How am I billed for my Optus Cable Broadband plan?

For non-direct debit accounts, you will receive a monthly bill, and it will usually arrive in the first week of each month. Payments are due before the 15th of each month. You will be billed in advance for the monthly access fee for your plan. Any additional charges such as a service call may also be billed at this time. You can find out which plan you're currently on, change plans or look at your Internet usage by visiting the My Account section of Member .

Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans: If you are currently on a quarterly billing arrangement you will need to move to monthly billing. You will receive a single bill for your Optus Broadband and Optus Telephony services for the calendar month. On or around the same day each month you will be billed in advance for the monthly access fee for your Optus Fusion plan. Any additional charges such as a notebook or service call will also be billed to you separately. You can find out which plan you're currently on or look at your Internet usage by visiting the My Account section of Member Services.

What are the charges listed on my first bill?

Your first bill will include your installation charge and a pro-rated monthly access fee and delivery fee, if applicable. There will also be charges listed for Service in Advance. Once Optus Cable Internet has been installed, all prices for supply are charged in advance. Your pro-rated monthly access fee is based on the number of days of the calendar month for which you are connected to the service.

Optus Fusion, Optus 'yes' Fusion and Optus Phone & Broadband Bundles: If you are on an Optus Fusion plan, your first bill may include both a pro-rata (part-month) amount for your Broadband and Telephony combined Fusion subscription fee as well as a charge for the service in advance.

Prices on the bill are listed firstly without GST added. The 10% GST charge is calculated on each individual taxable charge description then it is totalled at the end of the bill. The final total (including GST) is then rounded down to the nearest 5c.

How can I pay for my Optus Cable Broadband service?

Optus Cable Broadband provides a number of methods of paying your service, including credit card, Bpay, cash, cheque and direct debit. All of these methods of payment are detailed on the back of your bill.

Optus may provide your bill in an electronic format. If you choose not to receive an electronic bill you may be charged a $2.20 paper invoice fee. If you use a credit, charge or debit card to pay your bill, a 1.0% fee (inc GST) will be charged and will appear on your next bill.

How can I change my payment details for my Optus Cable Broadband service?

Optus Cable Broadband, Fusion and 'yes' Fusion customers can change payment details by calling a Customer Service Representative on 1300 300 693.
If you use a credit, charge or debit card to pay your bill, a 1.0% fee (inc GST) will be charged and will appear on your next bill.

Direct debit changes can take up to 72 hours to be processed. If you have a payment due within this timeframe a cancellation may not prevent the forthcoming debit from occurring.

You can attempt to prevent funds being withdrawn by paying your balance via a payment method that will reach your account prior to the date that your next direct debit is due to be taken out.

How do I setup direct debit?

Direct Debit is a way to automatically pay your account on its due date each month. On some bills, Optus refers to direct debit as 'Auto-Pay'. Optus Direct Debit automatically debits your bank or credit card account each month and saves you the bother of writing cheques or making time-consuming trips to the bank! You will also avoid the $2.20 payment invoice fee. To apply, simply download and print the Direct Debit Request.

Upon receipt of a direct debit application via the form, processing will take 5-7 business days. So if you've already received your bill or you request direct debit too close to your invoice date you'll need to pay via another payment method.

What happens if Optus cannot take a monthly payment from my cheque/savings account or credit card?

If you have insufficient funds available in your cheque/savings account or the details you have provided are incorrect when we attempt to retrieve funds, we will email notification of this decline to your primary email address. Your Optus Broadband account (and for Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion customers your Telephony account) may be suspended and a dishonour fee of $22 will be incurred. Refer to the Standard Form of Agreement, Consumer Terms for details.

You will not be able to connect to the service until the account details are updated and any outstanding accounts paid. You will need to call Optus Customer Care on 1300 300 693 to update your details.

For customers on an Optus Fusion or Optus 'yes' Fusion plan, your Broadband service may be cancelled if you fail to pay your monthly account or you have insufficient funds available in your credit card, cheque or savings account or the details you have provided are incorrect when we attempt to retrieve funds.

Will I receive a bill each month if I pay my account by direct debit?

Broadband Plans: No. You'll receive a first bill, and you'll be sent another bill only if the monthly billing amount changes - for example, if you change packages.

Optus Fusion, Optus 'yes' Fusion and Optus Phone & Broadband Bundles: Yes, you will receive a single bill for both your Broadband and Telephony services unless you are charged a one off fee on their Cable service such as technician visit fee.

