iibroadband2 just got faster
For those customers on an iiNet DSLAM and enjoying speeds of up to 8000kbps, hold onto your seat, as ADSL2 speeds of up to 12000kbps are now here!

As of June 9 we began turning up the speed, free of charge, for these customers with our launch of ADSL2, a new standard of ADSL that enables more content-rich activities over the Internet such as watching movies, downloading music and voice functions.

ADSL2 compliant modems will be required to obtain this new speed, but if you don’t already have one, we have a range of ADSL2/2+ compliant hardware. Visit Toolbox and click on the "buy hardware" button.

Current iibroadband2 and iiphone customers on a DSLAM were notified individually of this speed upgrade.

iidialup2 with full phone is here!
As of May 12, 2005 the iidialup2 range is now available with full service iiphone. Our dialup customers can now receive a $5 monthly discount when you bundle iiphone with your dialup Internet service. iiphone line rental is competitively priced at $29.95 per month.

A bundled iidialup2 and iiphone plan provides:

• Up to $60 saving each year on your iidialup2 plan
• Great phone rates - no minimum call spend required
• Competitive line rental
• Easy to use online call tracker
• Convenient phone and Internet service all on one invoice

free connection, free modem
For those of you who've been contemplating making the switch to broadband, or have been trying to talk friends and family into getting iibroadband2, now could be the perfect time.

Our "free connection, free modem" special offer was launched on June 1. This offer entitles new customers, agreeing to an 18 month contract, to receive free broadband connection.

For customers agreeing to a 24 month contract, you will receive a free router as well as free connection! There are also big discounts on other modems and routers available, and we have a fair contract guarantee so you never have to be locked in unfairly.

This offer is available for a limited time only, so get in quick!

customer service update
May was another busy month for the iiNet Perth Contact Centre as we managed over 120,000 customer interactions. The majority of these were made via phone to our Technical Support Teams.

Over the past three months we have been working hard to reduce our call queues and waiting time and have trained 40 new staff in our Perth Contact Centre. We now have over 200 employees working from this location and they're all dedicated to ensuring you receive the speediest and most effective service possible.

Recent callers may have noticed that we have now included a billing enquiry option into our phone system which allows us to direct those enquiries to more available staff, thus ensuring your enquiry is answered more efficiently.

customer feedback
As we keep striving to deliver the fastest, most efficient and effective customer support possible, we are always pleased to hear back from customers letting us know how we're doing. We received this email from Rachael in Thornleigh, NSW who uses iidialup2:

"iiNet has always been excellent to deal with and your customer service is fantastic, Well done, as this seems to be the exception to the rule these days."

And this email from Ron in Old Reynella, SA who has iibroadband2 bundled with iiphone:

"I'm very pleased with the service I am receiving at the moment. I do like the way I can get to talk to a real person on the phone almost straight away. Very impressed, keep it up. I had to wait half an hour to talk to someone with the other mob."

DSLAM expansion
The DSL Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) migration has resumed, and the next phase is picking up momentum, with customers on several WA and Eastern States exchanges being recently migrated over to the iiNet DSLAM equipment. As of the end of May, we now have over 28,000 customers on iiNet's DSLAMs, and therefore able to receive speeds of up to 12000kbps.

For those new to this, a DSLAM is iiNet's own hardware infrastructure installed into local telephone exchanges, which enables us to deliver improved service and reliability, and much faster speeds at lower prices. We are deploying DSLAMs into exchanges Australia-wide and moving customers onto that equipment in a phased approach.

We've recently updated the DSLAM rollout schedule, so check here to see if DSLAMs are coming to your exchange soon.

tip of the month
Thanks to Mark in the Perth provisioning team for this month's tip for broadband customers:

If you have an ADSL synchronisation problem, make sure that there are no other devices on the line, such as intercom systems, remote ringers (an external ringer that enables you to hear the phone ring outside the house), PABX/Commander systems, fax/EFTPOS machines, and monitored alarm systems.

If you have an alarm system, and it's physically connected to your telephone line, a central splitter must be installed. Even if the alarm is not actively monitored, it will still cause no synch or slow speeds.

staff profile
Name: Lauren Roberts
Title: Communications Coordinator - Integrations

How long have you been with iiNet and what roles have you had?
I commenced with iiNet in March 2003 in the call centre, answering support, billing and sales queries, and later focusing on billing and technical support when a separate sales team was formed last year. I was promoted to a Senior Customer Consultant position, and in February this year I was offered my current role in the Integrations team.

What does your current role involve?
The Integrations team manages the Integration of nine ISP brands which iiNet acquired over the past year or so, the largest being OzEmail. I'm responsible for informing the customers of those ISPs, usually by email, what's happening in the integration process as we move them onto the iiNet systems or offer new products and service. I also manage the Integrations Intranet site and generally ensure staff and customers have the right information at the right time.

What's been your most memorable or satisfying experience at iiNet?
My most memorable and fun moments include the yearly iiNet ball, staff Christmas party, the new brand launch and helping out at Open Day. In my spare time I also assist with inquiries about iiNet/OzEmail on Whirlpool, Australia's largest broadband community. Some of our customers who use the Whirlpool forums might now be able to put a face to my name!

