March 12, 2010
BT is to start offering competitive broadband and phone bundles after Ofcom relaxed the competition rules allowing them to do so.
Previously BT were not able to compete with rivals in the bundles market but Ofcom relaxed the rules last September meaning that BT could start going head-to-head with rivals with their own bundled deals.
 BT are having a “Spring Sale” where prices for their bundle of Option 1 Broadband and Anytime calls (BT Talk and Surf) will cost just £15.99 per month on an 18 month contract, with the first 3 months being half price at just £7.99. The broadband will offer “up to” 20Mb broadband speeds and 10GB usage per month.
Another option is the BT Total Broadband Option 3 which offers unlimited broadband usage (fair use policy applies) with the Anytime calls (BT Talk and Surf Unlimited) which will cost £27.99 per month with the first 3 months costing £19.99 on an 18 month contract.
These broadband and phone deals do also still require a monthly line rental charge of £11.54 per month.
BT will also be offering Triple Play bundles which offer Broadband, Telephone and TV. The entry bundle (BT Talk, Surf & Watch) will offer the Anytime calls, the BT Option 1 Broadband and BT Vision for £21.99 per month on an 18 month contract with the first 3 months being offered at a discounted £9.99 per month.
These BT “Spring Sale” deals are expected to run until March 23rd.
John Petter, the managing director of BT’s Consumer Division said:
“We wanted to give our customers a great seasonal sale and to promote our all-in calls package.
“Over the last 12 months, 3.6 million of our customers have moved to calls packages, where you don’t pay for every call.
“Offering a bundle of broadband and Anytime calls for this knockdown price will launch us into the bundles market as an unrestricted competitor for the first time. There will be many more bundled offers to come and customers can only benefit.”
Although these deals are not the most competitive broadband and phone bundled deals available we anticipate that BT will continue to better their deals now that they are able to do so. We could find that the fibre network they are starting to roll out will offer some enticing deals for customers to get them using the “BT Infinity” fibre broadband network and perhaps this is what they are waiting for.
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March 11, 2010
Our satisfaction of Broadband speeds in the UK has reportedly fallen for the third year in a row!
A broadband speed satisfaction survey was done by broadband comparison website broadbandchoices.co.uk that had 8,000 respondents and around a third of those who answered were not satisfied with the broadband speeds that they received. The level of dissatisfaction since last year has increased where 27% were not satisfied and is basically double how dissatisfied users were in 2008 when 16% said they were not happy with their broadband speeds.
Broadband speeds for many is the main important factor they have with their internet connection, and with broadband speeds being the main selling points to many broadband deals alongside the price it is only to be expected that the speed we receive is of high importance.
Of those who responded, 28% of those said that they were planning on changing broadband providers because they were not happy with their broadband speeds.
It appears that the main dissatisfaction comes from those who are on standard 8Mb or below broadband deals, as the study also found that of the broadband subscribers who were on 24Mb and above broadband deals only 15% of these were not satisfied with their broadband speeds.
Demand for fast broadband is ever increasing, this is mainly because more and more online applications become available that require faster broadband connections, such as streaming TV and music live and the internet connections are used to do more tasks.
Not a day goes by when there is not more talk of the latest fibre optic broadband deployments. As such we anticipate that as broadband speeds increase the “bar” for what broadband speed we want to achieve will continue to be raised and once fibre broadband is deployed throughout the UK (BT are currently starting their roll out of fibre broadband) we anticipate that we will see those on ADSL2+ (24Mb broadband) becoming the ones who are not as satisfied of their broadband speeds.
One big bug-bear with broadband speeds is the advertised speeds are quite often not close to what the user is actually going to receive, the advertised “up to” speeds are the theoretical maximum broadband speeds users would be able to receive but there are very few, especially on standard copper wired ADSL who are likely to get this maximum speed.