It will indicate mobile and landline call costs that are excluded from your Fusion, Optus 'yes' Fusion or Optus Phone & Broadband Bundles offer and will indicate the date on which the direct debit will occur i.e. payment due date.

How do I know if my bill is on direct debit?

If your bill is to be paid by direct debit, it will have one of the following statements on the first page of your bill.

• 'Direct Debit from Bank Account will be debited on [DUE DATE]'
• 'Direct Debit from Credit Card will be debited on [DUE DATE]'

The statement location can be found on the front of your bill in the 'Your Account Summary' section. If direct debit is not setup a different statement will show in this section of your bill.

How do I cancel my direct debit?

Please contact us to cancel your direct debit details.

Direct debit cancellations can take up to 72 hours to be processed. If you have a payment due within this timeframe a cancellation may not prevent the forthcoming debit from occurring.

You can attempt to prevent funds being withdrawn by paying your balance via a payment method that will reach your account prior to the date that your next direct debit is due to be taken out.

If you cancel direct debit, a $2.20 processing fee will be charged to your monthly bill(s).

Can I use my monthly bill as a tax invoice?

Yes, the monthly bill that is emailed to your primary Optus Broadband email address can be used as a tax invoice.

What happens if I make a payment and it doesn't appear on my account? (not applicable to Optus Fusion or Optus 'yes' Fusion plans)

If we receive a payment after the 20th of the month, it may not appear on the following month's account. It will however, appear on the very next account.

Who do I call if I have a query or a complaint about charges appearing on my bill?

If you have a query or a complaint regarding your bill, contact Customer Support by phone on 1300 300 693. Please note that we are unable to respond to account related questions by e-mail.

How do I change my Optus Cable plan?

If you find you are better suited to another Optus Cable Internet plan, you can change your plan online or over the phone. You can choose to either:

• Upgrade your plan, effective within 2 business days.
• Upgrade your plan, effective beginning of next calendar month.
• Downgrade your plan, effective beginning of next calendar month.

If you subscribed to a broadband plan or Fusion plan on or after 25 April 2010, a $50 plan downgrade fee applies if you change to a lower Broadband or 'yes' Fusion plan at anytime during your agreement period.

Please note, a $140 hardware fee also applies for customers on the 100GB Unlimited or 200GB Unlimited plans who connected to a plan with an included Home WiFi modem and then move to a plan lower than the 100GB Unlimited plan or cancel the service within 3 months of commencing the plan.

For Fusion, if you connect to the Optus 'yes' Fusion $99, $109, $129 or $149 plan and receive a Home WiFi modem and you move to a plan lower than the 'yes' Fusion plan $99 or cancel your service within 3 months of commencing your plan, you will incur a $140 hardware fee. Customers on $149 plan who received a PlayStation3 Pack and who change to a lower plan within their term of their 24 month contract will also incur a pro rata $500 hardware charge.

Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion: You can change your monthly plan by calling one of our friendly Customer Service Representatives on 1300 300 693. However, you can only change your Optus Fusion plan once per month.

Optus Fusion - If you have requested a plan change to occur during your current billing month, the plan change will occur within 2 business days of the request.

Optus 'yes' Fusion - If you have requested a plan change to occur during your current billing month, the plan change will occur at the beginning of your next billing month.

Does changing my plan impact my initial agreement period?

No, if you find your current plan is not suitable then you can easily change your plan and your initial agreement period will not be impacted.

I have changed my plan, when do I get billed?

Depending on when you requested your plan change to take effect:

Mid Month Plan Change:

Optus Fusion - If you have requested a plan change to occur during your current billing month, the plan change will occur within 2 business days of the request.

Optus 'yes' Fusion - If you have requested a plan change to occur during your current billing month, the plan change will occur at the beginning of your next billing month.

End of Month Plan Change: If you have requested to move to a higher plan at the start of your next billing month or you are moving to a lower plan, the plan change will occur on the 1st day of your next billing period.

Optus 'yes' Fusion only: All plan changes will take effect from the start of your next billing month. If you would like to change you plans, visit your myZOO homepage at optuszoo.com.au and click to Member Services or call our helpful Customer Care representatives on 1300 300 693. Any Fusion to non-Fusion plan changes must be done by calling Optus Customer Care. Note: Optus 'yes' Fusion plans only allow one plan change per billing month.

When does my plan change take effect?

