Optus says it is saying ‘Yes’ to no data limits, but this isn’t the first time Optus has made home broadband unlimited - here’s Optus' unlimiting broadband back in 2013, and here’s the unlimited $90 deal from February. 

That said, unlimited is as popular as always, which as Optus says makes it ‘easier for customers to stream, watch and browse to their heart’s content.’

Optus points to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data from December 2014, which excludes wireless broadband data, and notes that ‘Households are using more broadband data than ever before, with Australians downloading more than 1.1 million terabytes of data in the 12 months to December 2014, an increase of 35% from the previous year.’

Optus then points to ACMA data on Catch-up TV from February 2015 and notes that ‘Demand for data continues to grow as Australians take advantage of on-demand video services, with 52% of adults viewing TV shows or feature films via the internet.’

However, unless you’ve been living under a rock, it should come as no surprise that demand for data has grown, seemingly exponentially in the age of video on demand services, and only a few things could have truly proved a real shock at this point.

Those few things would have been the elimination of unlimited plans by Optus, the massive price reduction or price rise for unlimited, or for Optus to have announced a way to instantly make all of its ADSL2+ connections operate at 1Gbps.

Sadly that’s not possible in 2015, and neither is another massively HUGE area where people would LOVE to get unlimited - the aforementioned wireless data scenario. The limitations imposed by our current understanding of physics and current 3G and 4G technology mean that there’s no way known that wireless technologies will allow unlimited usage in the near future.

Unless, perhaps, Australia’s telcos decide to further investigate pCells from Artemis Networks https://www.artemis.com, but sadly this seems unlikely any time soon.

So, with unlimited broadband on fixed, wired networks something Optus has offered for a while now, what does the company’s MD of Marketing and Product, Vicky Brady, have to say about its latest offer?

Brady said: “Every household is different, but customers tell us they want plans that give them the freedom to use their data around the clock and without speed limits. With video-on-demand and streaming services becoming mainstream, we know that unlimited data is fast becoming a must have for many Aussie families.

“Optus is responding to changing consumer behaviour with plans that deliver everything customers have been asking for – loads of data, bundling options to suit their lifestyle, all delivered over a reliable network.”

I guess this means Optus customers have been asking for what they’re already getting from Optus, but it’s no surprise to see marketing people talk up their offerings with marketing messages tweaking the plans they have already been offering.

So… what are the three latest July 2015 Optus unlimited home broadband bundles?

• Home Entertainment Bundle – great for data-hungry customers, who want all their on-demand entertainment in one place with Optus TV with Fetch and the security of a landline
• Big Bundle – ideal for customers who want lots of data and the flexibility that comes with generous domestic and international call inclusions; and
• Ultimate Home Bundle – the plan for customers who want it all, with unlimited data, unlimited calls and all the entertainment they can handle with Optus TV with Fetch and the Entertainment Pack.

Optus also talks up its Optus TV with Fetch offering - something Optus has previously offered - and notes the features you get:

• get the most out of their TV: with the ability to record, pause and rewind up to 585 hours of standard definition (SD) digital free-to-air TV with a premium personal video recording (PVR) device;
• watch on-demand content on the big screen: with easy access from their TV to Netflix, YouTube and Catch-up TV, a chance to rent or buy over 4,000 new release movies and access to the TV Store to buy selected TV episodes and seasons; and
• get extra entertainment included: with more than 35 premium channels to keep the whole family entertained including ESPN, Disney Channel and E! Entertainment and 30 pre-selected movie rentals each month.

There is also a non-unlimited offering from Optus - the Home Basics Bundle which offers 200GB of data and unlimited standard national calls for just $70 per month on a 24 month plan.

Of this plan, Brady said: “Our basic plan is our best entry-level broadband bundle yet, offering customers 200GB of data and unlimited standard local and national calls, all for $70 a month.”

And, if you bundle your home broadband plan with a mobile smartphone plan, Optus is tempting you with a $10 monthly saving, which naturally ends up being $120 per year.

The main page at the Optus website for its various ADSL, Cable and NBN offerings is here. 

Here’s a graphic of the new July 2015 Optus Home Broadband bundles: