solmanic <solmanic.2oe6eh@no-mx.phorums.com.au> wrote

> Hello all - I am new to this forum

It isnt a forum, its a newsgroup.

> but have been an 0500 customer since its inception.

> I have a few general questions for those in the know and some
> observations regarding the cancellation of the 0500 service...

> 1. Does anybody have any idea how many actual users
> there are of this service (someone earlier posted 30,000).

Just a number plucked out of his arse.

> If Telstra takes into account the fact that ALL users of the 0500 service
> have been required to maintain at least one Telstra landline, and my case
> I have opted to keep my entire phone service and mobiles with them,
> what if ALL 0500 customers abandoned Telstra completely???

Taint gunna happen.

> Without the 0500 service I have no reason to stay with them at all.

They still get the wholesale charge which isnt that
much different even if you go to some other reseller.

> If 30,000 customers are paying $29 per month for a landline rental
> plus $5 for their 0500 number the annual revenue is over $12M.

Thats a stupid number plucked out of your arse.

> If those customers have more services with
> Telstra then lost revenue could exceed $50M!!!

Another stupid number plucked out of your arse.

> Maybe THAT is a number worth their consideration.

It obviously isnt or they wouldnt be pulling the plug on those numbers.

> 2. Is there anything in our telecommunications legislation
> regarding provision of service which might require Telstra
> to continue the service or offer a real alternative?

Nope.

> 3. When the Onenumber service was launched
> it was marketed as Onenumber for life.

No it wasnt in that sense.

> Does this also require Telstra to offer some way of
> transitioning the 0500 phone numbers to a new system?

Nope.

> 4. We have built our entire business model around the 0500 system -
> mobile offices and staff with an easy, user friendly way for clients
> to contact us anywhere. Not to mention the fact that we use a
> relatively small amount of stationery and that which we have already
> printed with our 0500 numbers will last us a couple of years at least.

More fool you.

> There are often stories of businesses seeking compensation
> from Telstra for stuff-ups with 1300 numbers (usually clumsy
> allocation of numbers resulting in hundreds of unwanted calls).

This isnt a stuffup, its a deliberate policy choice.

> Surely there is a good argument for substantial compensation
> to be awarded to businesses which will be severely affected
> by the cancellation of the 0500 service

You clearly dont qualify, its just a trivial amount of stationary invovled.

> (regardless of the 12 month advance warning).

Plenty of time for even you to get your act into gear on the stationary.

> Again, 30,000 people are hard to ignore.

Thats a stupid number plucked out of your arse.

> I am keen to hear others' views on these topics

That you get to like it or lump it.

> and whether there is any likeliness of an action group forming to petition
> Telstra to come up with an real alternative or continue the system.

Taint gunna happen and telstra will ignore it even if it does.