Plan downgrades will take effect on the 1st day of your next billing period, regardless of when you requested the change during your current billing period. See 'How do I change my Optus Cable plan?' for details of charges that apply for plan downgrades. Plan upgrades will take effect either within 2 business days or on the 1st day of your next billing period depending on the selection you make when requesting the upgrade.

Note: Optus 'yes' Fusion plan changes will take effect from the start of your next billing month.

Can I upgrade my plan immediately once I have reached my data limit?

You can change your monthly plan online within the My Account section of Member Services. You can choose an option to make your plan upgrade effective within 2 business days from the time you submit the request.

Optus 'yes' Fusion: You can only change your monthly plan by calling Optus Customer Care on 1300 300 693 and request a plan upgrade which will take effect from the 1st day of your next billing month.

Can I downgrade to a lower plan straight away?

No, all plan downgrades occur at the end of your current billing month. See 'How do I change my Optus Cable plan?' for details of charges that apply for plan downgrades.

If I upgrade to a higher plan and request it to take effect within 24 hours, when and how will this change appear on my bill?

Appropriate adjustments will appear on either your next bill or the following month's bill, depending on when the change was made in the month.

If the upgrade to a higher data allowance plan was made before the 15th of the calendar month, the change to your service will take effect within 2 business days. This transaction will appear on your next bill.

For example: A plan upgrade from MyHome Starter ($24.99)* to MyHome Classic ($39.99)* made before the 15th of July will result in your account being billed at the full cost of the MyHome Classic plan ($39.99)*.

If the upgrade to a higher data allowance plan was made after the 15th of the calendar month, the change to your service will take effect within 2 business days. This transaction is unlikely to appear on your next bill, but will appear on your following month's bill.

* Prices based on 'yes' rewards (current as of 5 Nov 07).

If I upgrade to a higher MB plan type to take effect at the start of the next calendar month, when and how will this change appear on my bill?

If the upgrade to a higher data allowance plan was made before the 15th of the calendar month, the change to your service will take effect at the beginning of the next calendar month and this transaction will appear on your next bill.

If the upgrade to a higher data allowance plan was made after the 15th of the calendar month, the change to your service will take effect at the beginning of the next calendar month. This transaction is unlikely to appear on your next bill, but will appear on your following month's bill.

Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion: The next month's bill will display the new plan's monthly access fee.

See 'How do I change my Optus Cable plan?' for details of charges that apply for plan downgrades.

If I downgrade to a lower plan and request it to take effect at the start of the next calendar month, when and how will this change appear on my bill?

If the downgrade to a lower data allowance plan was made before the 15th of the calendar month, the change to your service will take effect at the beginning of the next calendar month and this transaction will appear on your next bill.

If the downgrade to a lower data allowance plan was made after the 15th of the calendar month, the change to your service will take effect at the beginning of the next calendar month. This transaction is unlikely to appear on your next bill, but will appear on your following month's bill.

Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion: The next month's bill will display the new plan's monthly access fee.

I have made a plan change already this month, but now want to make another one. Can I do this? How will this appear on my bill?

Yes, you can change your plan more than once in a calendar month. (Excludes Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans: you can only make one plan change per billing month if you are on an Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plan).

NOTE: More than one plan change in the same month may over-ride any previous plan changes you made in that month. This depends on when you requested the plan change to take effect. The type of plan change and when this is made in the month (before or after the 15th of the month) may affect your billing. For example:

• If you request to upgrade your plan, effective within 2 business days and also make another plan change effective beginning of next calendar month, both of these changes will be processed. This means you can enjoy the plan change you made effective within 2 business days for the remainder of the month and then at the beginning of next month your plan will change as requested. When your plan changes are made in the month will determine when you should see this change on your bill.
• If you request to change your plan, to take effect beginning of next calendar month and then make another change to take effect beginning of next calendar month, the last change you made in that calendar month will over-ride any plan change made previously. When your plan changes are made in the month will determine when you should see this change on your bill.
• If you request to plan upgrade effective within 2 business days and then want to upgrade to a higher plan to take effect within 2 business days, then your last change will over-ride any plan change made previously.

NOTE: You cannot downgrade your plan to take effect within 2 business days. When your plan changes are made in the month will determine when you should see this change on your bill. 2 business days is required to process requests. This processing time may impact requests submitted on the last day of the month.

See 'How do I change my Optus Cable plan?' for details of charges that apply for plan downgrades.

How can I select the best plan for me?

Choosing the right plan depends mainly on how you use the Internet. You can find all the information you need on the available Optus Broadband plans here.

What is speed limiting?

