It's OK! You can retain your existing email address for as long as you want :D
Updated 6 March 2018
Here is what we recommend
Download & install the Google Chrome browser software
Create a new Gmail address at www.gmail.com
Add your existing email address (BigPond/Internode/Activ8/etc)
Label the incoming emails so you can see which sender has been used
Import your existing address book or contact list
Import your existing emails
Configure each of your devices (phone/tablet/laptop/desktop/etc)
Confirm your email is send/receiving/synchronizing as intended
Advise re use of Gmail features
When we have completed the changeover, here is what you need to do
Advise all of your contacts about your new email address
Noting that your previous email address(es) will work for as long as you want them to
Not an essential step, your contacts will work it out over time!
Identify who is still using your previous email address
For regular contacts
Simply reply and alert them to the change individually
For organisations and web sites etc where you have used your previous email address as your login name
Go to the organisation website and change your login email address to your new Gmail address
Some organisations will only email you annually, ie for renewals etc
So it will take between one and two years to be sure you have changed everything over
Until you cancel whatever service you have with your existing provider, your previous email address will still work
and you will know who is still using your previous email address
When you do cancel your previous email address, make sure your provider actually cancels it
otherwise, anyone still using will send you an email thinking you have received it but it never arrives
test by sending an email message to your previous email address, it should "bounce back" with an error message
Please email computers@lcc.com.au or call us on 08 8682 1666 if you would like us to implement this process for you. We can do the entire job in our workshop, or on-site or we can login remotely, whichever you prefer. The cost will vary between $100.00 and several hundred dollars depending on how much we need to do. Once we understand your precise requirements we can give you a firm quote.