[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/why-isps-are-getting-out-of-the-email-business\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/why-isps-are-getting-out-of-the-email-business\/","headline":"Why ISPs Are Getting Out of the Email Business","name":"Why ISPs Are Getting Out of the Email Business","description":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]   Why ISPs Are Getting Out of the Email Business For a long time, companies that provide internet services gave their customers free email accounts. But now, more and more of these companies are stopping their […]","datePublished":"2026-05-10","dateModified":"2026-05-10","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Digby Saunders","url":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/author\/admin\/","identifier":1,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/07f69ae4be0ac9161acc3896df4c60993f6699394abd5e7edc36c3605e1bbbed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/07f69ae4be0ac9161acc3896df4c60993f6699394abd5e7edc36c3605e1bbbed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Person","name":"Digby Saunders","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/face.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/face.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/malware-phishing-header.avif","url":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/malware-phishing-header.avif","height":800,"width":1600},"url":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/why-isps-are-getting-out-of-the-email-business\/","about":["Computer Repairs"],"wordCount":1420,"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Why ISPs Are Getting Out of the Email BusinessFor a long time, companies that provide internet services gave their customers free email accounts. But now, more and more of these companies are stopping their email services altogether. This is happening with big phone and internet companies in the US, and also with smaller companies in Australia. It seems that providing email is not a good business idea for most of these companies anymore. They don’t make money from it, and it’s not worth the trouble.The Practical Reasons Behind the DeclineHigh Operational CostsRunning an email service is far from cheap. ISPs must pay for extensive storage infrastructure as users accumulate thousands of emails, attachments, and photos over the years. Additionally, the cost of maintaining spam filters, security patches, and technical support teams adds up quickly. For most ISPs, these costs far exceed the revenue generated from free email accounts.Intense Competition from Giant PlayersThese days, people really like using free email services that have a lot of features, like Gmail, Outlook.com, and Yahoo Mail. They give you a lot of space to store your emails, usually 15 GB or more, and they work really well with other tools like calendars, cloud storage, and video calls. They also have good systems to block spam. Internet service providers just can’t keep up with the big tech companies when it comes to how big and secure their services are, and all the extra features they offer. This is why many users are choosing to use these free email services instead of the ones provided by their internet service providers. They just can’t compete with the scale and security that these big companies can provide.Customer Lock-In No Longer WorksIn the early days of the internet, having an ISP-specific email address (e.g., user@bigpond.com or user@verizon.net) meant you were tied to that provider. Switching to a different ISP was painful because it required changing your email address and notifying all your contacts. However, the rise of portable email services and domain-based email (e.g., user@yourbusiness.com) has broken this lock-in effect. As a result, ISPs no longer see email as a valuable retention tool.Shrinking User BaseAs more and more people use the internet on their phones, a lot of email accounts provided by internet service providers are being left unused. These days, people tend to spend most of their time on their smartphones, where the built-in email apps or other third-party apps like Spark or Apple Mail are more likely to be used with Gmail or Outlook accounts. Because of this, the number of people actively using their ISP email accounts is going down, which means there are fewer opportunities to show ads and make money. This makes it even harder for the email service to be cost-effective and worth maintaining.Security Risks and Compliance BurdensEmails are a big target for phishing scams, malware, and data breaches. So, internet service providers need to spend a lot of money to keep their users’ accounts safe. They also have to follow strict rules to protect people’s data, like the GDPR in Europe, the Privacy Act in Australia, and the Spam Act. If they don’t, they could get in big trouble and have to pay a lot of money. This is why some providers just decide to stop offering email services altogether. It’s a lot of work to keep everything secure, and the penalties for not doing it right can be really severe.A Real-World Example: AustraliaA big change is happening with internet service providers, like iiNet in Australia. They used to offer email services, but now they’re stopping that for new customers. If you already have an email with them, you’ll need to switch to someone else, like Google or Microsoft, or set up your own email with a domain name you own. This is because it’s getting too expensive and hard for them to compete with free email services like Gmail. Lots of other Australian internet service providers, like Optus and TPG, are doing the same thing. In fact, most Australian households now use Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo for their email, so it seems like email services from internet service providers are becoming a thing of the past. The Australian Communications and Media Authority says over 60% of households are using these big email providers, which is a pretty big shift.What This Means for Users: Practical AdviceIt’s time to think about changing your email address if you’re still using one from your internet service provider, like @bigpond.com or @optusnet.com.au. You should make a plan to switch to a new email address. Here’s what you can do:Create a new email address with a portable provider. Options include Gmail (free, 15 GB storage), Outlook.com (free, 15 GB storage), or Proton Mail (free, 1 GB storage, strong privacy). For businesses, consider Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.To make the switch easier, set up email forwarding with your current internet service provider. Most of them let you forward incoming emails to your new address for a while, usually between 6 to 12 months after you’ve moved on. This gives you plenty of time to update your contacts and make a smooth transition.Let your friends and family know about your new email address. Send them a nice email to tell them about the change. Also, don’t forget to update your email address on all the important websites you use, like your bank, social media, and any subscriptions you have. This way, you’ll make sure everything is connected to your new email and you won’t miss any important messages.To keep your emails safe, make a copy of the old ones. You can use a special program like Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, or Apple Mail to get your emails from the internet and save them on your computer. This way, you’ll have a backup of all your important messages.Having your own domain can be a great idea. It’s pretty cheap, around $10 to $15 a year, and you get to own a domain name that’s yours, like yourname.com. You can use it for your email, which is really handy. There are services like Google Workspace, which starts at $6 a month, or Zoho Mail, which is free for up to 5 users, that let you create email addresses that look super professional, like hello@yourname.com. The best part is, you’ve got full control and can take your email address with you wherever you go, forever.ConclusionThe end of ISP email isn’t about companies being greedy or plotting something – it’s just the way the market is changing because of money, technology, and how people use things. Even though it’s a hassle for people who have had the same email address for a long time, this change can be a good thing. It’s a chance to get a better, safer email system that you can use anywhere. If you take action now, you won’t have to rush around later when your ISP says they’re stopping their email service. You can be ready and have a new email system in place before that happens. It’s like when anything else gets old and isn’t used as much anymore – it’s time to move on to something better. Email is an important tool, so it’s good to have a system that is secure and works well. By being proactive, you can make this change work for you and have a better email experience in the end.If you’re looking for more help, you can get independent advice from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, or ACCC for short, at their website https:\/\/www.accc.gov.au. Another option is the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, or OAIC, which can be found at https:\/\/www.oaic.gov.au. These organizations can provide you with the guidance you need. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Why ISPs Are Getting Out of the Email Business","item":"https:\/\/www.perthcomputer-repairs.com.au\/why-isps-are-getting-out-of-the-email-business\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]