Should you exceed your plan's monthly data allowance you will not pay any excess usage charges, instead, your data usage will be speed limited to 28.8, 64, 128 or 256kbps depending on your plan until the end of your billing month. (Excludes Optus 'yes' Fusion plans $79 and $89).

You will stay connected to your Optus Broadband service for the remainder of the month and will be able to use email, surf sites and download information - just at the slower speed.

Data Usage and Data Allowance are measured in Megabytes (MB) and for all purposes 1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1000 Megabytes (MB). Unused Data Allowance in any month can not be rolled into subsequent months.

Optus 'yes' Fusion only: excess usage may apply. See Table 1 below for details:

TABLE 1

~ Any additional data usage over your plan's standard data allowance will be speed limited to 64kbps for Optus Fusion $69 and $89, and 128kbps for Optus Fusion $99, and cannot be removed, until the end your billing month.

^ Any additional data usage over your plan's standard data allowance will be considered excess usage and will be charged to your account at a rate of $0.15 per MB (megabyte) until you reach 2GB of excess usage (approx. $300 in excess usage charges), after which you will be speed limited to 64kbps for Optus 'yes' Fusion $79 and $89 plans, and 128kbps for Optus 'yes' Fusion $99 and $109 plans, and cannot be removed, until the end your billing month (not applicable on Fusion $99 and $109 if you join on or after 25 April 2010, see below).

+ Excess usage does not apply to 'yes' Fusion $99, $109, and $129 plans, instead these plans have unlimited data allowance unthrottled up to 15GB, 30GB, and 50GB respectively, includes uploads and downloads, after which the service will be speed limited to broadband speed of 256kbps until the end of your billing month. Usage means monthly combined upload and download data transfer. 1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1000 Megabytes (MB).

# Excess usage does not apply to 'yes' Fusion $99, $109, and $129 plans, instead these plans have unlimited data allowance unthrottled up to 15GB, 30GB, and 50GB respectively, includes uploads and downloads, after which the service will be speed limited to broadband speed of 256kbps until the end of your billing month. Usage means monthly combined upload and download data transfer. 1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1000 Megabytes (MB).

Customers can elect to have data allowance notifications sent to an additional email address and by SMS to a nominated mobile phone. To do this, enter the additional contact details in Member Services online once 'yes' Fusion is activated on the account. You will only receive these by maintaining current primary e-mail and mobile phone number details in Member Services.

Note: Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans combine both upload and download data transfers (1 Gigabyte = 1000 Megabytes) to determine your monthly usage.

Factors affecting speed on the Internet

It is important to note that factors such as what type of computer you have, what sites you are trying to access and overall network traffic can affect performance.

Other factors that can affect Internet speed are listed below.

• Computer performance The technical specifications of your computer also impact the performance you experience from the service, including the speed at which information is downloaded. For this reason to get the Optus Broadband service your computer must meet the minimum system requirements
• Location of the web site One of the largest factors influencing speed is the location on the Internet of the web site that you want to access. Some sites that do not have fast connections, up to date technology, or are located on servers overseas may take longer to download.
• Cached contentTo overcome the influence of location on speed, Optus Broadband stores frequently requested sites and broadband content directly on our network using "Caching". This means that Optus Broadband subscribers have fast access to popular content without going to another network or to an over-crowded server.
• Overall network traffic The Internet by its nature is shared by millions of users. The number of users 'on' at any one time could impact performance. For example, when the Napster trial verdict was announced, the server that contained this information in America was very slow due to the number of users trying to access it. If many people are accessing the same information from the same site at the same time, then the speed of transmission will be affected.

What are usernames and passwords?

Your Optus Broadband username and password are very important. Your username is used to identify your particular Broadband account and your password is the key that authorises access to your account. The only people who can access your account are those that have both the username and password, so please guard these details very carefully.

Here are some important points to remember about your username and password:

• When entering your username and password, please do so in lower case letters only.
• Your username forms the first part of your email address. For example, if your Optus Broadband username is "jbloggs" then your email address will be "jbloggs@optusnet.com.au".
• Keep your password safe - do not write it down or tell anybody. We recommend that you change the password to your account at least every three months for your protection. If you believe that an unauthorised person has access to your password, we recommend that you change it immediately.
• Optus Broadband staff will never call you to "verify a password". If you do receive a request from someone asking you for your password, refuse the request and call our Customer Care Representatives on 1300 300 693 immediately.
• Never send the password to your account to anyone by email - this includes email that you may send to our Customer Care team.
• Help us to help you when you are contacting us for support and have your account details ready.