Where do you think iiNet will be in five years?
At the rate that iiNet has grown in the time I've been here - I would say that we will have achieved world domination by then ;-)

customer profile
Name: Jytte Larsen
Account type: iibroadband2 starter, bundled with iiphone
Customer since: 1999 (stayed with iiNet after the Wantree merger)
Location: Medina, WA

What do you use the Internet for?
I mainly use the Internet to keep in touch with family and friends overseas and to read online newspapers and browse various sites. I am originally from Denmark, Europe and most of my family and friends live there and in Canada. We use a combination of email, instant messaging and VoIP to communicate with each other. I use a web camera so I can see the people I am speaking with over the Internet, and they can see me - it's the next best thing to being there in person, and much cheaper!

How is the new iibroadband2 product and iiphone assisting you with your overseas communication?
Well, as we are on an iiDSLAM, and especially since I recently upgraded to a new router, I have noticed that I am getting speeds of up to 10MB. This is great for sending and receiving photos and video clips from friends, and for Internet phone calls. Recently I was using the web camera and VoIP to speak with a friend and I sent him a photo while we were talking. I could see his reaction on the camera when he opened the photo, so that's one of the great things about fast speeds.

What's the best thing about bundling for you?
It's definitely convenient to have the Internet and home phone service on the one invoice.

Would you say you are quite Internet-savvy?
Yes, I suppose I am. While the Internet and computer is not my entire focus, it does play an important role in my life and in helping me feel a part of the lives of my friends and family.

win stuff!
Thanks to our friends at Greater Union, Birch Carroll & Coyle and Village Cinemas, we have 10 double movie passes up for grabs.

To be in the running for this prize, please email competitions@iinet.net.au with "June competition" in the subject line, and provide your iiNet username, full name, and address by 5pm WST, June 24, 2005, along with the answer to this question: What broadband contract term provides free connection and a free modem? (hint: you'll find the answer in a story in this newsletter or on our website)

Winners with the correct answer will be drawn at random and prizes sent by mail.

iiNet Games' 2 minute review
Jade Empire for Xbox

Like any self-respecting automaton gamer, I blindly rushed out for my shiny copy of Jade Empire upon release...with scant forethought to the substance within. A mistake? Well, yes and no...

Jade Empire puts you in the slippers of some God-like martial combatants, roaming the lands of the empire on many a righteous jaunt. Part adventure, part RPG, it smacks of Star Wars KotOR and Fable, with more polish and verve.

Over time, you'll style your pugilist in weaponry, magic and good old fashioned biffage. Your character also develops based on previous decisions, carving you as a benevolent monk or a dirty, murderous conman. And we know which is more fun.

Really, it ain't that bad. The controls are quick to master and the gameplay is accomodating enough, but that may well be the evil within the good - it's too simple, too showy for it to be rewarding. It is, in short, the button-masher's holy grail.

You wouldn't kick it out of bed if you judged it on it's looks, and it certainly has it nailed in the pretty sounds department - big kudos to the boffins behind the fabricated language acting, that there is some clever gear.

But as for the game, it's not what I expected. The story is linear, familiar and uninvolving. There's too many load points and not enough variety to the action - conflicts are settled via predetermined negotiation or the same, tired fisticuffs...every single time.

I'd suggest taking a look, give it a bash if you've got the cash - but if you're after variety, Jade Empire may not wave the right flags to keep you entertained.

movie of the month
Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Still the number one film at box offices nationwide, Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is George Lucas' latest extravaganza and it's winning rave reviews.

Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson are some of the actors taking you on the next journey with Anakin Skywalker towards the Dark Side of the Force.

It's rated M and is screening now at cinemas such as Greater Union, Birch Carroll & Coyte and Hoyts.

album of the month
The Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business

Global multi-platinum Grammy Award winners The Black Eyed Peas return with the release of this eagerly-anticipated fourth album, "Monkey Business."

The new album, released on May 30, is a madcap musical journey, mixing big bass lines with Latin rhythms, witty rhymes and hip hop beats. It includes collaborations with several well known musicians including, the Godfather of soul, James Brown, Justin Timberlake, Jack Johnson and Sting. The first single off the album, and already a hit, is "Don't Phunk With My Heart."

Available in music stores around the country and from your favourite online outlets.

DVD/video review
Sideways

This comedy centres on Jack (Thomas Haden Church) and Miles (Paul Giamatti), two old college friends with little in common aside from their college history - who embark on a week-long break in California's wine country to celebrate Jack's last week of bachelor-hood.

The pair, which hasn't admitted they're on the brink of mid-life crises, soon find themselves drowning in wine and women. Jack, the aspiring, but-never-quite-made-it actor, hooks up with Stephanie (Sandra Oh), while the recently divorced Miles is not sure how to handle the interest he's receiving from Maya, (played by Virginia Madsen, Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress).

And so their bachelor week soon starts heading sideways as Jack and Miles try desperately to relive their youth, but after colliding with reality, they discover more about themselves, and what's really important to each of them.

While this is ultimately a comedy (and Jack and Miles are so real and likeable they could be anyone in our circle of friends), it touches on some deeper issues such as depression, fidelity, honesty and friendship.

One of the cool things about this movie is that all the restaurants, bars and wineries that Jack and Miles frequent really do exist. The homes are lived in and messy and this all adds to the feeling of familiarity and comfort that this movie gives you.

Sideways has just been released on video and DVD, which is perfect timing with the chillier weather upon us. So next weekend, plan a night in, open a great bottle of wine (if you're over 18), and invite some friends over, or just snuggle up with your sweetie and enjoy this flick.

iiNet - providing Internet and phone services all over Australia. This email was authorised by the GM Marketing, on behalf of iiNet. Postal address: Locked Bag 16, Cloisters Square, WA 6000. If you wish to unsubscribe to future iiNet newsletters, you can do so by visiting https://toolbox.iinet.net.au/