While the first two benefits can be seen in pure dollar terms, the independence which AUSIX gives the small-to-medium ISP is more intangible. To start with, the simple benefits of informal networking amongst your colleagues in the ISP industry is not to be underestimated, through mailing lists and other meetings and social occasions.

Another part of this independence is increased power to choose your transit provider. One of the problems with connecting to a single provider of your bandwidth is the cost of moving to another carrier if you want to change. Provisioning another tail to another carrier's PoP is costly and time-consuming, and it is a major disincentive against engaging in "commercial churn". Connecting to the AUSIX exchanges with your own router gives you the ability to choose from several upstream ISPs which are present at various exchanges, including Optus and Telstra.

It should be noted that AUSIX does not play a part in negotiating transit contracts, although members are quite welcome, indeed encouraged, to use their equipment hosted in AUSIX racks to take transit traffic from privately negotiated contracts.