What is my email password?

When your account was created, you will have been provided with a username and password. Your username is the first part of your email address (e.g. johncitizen@optusnet.com.au) and the password is used to log in to the Optus Broadband service, to personalise your homepage and to access your email. For security reasons, you should change this password regularly and you can do this online via User Management in Member Services. You should change this password as soon as you are connected to the service and regularly thereafter. You can do this online via Account Management in Member Services.

How do I change my password?

You'll first need to change your password on the Optus Broadband server:

• Go to User Management in Member Services
• Login with your current username and password and then click the Login button.
• Carefully read the instructions regarding changing your password then towards the bottom of the web page, enter the new password you want to use.
• You will need to re-enter the new password in the second box to confirm the password you now want to use.
• Click the "Next" button. Your new password will now replace the old one.

Can I have multiple email accounts?

With every Optus Broadband account, you can have up to five free email accounts. Create additional email accounts here.

If I have an Optus Dial-up Internet account as well, can I use the same usernames between my Optus Dial-up Internet account and my Broadband account?

You can share usernames for use with both accounts. Manage Usernames here.

What technical help can I get from Optus Customer Care?

Optus provides technical support for problems that relate to browsing the Internet, sending or receiving email, network connectivity issues. Support for third-party software and hardware configurations that are not related to the Optus Broadband product can be obtained through the manufacturer of the product.

What is the "Internet Usage Meter"?

The Internet Usage Meter is a monitoring tool provided to allow you to better manage the usage of your Optus Broadband Service. It allows you to view how many Megabytes (MB) of data you have used relative to your plan's monthly Data Allowance. The Internet Usage Meter also allows you to monitor your usage on a daily and monthly basis as well as providing up to 6 months of historical usage.

Our systems update the Internet Usage Meter at regular intervals (at least every 15 minutes) under normal network conditions. Occasionally a network event may cause delays in the updating of the usage meter.

Why should I use the Internet Usage Meter?

Your Optus Broadband plan provides you a set amount of data per month (your Data Allowance). If you exceed your monthly plan's Data Allowance, access will be speed limited to 28.8, 64, 128 or 256kbps, depending on your plan until the end of the billing month.

Optus 'yes' Fusion plans: excess usage may apply. See Table 1 above under 'What is speed limiting?' for details.

Note: Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans combine both upload and download data transfers (1 Gigabyte = 1000 Megabytes) to determine your monthly usage.

The Internet Usage Meter will help you evaluate your usage of the service and will let you know how much data you have left at any given time.

Note: Due to usage rounding, total usage shown in the Internet Usage Meter may differ slightly from what is displayed on your bill.

Will I be charged for the use of the Internet Usage Meter?

No. The Internet Usage Meter is provided as part of your monthly service fee. However, accessing the Internet Usage Meter does count toward your monthly plan's Data Allowance or excess usage charges (in the case of Optus 'yes' Fusion).

How do I read the Internet Usage Meter - Current Usage page?

Current Usage provides a graphical representation of the amount of data you have used from your plan Data Allowance relative to the days available in your billing month. Thermometer-like indicators illustrate both "Plan data used" and "Days used":

"Plan data used" shows the amount of data you have used at the particular stage of your billing month, represented both as a percentage and raw data figure (MBs). For Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans, data usage is a combination of both upload and download data.

"Days used" indicates how far you have progressed into your current billing month, represented both as a percentage and the number of days passed. This particularly is useful to help you manage the amount of Plan Data Allowance available to you within the billing month.

Current Usage also provides useful information such as your existing plan, the Data Allowance of that plan, your existing billing month, your usage for the month to date in Megabyte's (MBs), any Bonus data allocated/used (if applicable), and the date and time at which the last update occurred.

How do I read the Internet Usage Meter - Daily page?

The Daily Usage page shows your data usage per day as both a graphical and numerical representation for your current billing month. It provides both a breakdown of the amount of data used during the month, downloaded data (to your computer) and uploaded data (sent from your computer) as well as a total amount of data used per day. It also details any excess data you may have used (i.e. data above your plan's standard data allowance).

To access the Daily Usage page, click on the link in the left hand navigation menu.

Note: The Daily Usage page is only available to customers on 'yes' Optus Fusion plans

How do I read the Internet Usage Meter - History page?

