Beware downloading whores....

Lester

One of Freddy's beloved
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Dec 22, 2003
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As more ISPs move to a usage based pricing model from BT, you'll find that all the 8 and 24Mb services will deteriorate in quality. They will crack down on heavy downloaders more and more. It's happening already with some ISPs identfying heavy users and lumping them together in the same "contention" groups. As Broadband moves to I.P., it will be easier to control and limit those users.

Those ISPs with a LLU platform will be a better option for a while as they fight for market share, but basically the next 12 months will see lots of ISPs go bust or get bought.

imo of course...
 

nath

Fledgling Freddie
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There'll always be ISP's that offer uncapped services - you just might have to pay a bit extra for it.
 

yaruar

Can't get enough of FH
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Lester said:
As more ISPs move to a usage based pricing model from BT, you'll find that all the 8 and 24Mb services will deteriorate in quality. They will crack down on heavy downloaders more and more. It's happening already with some ISPs identfying heavy users and lumping them together in the same "contention" groups. As Broadband moves to I.P., it will be easier to control and limit those users.

Those ISPs with a LLU platform will be a better option for a while as they fight for market share, but basically the next 12 months will see lots of ISPs go bust or get bought.

imo of course...

Most ISP's have been bust for years, living off IPO money and investment from people who didn't know any better. It's just not a particually profitable marketplace. Look at the top tier providers, they are all broke and infighting at the moment :)
 

yaruar

Can't get enough of FH
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nath said:
Good lord, you're paying £29.99 a month for it? I'm paying that for my 24mbit with UKOnline, capped at 500gb a month. Added to that, the two times I've had problems (one teething problem when moving to 8mb, the other the same but for 24mb) I've spoken to a competent english person.

I guess 30 a month isn't the biggest deal, and if you're not the sort of person to worry about the priciple of the thing, then fine. I am though, and I think it's fucking disgraceful :\

Yeah, but UK online is owned by Rupert Murdoch now which means anyone using it is a disgrace to humanity ;)
:touch:
 

Lester

One of Freddy's beloved
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yaruar said:
Most ISP's have been bust for years, living off IPO money and investment from people who didn't know any better. It's just not a particually profitable marketplace. Look at the top tier providers, they are all broke and infighting at the moment :)

All the top tier providers are moving to LLU and will achieve much improved margins for a while. You'll see a big move to IPTV and voice services too, to try and squeeze every last penny out of their customers.
 

`mongoose

One of Freddy's beloved
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I'm on with plus.net (thanks to trem) and tbh they're not too bad.

They're certainly better than nthell were that's for sure.

£15 a month for 2mb and all I use my connection for is surfing and gaming. Cheap and fairly reliable.

M
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
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`mongoose said:
I'm on with plus.net (thanks to trem) and tbh they're not too bad.

They're certainly better than nthell were that's for sure.

£15 a month for 2mb and all I use my connection for is surfing and gaming. Cheap and fairly reliable.

M

Phew! Glad they got better for you chum. I left in a rage.
 

DaGaffer

Down With That Sorta Thing
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yaruar said:
Yeah, but UK online is owned by Rupert Murdoch now which means anyone using it is a disgrace to humanity ;)
:touch:

Heh, I switched to UKOnline because Murdoch owns it. I figure that I'll end up with a bundle deal on my Sky sub at some point, and also it should keep the buggers solvent and investing; unlike a lot of the other LLU providers.
 

yaruar

Can't get enough of FH
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Lester said:
All the top tier providers are moving to LLU and will achieve much improved margins for a while. You'll see a big move to IPTV and voice services too, to try and squeeze every last penny out of their customers.
I was thinking more backbone providers in terms of top tier.

In terms of LLU, yeah, margins might be higher, but most companies are bancrupting themselves to get the equipment in. Some like Easynet had the cash reserves to cover it, or like Bulldog just spent money they didn't have then had to be bailed out by C&W but at current prices for broadband costs are not being covered and AFAIR almost all ISP's are losing more money than they used to lose.
 

Tom

I am a FH squatter
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Dec 22, 2003
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I was thinking of cancelling my NTL telly subs, keeping the broadband connection and phone, and buying a Freeview box.

Would it be worth it? Would I have to buy a modem or 'owt?
 

Tom

I am a FH squatter
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Oh, and how long before OFCOM or whoever makes the ISPs able to 'port' email addresses?

Thats the one thing that puts me off changing ISP, that I'll lose my email address. Too many people use it for contacting me for work, it would be a right pain to change it.
 

`mongoose

One of Freddy's beloved
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porting your mail address would be the hardest part about moving. Unless you have a domain and the mail address is part of that domain (which makes it easy) if not you're stuff cos it's NTL's Mail address and there's not alot you can do to get them to port it for you.

M
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
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I still have my NTL email years after cancelling their internet. I don't think you lose it, and you can always forward your mails from there to another email address until people you know get used to your new one.

They will probably tell you to keep the set top box for your internet(if thats how you do it), best thing to do is say you are skint and you want to cancel just the telly to save money, that way they will let you definately keep the set top box without pissing around with modems.

If its a Samsung STB I will give you a tenner for it ;)
 

tris-

Failed Geordie and Parmothief
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i would recommend cancling ntl tv subs. get a freeview box and a card for it to get extra channels. you mainly watch the same channels all the time anyway. no doubt freeview and the upgrade card has them. unless its sports.

£8 a month for freeview with the additional channels. first month of additional channels is free.
 

Tom

I am a FH squatter
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Nah I don't really want the extra channels though, just the basic ones. I only want them for the w/s aspect anyway :)
 

DaGaffer

Down With That Sorta Thing
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Tom said:
Nah I don't really want the extra channels though, just the basic ones. I only want them for the w/s aspect anyway :)


I'm thinking about doing something similar. There's only Sky One (and occasionally Paramount) that I can't get on Freeview, and I can d/l most of the shows that make Sky One worth having anyway. Only HD makes me stay my hand...
 

nath

Fledgling Freddie
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That said, the additional channels are pretty piss poor, certainly not worth 8 quid a month.
 

Lester

One of Freddy's beloved
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yaruar said:
I was thinking more backbone providers in terms of top tier.

In terms of LLU, yeah, margins might be higher, but most companies are bancrupting themselves to get the equipment in. Some like Easynet had the cash reserves to cover it, or like Bulldog just spent money they didn't have then had to be bailed out by C&W but at current prices for broadband costs are not being covered and AFAIR almost all ISP's are losing more money than they used to lose.

The cost of the copper for ISPs through BT (the bit between your house and the BT exchanges) = £13 per month.

The cost for LLU providers - £1.40 per month.

ISPs who are rolling out LLU have up to 500+ customers per exchange, so it's a pretty good business case.
 

Sar

Part of the furniture
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`mongoose said:
I'm on with plus.net (thanks to trem) and tbh they're not too bad.

They're certainly better than nthell were that's for sure.

£15 a month for 2mb and all I use my connection for is surfing and gaming. Cheap and fairly reliable.

M

I've just migrated away from Plus.net, cos their service was shite.

Back with BTO and glad of it.
 

Gef

Fledgling Freddie
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I'm on 4mbit Telewest, costs £25 a month, good service and speed and no limits to speak of (yet). Might upgrade to the 10mb soon, seem to do a lot more downloading than i used to..
 

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