iPrimus Broadband – The new kid on the block is all grown up

The name iPrimus might seem relatively new, so it might come as a surprise to learn that the company recently celebrated their 20^th birthday. Through a combination of investment in networks and nodes, forward thinking and offering a wide variety of plans that suit almost every user, iPrimus has emerged as one of the bigger players on the Aussie market. Their move into the Vocus group stable has only served to further cement their status as one of Australia’s leading lights.  

For those who remember the bad old days of two – or even one – telecommunications provider, iPrimus was the first sign we saw of a new, deregulated world of customer-focused telcos who no longer took their place in the market for granted. It might seem odd to say so, but after Telstra and Optus, iPrimus is the third-oldest telco on the Aussie landscape. This is ideal for customers as they still have their eagerness to please but they place it alongside a level of experience and understanding that few can match.

iPrimus recently became part of the Vocus group, which gives them access to a broad international network which few other Aussie providers can match.

What makes iPrimus Broadband unique?

iPrimus is unique in that they have over 20 years experience but they still operate like a new provider. They’ve also grown rapidly, largely due to ambition and an understanding of the direction in which the Aussie market is headed. Crucial in their growth was their desire to thing over the horizon. As a provider, iPrimus Broadband made one crucial step early on – they got their own broadband hardware into as many local phone exchanges as possible. They could then offer dedicated Primus services, bundling broadband and home phone – all without the cost of renting exchange capacity from Telstra. Given that most of the providers still rent some or all of their capacity, this gives iPrimus a huge advantage. iPrimus recently became part of the Vocus group, which gives them access to a broad international network which few other Aussie providers can match.

iPrimus Broadband’s plans

iPrimus Broadband’s plans are also organised in a different fashion to the traditional Aussie telco. While they offer both NBN and ADSL plans, they don’t differentiate on that basis. Instead, they group their plans into three groups: 100GB data limit (ADSL), unlimited data (both NBN and ADSL) and Entertainment (NBN only) the latter of which comes with a TV package included. They’re also fond of a special deal or two, so be sure to keep an eye on their seasonal offerings in order to pick up something special.

iPrimus 100GB limit plans (ADSL)

iPrimus Broadband’s entry-level plan for ADSL comes with a 100GB data limit. It’s only really suitable for light internet users. If you’re game on gaming or keen to stream, then go unlimited. Otherwise if you just use the internet at a light or moderate level and have a relatively small household, the 100GB plan will do just fine.

There are three plan options: month-to-month, 12-month and 24-month deals. With the month-to-month you’ll need to pay an upfront fee. You’ll also need to shell out for an upfront fee for the 12-month plan, although this is lower. Both of these deals include line rental, while you’ll be charged for your calls at a pay-as-you-go rate. The 24-month plan has no upfront fee – plus it comes with an additional 100GB per month (making it effectively a 200GB limit) and free calls to all AU landlines.

iPrimus unlimited plans (ADSL and NBN)

If you love a good download or just don’t want to come to the end of the month worrying about every megabyte, iPrimus’ ADSL and NBN unlimited deals are the perfect fit for you. While the ADSL speed will depend on your node and your location, your NBN will be delivered at 39.4Mbps average sampled evening speed. The deal includes line rental, with calls charged at a pay-as-you-go rate.

It is available on a one-month, 12-month or 24-month basis. The 24-month contract is the only one to waive the set-up fee. Each of the three plans comes with your choice of bonus: 2000 international minutes to selected countries or unlimited calls to all AU numbers. The selected countries are a pretty good set of offerings: United Kingdom, India, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Germany, China, Malaysia, Italy, Greece, Ireland, France, Turkey, Netherlands, Serbia, Poland, South Africa, Croatia, Philippines, Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hungary and Japan.

iPrimus entertainment plans (NBN only)

Are you not entertained? If not, then iPrimus has something for you (and if yes, you might not be as entertained as you can be… so read on). The iPrimus entertainment plan is basically the NBN unlimited plan from above, but including Fetch TV. The same speed options (i.e. Basic or Supercharged) apply. The Entertainment Pack includes a Fetch Mini set-top box and your choice of one premium channel pack. The plan also includes unlimited national calls, but only if you choose the Supercharged option – with the Basic option coming with calls on a pay-as-you-go basis. Furthermore, the Entertainment Pack is available only on the 24-month contract option.

Services and customer satisfaction

iPrimus customer service can be reached between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday at 13 17 89, while technical support is available 8am to 11pm seven days a week. If you’re not keen to call, their Live Chat option also operates during these hours, while emailing customerservice@iprimus.com.au will get you a response quick smart. If you’d like something a bit more casual, the company also keeps a strong presence on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube — just head to the social media platform of your choice and search for ‘iPrimus’. Before you do, though, a fair warning — it’s mainly memes and videos.

Although the company is Australian owned and headquartered in Melbourne – and international parent company Vocus in headquartered in Sydney – the iPrimus call centre is split between Australia and offshore. As with plenty of the other providers who have based their call centres overseas, this does usually mean savings for the customer – although it can also be inconvenient in some instances.  

The iPrimus customer service and technical support team can solve anything from connection issues to billing questions without hassle. Give them a call about:

• New account enquiries
• Technical support
• Plan changes
• Billing questions
• Changes to download limits

Awards and recognition

Aside from being a ‘middle aged’ Aussie internet provider in a time of tweens, iPrimus is also recognised as being family friendly. Their ‘internet pause’ option allows you to temporarily cut your broadband while you enjoy a family meal or listen to mum’s birthday speech – which is a welcome addition for plenty of families and their device-addicted kids. They’ve also got the ‘bill pause’ option, which lets you pause your bill for up to a month – i.e. for a family holiday, or if mum’s speech is really taking a while – which is perfect as you won’t need to pay for what you don’t use. This means they are the ideal family broadband provider.

So why is iPrimus right for me?

Compared with their stable-mate Dodo, iPrimus is more expensive – however you get more for your buck. iPrimus has gradually established an extensive network, which has only increased since the acquisition by Vocus. They get a rating of 81 percent from us, while ranks them highly among their competitors. Their bundles are where it’s at, while the addition of Fetch TV means that on the whole you’ll be getting plenty of entertainment with the one deal. While we still think the 100GB limit is a tad too low, if you’re a light internet user it might be the ideal one for you.

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