The History page shows the last three months' worth of usage in graphical format, while the last six months' usage is shown in table format. Similar to the Current Usage page, the History page also shows a breakdown of Plan Allowance, Plan data used during the month and the billing period in question. In addition, it shows the amount of data that you have uploaded (sent from your computer).

To access the History page, click on the link in the left hand navigation menu.

What do the different colours mean?

The Internet Usage Meter provides a colour-coded reference to easily show the different types of usage that are available, and to connect the data shown in the graph to that in the table. For example your Plan Allowance will show in blue, Bonus MBs (if applicable) in orange and Excess MBs in red.

What happens when I use all of my monthly Data Allowance?

When you exceed 100% of your monthly plan Data Allowance, access will be speed limited to 28.8kbps, 64kbps, 128kbps or 256kbps depending on your plan until the end of the billing month, at which point your Data Allowance will be reset. An exclamation mark (!) and notification message box will appear in your Internet Usage Meter to represent this.

The speed limiting cannot be reversed, and additional data cannot be purchased for the remainder of the month. If you would like to upgrade your monthly plan in order to provide more data for your next and subsequent billing periods, click here to upgrade your plan or if you are on an Optus Fusion plan, please contact Optus Customer Care on 1300 300 693 to discuss your options.

Optus 'yes' Fusion only: excess usage may apply. See Table 1 above under 'What is speed limiting?' for details.

Note: Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans combine both upload and download data transfers (1 Gigabyte = 1000 Megabytes) to determine your monthly usage.

What usage is included in my Data Usage count?

Both upstream and downstream data is counted towards your plan's Data Usage for Optus MyHome and Fusion plans. This includes such things as general browsing of web pages, use of your email, all content on the myZOO website, online gaming and streaming radio or video. For all Optus Broadband plans (excluding Fusion) that were available prior to 10 September, 2007 only downstream usage is counted towards your data allowance.

Note: Both Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans combine both upload and download data transfers to determine your monthly usage.

What is Bonus data?

Bonus data shown in MBs includes any MBs that have been added in addition to your standard plan's Data Allowance. The Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans do not provide you with 'Bonus Data' e.g. 'yes' Data.

Why can't I see the Bonus data column on the Current Usage/History pages?

The Bonus data column only appears if you have had Bonus data applied to your account.

Can I access the Internet Usage Meter using my additional email accounts?

No. For security reasons only the primary account holder will have access to the Internet Usage Meter (i.e. the username and password of the primary email account).

Can anyone else access my Internet Usage Meter?

No. As a username and password are required to login, only the primary account holder will have access.

What if I forget my username and password?

The username and password are the same as for your first (primary) email account. If you are the account holder, you can change your password at any time by visiting the Change Password page in Member Services or within the Desktop Service Centre located in your computer taskbar.

Will I get a warning when I'm close to reaching my plan Data Allowance?

Yes. When you exceed 80% of your plan's Data Allowance a notification will appear on Internet Usage Meter and an email will be sent to your primary email account. This will also occur when you exceed 100% of your plan's Data Allowance.

Optus 'yes' Fusion Only: In addition to receiving the standard 80% and 100% Data allowance notifications, you will also be sent a notification when you reach 95% of your Data allowance. However, if you exceed your plan's standard data allowance, a notification will also be sent for every additional 250MB of data you use.

Customers can elect to have data allowance notifications sent to an additional email address and by SMS to a nominated mobile phone. To do this, enter the additional contact details in Member Services online once 'yes' Fusion is activated on the account. You will only receive these by maintaining current primary e-mail and mobile phone number details in Member Services.

Note: While we will make our best effort to send data allowance notifications within 'real time'. Customers should always check their Internet Usage Meter if unsure of their data usage.

For details on excess usage for Fusion plans, see Table 1 above under 'What is speed limiting?' for details.

Excess usage will be charged to your account at a rate of $0.15 per MB to a maximum of 2GB (approx. $300).

Once you reach 2GB of excess data, your download speed will be limited to 64kbps or 128kbps depending on your plan until the end of your billing month.

Optus Fusion and Optus 'yes' Fusion plans combine both upload and download data transfers (1 Gigabyte = 1000 Megabytes) to determine your monthly usage.

How often is the Internet Usage Meter updated?

The Internet Usage Meter is updated on a regular basis - approximately every 15 minutes. The time and date of the last update is shown within the data table on the Current Usage page. Occasionally a network event may cause delays in the updating of the usage meter.

What is this feature?

Optus Broadband now offers an Unlimited Dial-up account to existing Optus Broadband users at a greatly reduced price. This account is handy for when you are travelling or otherwise away from your Broadband connection.

