http://www.australian.aust.com/computer/fulltext/c1014b.htm Telstra: We were wrong about Net By GEOFF LONG October 14: A Telstra official has admitted that the carrier overestimated the congestion problems associated with the Internet, one of the prime reasons given when it wanted to introduce timed local calls. Speaking at the launch of Telstra's Big Pond Business services, Big Pond general manager John Rolland said congestion caused by Internet users connecting for long periods was not as big an issue as they first thought. He added that the about-face was in line with similar findings from North American carriers and switch manufacturers Alcatel and Ericsson. Mr Rolland said that the main problem areas are where ISPs are situated, but that these were manageable: "What is clear is that in the medium term we will have hot spots, especially around ISPs." However, these could be addressed by working with the ISPs and managing connectivity better. The remarks came in response to Telstra promoting permanent modem connections as part of its Big Pond Business offering.