Internode moves into analogue phone territory with NodeLine

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 16 July 2009 08:54

Your IT - Home IT

If you mainly use your fixed line for local calls, you could end up paying more with NodeLine. Internode charges 20c per call, compared with Telstra's 18c.

In addition, more than three-quarters of the claimed saving comes from calls to mobiles. Many people have their mobiles on a cap plan, so the marginal cost of calling another mobile is zero.

While NodeLine may reduce some people's phone expenditure, you'd need to look carefully at your recent bills to work out whether it can save you money.

If you do have a broadband connection but want the assurance that comes with a regular phone line, you might save more by switching to Telstra's HomeLine Budget plan ($20.95) and then using VoIP for outbound calls (rates of 12.5c for calls to fixed lines, 24c per minute to mobiles and from 2c per minute to overseas numbers are readily available).

That way, you keep your analogue line for incoming calls, and as a backup in case of power cuts and other emergency situations.

And the $9 per month saving on line charges is enough to pay for a VoIP router if you don't already own one.

It will be interesting to see what Internode puts into the NodeLine bundles the company has foreshadowed. Maybe they will offer value to a broader range of users.