Today I experienced an ironic example of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) successfully avoiding any consideration of a well meaning (and simple!) suggestion to improve their offerings. It is ironic because the ISP concerned is Internode, the company I founded in 1991.

I meant well in trying to help them to improve their service offering, but all I wound up doing was falling down a funny / sad rabbit hole in terms of where those efforts landed me, as you will see.

I used what appeared to be the appropriate email address (found on this page):

This is what I sent (very lightly edited for additional clarity):

From: Simon Hackett

Subject: The absence of support for Fixed Wireless Plus is a strange
and unfortunate deficiency

Date: 17 October 2020 at 1:21:38 pm ACDT

To: customer-relations@internode.com.au


Hi guys,

I have a 25 Megabit fixed wireless service in Tasmania. 

This is the fastest Fixed Wireless offering available from
Internode/iiNet/TPG.

Fully appreciate this sheets home to TPG decisions on how the NBN
Fixed Wireless service is operated - but - NBNCo introduced a new,
higher speed/best effort (up to 75/10) Fixed Wireless service a
long time ago (December 2018!).

I have tried repeatedly since to get my service upgraded to
support those higher speeds, but I have confirmed (on multiple
occasions) with the sales team that there is no plan to have
Internode able to offer those higher speeds… which is just crazy,
frankly.

I think I’ve given Internode at least a year to fix this - and it
isn’t getting fixed - that much is clear. 

So - I’ve now given up and signed up with Aussie Broadband and as
of yesterday, I am indeed enjoying > 60 megabit per second
speeds on the same site with the same hardware and the performance
change is dramatic. 

I will call the accounts team on Monday to cancel down the old
Internode services at the site concerned (snbs client ID is
<REDACTED>, for reference).

As the person who founded Internode, I have found it hugely
disappointing - indeed actually upsetting - to have had to do
this… but (sincerely) this ball (in terms of supporting fixed
wireless customers) has been comprehensively dropped on a long
term basis by the TPG group. Supporting the now-current Fixed
Wireless service offering and rolling existing customers over to
it would be trivial. 

It beggars belief that this is not being done - but - well -
obviously it is not.

For the sake of not losing customers in Fixed Wireless over time
in this entirely avoidable manner, I would challenge you to
actually fix this. It won’t help me, any longer, but it would help
YOU (and your existing and future customers). 

Yours sincerely,
 Simon Hackett
 Founder, Internode

I got an email reply promptly back from iiNet (note: not from Internode), which said:

Hi Simon 

Would you mind providing your account number or mobile number for us to
assist you further.

Kind Regards
<REDACTED>
Case Manager 
iiNet Customer Relations

I pointed out in reply that I had in fact already provided this information.

What floored me is what came back next:

Hello Simon,

Thank you for your email and I do apologize for the delayed response.

Please contact internode directly via the following link: 
https://www.internode.on.net/contact/?dep=support

Their contact details are via the above website.

Warm Regards,

Customer Service Representative
iiNet Support



iiNet Limited, Locked bag 16, Cloisters Square WA 6850
ph: 13 22 58 fax: 1300 785 632
email: support@iinet.net.au
web: www.iinet.net.au

Um… excuse me?

Here’s the bottom line – I tried, but – having been taken on a complete runaround for my trouble, well, I’m outta there…

…and wondering why I gave them more than year to fail to address my original issue (as per my email above) before I left. Loyalty, I guess.

My Aussie Broadband ‘Refer-a-Friend’ code is 4549606 if you’re considering the same move, and it will get you (and me!) a $50 credit if you use it.

Thus far I’ve been highly impressed with the outcome, and I’ll have more to say about that later.

(Full Disclosure: I have also purchased some ASX:ABB shares after their recent IPO)