Who is eligible for this feature?

This feature is only available to active Optus DSL and Cable Internet customers.

How much does it cost?

Unlimited Dial-up for Broadband users is available for $4.95 per month*. This includes unlimited downloads and unlimited hours. There are no setup fees and no excess usage fees.

Is there a download limit?

No. You can download as much as you like. A 5 hour session limit (at anytime) and 20 minute idle time-out applies.

How will I be billed for this feature?

You will be debited monthly in advance from your nominated credit card or bank account.

What if I already have a Dial-up account?

Unlimited Dial-up is setup using the same username and password as your Broadband account.

If you already have a Dial-up account sharing your primary Broadband username, you will have the option to change your current Dial-up plan to the new Unlimited Dial-up feature.

If your existing Dial-up account username is not shared with your primary Broadband username you will be able to setup a new Dial-up account for the Unlimited Dial-up feature, and your existing account will not be affected.

What happens if I close my Broadband account?

The Unlimited Dial-up feature is only available to active Optus Broadband Internet customers. If your Optus Broadband Internet account is closed or suspended, your Unlimited Dial-up account will automatically be closed.

Can I use Dial-up while my Broadband service is logged in?

Yes. You can use the Dial-up facility concurrently with your broadband connection.

*Call charges apply to connect to the Optus Internet PoP network.

Can I sign up to the $2.95/hour Casual Usage Plan

No. This is no longer available. Only existing customers on the Casual Usage plan can continue to use this plan.

How much does the Dial-up Casual Usage plan cost?

The Dial-up Casual Usage plan is charged at $2.95 per hour of Internet usage*. There is no monthly access fee. You only pay for what you use!

Is there a download limit?

No. You can download as much as you like. You are only charged for the amount of time you spend connected to the Optus Dial-up Internet network.

How will I be billed for Casual Usage Dial-up?

Any usage on your Casual Usage Dial-up plan will be debited monthly, in arrears from your nominated credit card or bank account.

Are there any session limits?

The Casual Usage plan is configured with a default 5 hour session limit. This is an optional feature designed to protect you in the event your Dial-up service is left accidentally connected. You can easily modify this feature, or turn it off completely, by visiting the Session Limit page.

How do I access my Casual Dial-up Plan usage?

To view usage for Dial-up accounts, simply log in at My Usage

What happens if I close my Broadband account?

The Casual Usage Dial-up plan is only available to active Optus Broadband Internet customers. If your Optus Broadband Internet account is closed or suspended, your Casual Dial-up plan will automatically closed also.

*Call charges apply to connect to the Optus Internet PoP network.

What speeds can I expect with the Optus Premium Speed Pack?

The Optus Premium Speed Pack upgrades your cable broadband connection to Optus' fastest DOCSIS 3.0 based internet service which increases download speeds for most Australian-hosted content.

More information on DOCSIS 3.0 can be found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOCSIS

Actual download speed can be affected by factors such as your equipment and LAN performance, settings, hardware, software, and internet activity, location of content accessed and network congestion. A WiFi connection may not be as fast as a wired connection.

What things can impact the performance of my connection?

It is important to note factors such as:

1. the type of computer you have,
2. the performance of your home network,
3. the sites you are trying to access and whether the sites are locally hosted or cached,
4. the volume of overall network traffic (which can affect performance)
5. if your downloads have been speed limited

Other factors that can affect Internet speed are listed below:

• Internationally-hosted content - The Optus Premium Speed Pack will increase the download speed of content that is hosted or cached within Australia. You may also experience an increase for International content dependent on the location of the content.
• Location of content - One of the largest factors influencing speed is the location of content on the Internet that you want to access. Some sites you may wish to access do not have fast connections, up to date technology, or are located on servers overseas that may take longer to download. Variations in speed can also occur within Australia for similar reasons.
• Computer performance - The technical specifications of your computer also impact the performance you experience from the service, including the speed at which information is downloaded. For this reason to use the Optus Premium Speed Pack service your computer must meet Optus' minimum system requirements/specifications.
• What are the minimum system requirements/specifications my computer has to meet to be used with the Optus Premium Speed Pack?
  1. Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 & Linux (Optus recommends that users of the Optus Premium Speed Pack update to the latest version of Windows software to obtain the maximum throughput for your system.)
     1. CPU: Pentium 4, equivalent or higher
     2. Memory: 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
     3. Free Disk Space: 20G
     4. Network Adapter Device: Ethernet 10/100/1000
     5. Wireless Cable Network Adapter: 802.11N
     6. Service Pack 3 is a pre-requisite for XP users wishing to use the Optus-supplied CISCO USB wireless adaptor
  2. Mac OS X 10.4+
     1. CPU: PowerPC G5 (or higher) or Intel based
     2. Memory: 1GB RAM
     3. Free Disk Space: 20G
     4. Network Adapter Device: Ethernet 10/100/1000
     5. Wireless Cable Network Adapter: 802.11N

