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Latest
Broadband News
 Plusnet change broadband deals
Date: 2nd May 2008
Plusnet have had a change around on their broadband deals which has included them removing the Option 4 deal and increasing the usage on Options 2, 3 and Pro.
 Option 2 has had the usage increased from 8GB to 15GB and the Option 3 increased from 20GB to 30GB.
The Pro deal has had it increased from 10GB to 15GB.
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O2 Home Broadband Access for those not on unbundled exchanges
Date: 2nd May 2008
O2 have announced that they are launching "O2 Home Broadband Access" to those people who live in areas where O2 have not got unbundled yet.
 Unbundled areas are where O2 have installed their own broadband equipment and can deliver your broadband over their own network. There are however areas that have not been unbundled yet and O2 are now going to still be able to offer you broadband but it will be being delivered over the BT Wholesale network until that area is unbundled.
O2 offer ADSL2+ technology where they have their own equipment installed which means they offer broadband up to 20Mb. The BT network can only offer speeds up to 8Mb (although this speed depends on your line quality and the distance form the local exchange).
Price wise it will cost £10 more per month to use the "O2 Home Broadband Access" over broadband delivered on O2's own network so prices start at £22.50 per month, although O2 mobile customers do still receive a £5 per month discount so this can be reduced to £17.50 per month.
The reason customers will have to pay more on the "Home Access" package is that O2 have to pay BT to use their wholesale network.
Those on the "Home Access" will still received no download limits (fair usage policy), Free UK customer service 24/7, O2 wireless box, McAfee security software, Enhanced email and messaging services and O2 contacts!
O2 Broadband are aiming to have their own equipment in 70% of exchanges across the UK by the end of 2008 so those not already on an unbundled network should hopefully eventually be able to be switched onto it before too long and save money.
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iPlayer launches on Virgin Media TV
Date: 1st May 2008
Yesterday saw the launch of the BBC iPlayer on the Virgin Media cable TV service. This is the iPlayers first direct link to TV and can be enjoyed by Virgin Medias 3.5 million customers.
 The iPlayer allows users to watch the last 7 days of BBC TV at the touch of a button (in this case users will just have to press the Red button on their remote on any BBC channel).
The iPlayer will be using the Video On Demand service provided by Virgin Media. This means that it won't be being downloaded or streamed from the broadband side so won't eat into users download limits or face any congestion that slows the programmes down.
Other TV platforms that are likely to see the iPlayer available on them are BT Vision and Tiscali TV, it is unlikely to be seeing it appearing on Sky after last weeks claim from James Murdoch (CEO of News Corporation in Europe and Asia) that he thinks the BBC are crowding out competition.
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Virgin Media to trial traffic management
Date: 21st April 2008
Virgin Media are to run trials in Preston, Wigan, Blackpool, Camden, Dalston, Enfield and Haringey to try some traffic management that will aim at making the network more efficient.
 What Virgin Media are trailing is different download and upload limits between different time periods of the day and also based on what package you are on with them.
Below is a table showing the limits based on each package.
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Package
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Downloads
10am-3pm
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Downloads
4pm-9pm
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Uploads
3pm-8pm
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M
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900 MB
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450 MB
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200 MB
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L | 2400 MB | 1200 MB | 700 MB | XL | 6000 MB | 3000 MB | 1400 MB |
Once the cap is reached then users on the M & L broadband packages will have their download speed reduced to 1Mb and upload speeds to 128Kb, users on the XL package will have their download speed reduced to 5Mb and upload speed to 192Kb.
It should be noted that if a user fills their usage in the 10am-3pm slot they will go back to full speed again after 3pm so the usage in each slot is not carried into the next slot.
It is likely that this trial will eventually result in a rollout across the Virgin Media network of these new traffic management restrictions.
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Date set for offers to be in to buy Tiscali
Date: 16th April 2008
Initial non-binding offers for Tiscali are to be submitted by the 5th May for any interested parties who want to buy with initial reports that there are up to 7 interested parties who may be looking to buy them.
 Less that 2 weeks ago we reported how The Carphone Warehouse seemed likely to be one of the front runners in their bid to buy it and make them become the largest broadband provider in the UK along with the broadband providers TalkTalk and AOL Broadband that they already own.
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