclear nz usage reporting script


> On Sat, Aug 16, 2008 at 12:57 PM, Jethro Carr
> <jethro.carr at jethrocarr.com> wrote:
>> On Sat, 2008-08-16 at 08:53 +1200, Bruce Hoult wrote:
>>> On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 11:55 PM, Jethro Carr
>>> <jethro.carr at jethrocarr.com> wrote:
>>> > If you're a user of the Telstraclear cable network, I've written up a
>>> > basic perl script for generating reports of the amount of data used, 
>>> > and
>>> > left in the current billing period.
>>>
>>> "it is handly to be able to recieve emails reporting your data usage
>>> so you can plan your usage so that you don't run out during the
>>> month."
>>>
>>> Gosh.  If I don't "run out during the month" then I figure I've paid
>>> them for something I haven't used.  There's no "running out" .. they
>>> just happily bill you for whatever you do use, and at a considerably
>>> lower rate per GB than you pay for the minimum charge GBs included in
>>> your plan.  e.g. on the 40 GB plan I'm on, the first 40 GB effectively
>>> cost $2.75 each if you use them all (more if you don't), while extra
>>> GBs cost only $1.50.
>>
>> Well, maybe it should say "so you don't go over your cap" rather than
>> "so you don't run out during the month" since Telstra will happily bill
>> you for excess usage.
>
> I really do object to people's use of terms such as "cap", "limit",
> "excess" (or, worse, "excessive") here, when the situation is really
> that of a "minimum purchase", much like when you go to a club with a
> "two drink minimum" in the cover charge.
>
> Do the ISPs encourage the use of such terms in order to fool people
> into committing to pay for a plan sized to their maximum usage rather
> than their minimum or average usage?
>
>
>> Some people are on a budget and don't want to go over a set
>> amount each month.
>
> I'd say that everyone has limited money.  Committing to pay the same
> amount every month may well limit your spending if you have the
> willpower or the ISP enforces it, as some do with "reduce to dial-up
> speed" after a certain point plans.  But it also removes the
> possibility of spending *less* in months when you use less.  For
> example, in my case, in months when there is no Formula 1 and BSG
> isn't on either.  Or when I'm on holiday or a business trip or
> whatever.
>
>
>> This script is also useful for people who *do* go over, so they know
>> what to expect their bill to be at the end of the month. If you suddenly
>> find that you're downloading 10GB a day, this script will help you curb
>> your usage before you get a shockingly high bill. :-)
>
> If I'm accidentally using 10 GB a day once I'm past the included
> minimum purchase of GB, I find that the emails from TC every 3 or 4
> hours pretty quickly let me know :-)
>
>
> -- 
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