Comments on: Pair Gain Victims

By: S Shrestha

S Shrestha — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:25:23 +0000

I am also a pair gain victim. It came to my notice recently as I applied for ADSL2+ from TPG. I was shocked that Australia’s telecommunications is still on this scrapped technology. Shame on you political and telcom corporate leaders who always talk about high speed internet and state of art telcom technology. Just bull shit. I came from one of the least developed countries. However, we don’t have PGS. We can have have ADSL2+ and tv from the same telephone line which was installed some 25 years ago.

I have spoken some many times to telestra customer consultants. It seems only their job positions are customer service reps., they don’t understand what is customer service is all about. All they know is just to spell the CUSTOMER SERVICE. And most of all it is the management. It seems they are just ripping the every Australians who are compelled to go with their scrapped and absolete technolies. Otherwise would not hear PSG in Australia.

By: Steven

Steven — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:11:48 +0000

Have you tried seeing if companies like TPG or Internode can give you at least an ADSL1 service? I had Helstra try to tell me that I couldn’t get ADSL1 or ADSL2 yet I knew that I could get at least ADSL1. In essence, they were only trying to flog their own product (Bigpond Wireless)

By: Steven

Steven — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:09:14 +0000

Hi everyone…..

If you want to get some background information on PGS (Pair Gain Systems) and RIMS (Remote Integrated Multiplexer) the Whirlpool site (link provided) is full of information. Hope it provides of some assistance….

http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/?tag=RIM_and_Pair_Gain_FAQ

By: Patrick Filipiak

Patrick Filipiak — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:17:38 +0000

I had a nice talk with a young chap from another provider today and he informed me that Im not on PGS as I have been told in the past, but am actually on a Rim. This is why I am able to get ADSL and not ADSL2+

There is no way around this for me, and I have to wait for Telstra to spend money in my area on infrastructure, which I think I have more chance of having Dinner with Jimi Hendrix this weekend.

By: Scott Quinn

Scott Quinn — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:03:05 +0000

We’ve just moved house within our estate north of Brisbane only to find ourselves in ADSL hell – “No Ports”. It’s a very large, fairly new estate but there’s no alternatives like cable or fibre.

When I applied for the new phone line with Telstra we were given the line “ADSL is available in your area, you’ll have to apply for it once the phone is connected”. Of course it wasn’t available and what gets my goat is that Telstra either knew it wouldn’t be… or at least should have known.

I work from home and I need broadband to do my job (and quite a large data allowance) and the best Telstra are now offering me is Wireless Broadband which is A. Fairly low bandwidth with high latency, B. Very expensive (about 4 x the cost of an equivalent ADSL service) and C. It doesn’t give me half the data I need with their highest plan topping out at only 10GB of data a month. As an extra sting you MUST buy and use THEIR modem (still $200 after a so called “rebate”) and you’re stuck with a 24 month plan, so if by some miracle I do get an ADSL line in the near future I still have to pay out the Wireless Broadband contract which is around $3000 (they won’t let you transfer or cancel the contract – I asked several times).

So whatever happens, Telsta win and I lose.

By: Patrick Filipiak

Patrick Filipiak — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:42:18 +0000

3 years ago I built a new home in Kurunjang Victoria and payed my fees to have my brand new phone line connected to my house. At the time only ADSL was available, and I decided to go with AAPT as my provider. After about a year ADSL2+ became available in my area and I signed up, only to be told there wasn’t any ports available by Telstra. So I rang a few other companies and I was told there was a pair gain on my line. I tried to find out what this was and Telstra made out like I was making it all up and assured me it was due to no ports available. I left it for 2 years and reapplied as there is more providers and more ports available, but I still get the same answer. Pair Gains. Well I spoke to more people and indeed I do have pair gains on my line and cannot get ADSL2+ even though people in my street, even next door have it. I was the first house built in the street and I cant get it. To me that isn’t fair. I am being forced to pay inflated costs for an inferior product when there is a better product available in my area, but I can not get it because Telstra are too tight to spend the cash and upgrade our DSLAM. Melton is growing at an extremely fast rate and we have this phone exchange that predates the invention of the wheel.

This really needs to be rectified, we are being screwed in this country for communications. Its over priced, crap service, crap infrastructure and crap usage amounts.

By: Ganesh S Jaygan

Ganesh S Jaygan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:15:26 +0000

Is it possible that I am still under pair gain? Geez that is unnerving.

By: Steven

Steven — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:24:25 +0000

What Telstra is doing is with new estates they are installing PGS (Pair Gain Systems) which will allow 16 phones lines to share 1 piece of copper wire. Telstra claims that they only have to provide a simple telephone service to the premise and that’s what they do. A working telephone line irrespective of whether the client wants ADSL2+ or not.

However, whilst you may still be on a PGS you might still be able to get ADSL1 with TPG as wireless internet is overpriced when you look at the amount of data you download. My sister has a wireless internet connection and it only gives a 2GB limit, they use it up in a few days.

I ended up going with TPG (as Telstra claimed that I couldn’t get ADSL and had to go wireless) and went with the Ultimate 1500/25GB with VoIP plan and I’m getting the full speed and have reduced the Telstra bill by $100 a month. I need to reduce the Telstra phone plan to the lowest I can possibly go as the Telstra phone line is only used to receive calls and maybe only ever make 1 call a month using the Telstra line (if lucky).

By: Richard Robinson

Richard Robinson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:35:37 +0000

My other solution I have worked out is to go wireless and pay for a Skype Online number which works out cheaper than a telstra phone line so that maybe the way to go. The more providers like Skype that provide this service the better I say.

By: Richard Robinson

Richard Robinson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:33:35 +0000

In the end, I gave up, I spoke with Telstra and then told me that all the houses in my street are using Pair Gain. I was told they could put a Transposition order through, and it MAY get through but I would never have Adsl 2, so really whats the point of getting it changed if I am only really going to be degrading my connection speed.

I got really annoyed with the girl at Telstra and hung up. I dont have time to be stuffed around. So told TPG to caqncel their order and advisd them I will never be getting adsl 2 so its no point getting their service.

I have even hear of friends of mine who have had new houses only 3 years old and still on pair. SO I am not a happy camper as they say NOT HAPPY JAN.