  Note: The hardware provided with your Optus Premium Speed Pack only supports data transfer through Ethernet or WiFi (if it is a WiFi device). Please refer to your cable modem's (embedded Multi-Media Terminal Adaptor's - eMTA) user guide supplied with the device. Optus recommends use of N-series WiFi Routers and adaptors. WiFi connection may not be as fast as a wired device.

  PCs using the XP operating system will need to execute the Optus Premium Speed Pack Optimiser to get maximum throughput from the service. See more details on the Optus Premium Speed Pack Optimiser below.

• Home Network Performance - Optus supply a cable modem/router solution that will provide you with premium speeds. Any other equipment NOT supplied by Optus may not observe this level of performance and cannot be supported by Optus
• Overall network traffic - The number of users 'on' at any one time could impact performance. If many people are accessing the same information from the same site at the same time, then the speed of transmission will be affected.
• Wireless Connectivity - If your computer does not have an inbuilt 802.11n wireless adaptor and you wish to use wireless connection with the Optus supplied Wireless eMTA, we recommend you use the supplied Cisco USB Wireless Dongle or obtain an 802.11n compatible wireless device.

How do I conduct a speed test?

• Customers may conduct Speed Tests by visiting the Member Services download test page: http://help.optuszoo.com.au/help/downloadtest.
• Data used by DOCSIS 3.0 & DOCSIS 1.1 Optus Cable Broadband customers using this tool will not count towards your monthly allowance (for those users running a DOCSIS 1.0 cable service it will count). Speed Tests performed using other ISP's speed test sites will count towards your monthly usage allowance.
• Optus responsibility for your connection ends at your eMTA. Accordingly speed tests for your network connection should be conducted with your PC/Laptop directly connected to your eMTA via Ethernet. Actual download speed can be affected by factors such as your equipment and LAN performance, settings, hardware, software, internet activity, location of content accessed and congestion. A Wi-Fi connection may not be as fast as a wired Ethernet direct connection.

What does the Optus Premium Speed Pack Optimiser software do?

Many computers have network settings that are not configured for optimal use with high speed broadband connections. The optimiser software adjusts these settings to allow for better utilisation of the bandwidth made available by your Optus Premium Speed Pack.

Note: The Optus Premium Speed Pack Optimiser tool is designed to be used only with Optus Premium Speed Pack-enhanced services. Other Optus broadband customers are not required to use this software as they will experience no benefit to their existing service.

How can I get the Optus Premium Speed Pack?

Existing Broadband Cable customers: please call Optus Customer Sales on 133 345.
New customers: please call Optus Customer Sales on 133 345.

Can all Optus Broadband Customers get the Optus Premium Speed Pack?

No. The Optus Premium Speed Pack is only available to customers on our Cable Broadband network. It is not available to our DSL Direct customers.

Do I need to upgrade the plan that I am currently on to receive the DOCSIS 3.0 service?

Possibly, depending on your existing plan. However you may find that you use more data because of the faster speed of the Optus Premium Speed Pack so you may wish to investigate a new larger data plan to cater for your increased requirements.

What modem do I need to take advantage of the Optus Premium Speed Pack?

Optus will supply you with the necessary wired or WiFi device to connect to the service. Other cable modems or eMTAs will not be supported and will not provide you with an optimal experience.

Can I use my Optus Premium Speed Pack through the USB port on the eMTA?

No. The eMTA provided with your Optus Premium Speed Pack only supports data transfer through Ethernet or WiFi (Wireless eMTA only). Please refer to your cable modem's (eMTA's) user guide supplied with the device.

What happens to my eMTA if I decide not to use the Optus Premium Speed Pack?

The eMTA provided with the Premium Speed Pack can continue to be used but will operate at DOCSIS 1.1 speeds, based upon the plan you choose to move to.

Will my Customer Access Unit (CAU) be removed in order to upgrade to Optus Premium Speed Pack?

No, the upgrade process only requires replacement of your modem with a new eMTA.