Currently though, for those who are not satisfied with their broadband speeds should look to see if fibre broadband is available to them (Virgin Media) or if their telephone exchange has ADSL2+ enabled where they will be able to receive broadband speeds up to 24Mb and to consider changing their broadband provider if they are not happy with the download and upload speeds that they receive.
To see what broadband speed you receive use our free broadband speed test tool.
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Virgin Media are to look to look up instead of down when it comes to installing some of it’s fibre optic cable by using telegraph poles.
 Plans by Virgin Media, the UK’s largest cable operator are to use telegraph poles and existing ducts to deliver it’s cable broadband services that will be able to deliver broadband speeds up to 50Mb and also it ’s digital TV services if a trial of the technology to Woolhampton in Berkshire goes well.
Virgin Media currently have their current fibre cable network underground which can prove expensive to deploy with the digging up of roads, however up to this point they have not been able to do any different as there are planning guidelines which stop large scale overhead deployment of cable.
The government is looking at the possibility of changing these guidelines which would then open up the possibility for Virgin Media to do large scale overhead deployment of their cable network which Virgin Media estimate could benefit around 1 million homes.
Virgin Medias Chief Executive, Neil Berkett said:
“This unique trial will allow us to understand the possibilities of aerial deployment and may provide an exciting new way to extend next generation broadband services. With everything from BBC iPlayer to YouTube increasingly demanding reliable ultrafast broadband speeds, we’re keen to ensure that all communities, in towns, cities and villages right across the UK, stand to benefit.”
The government are keen to get next-generation digital services out to rural communities and allowing Virgin Media to look up instead of down could be one way to help with rolling out fibre broadband to more rural areas.
Virgin are already planning on extending their network to another 500,000 homes that would then be able to access it’s current top rated XXL broadband service offering 50Mb. There are currently 12.6 million homes in the UK that are able to connect to the Virgin Media network.
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March 8, 2010
Virgin Media customers are to be exclusively able to watch Film4HD from this summer.
A deal between Channel 4 and Virgin Media has been agreed that will mean that Film4HD will be exclusively available only to Virgin Media customers when it launches later this summer on their digital TV service.
Also available to Virgin Media customers will be E4HD which gets many popular TV programmes such as Glee, Skins, Hollyoaks, Desperate Housewives, 90210 and Ugly Betty. The E4HD channel is due to launch on Virgin Media in April this year.
The executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media, Cindy Rose, said:
“Channel 4 has a great track record in delivering innovative and compelling content and we’re delighted to bring some of their very best films and most popular programmes to our customers in stunning HD. As more and more households become HD-ready, we’re lining up content that makes the most of High Definition and are making HD available to all our of customers for no extra fee.“
V irgin Media already have a range of HD channels available and are due to get more added. Some of their current HD channels include: C4HD, BBC HD, National Geographic HD, ESPN HD, Discovery HD and Eurosport HD.
Virgin Media XL TV customers will be able to access the HD channels at no extra costs with BBC HD and 4HD being available to all Virgin Media digital TV customers.
To be able to receive the HD channels Virgin Media customers will need a V+ HD digital recorder which is needed to decode the channels, a HDMI cable to connect to a HD-ready TV.
Some of the new Film4 HD films expected to be shown soon are Slumdog Millionaire, Go Lucky and Looking For Eric as well as other Hollywood blockbusters and many more.
Virgin Media also have a hundreds of hours of HD on Demand programmes available to Virgin Media customers as well as the BBC iPlayer which is delivered through their cable network.
Virgin Media have recently also announced that they are to start offering 100Mb fibre broadband (Read: Virgin to start roll out of 100Mb fibre broadband) meaning that they will be able to deliver far more content such as broadband and HD Television at the same time.
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People believe that internet access is a “fundamental right” according to a global poll done for the BBC.
Over 27,000 adults were queried for the study by GlobeScan across 26 different countries and the study found that 79% believed that internet access is a fundamental right.
Of the 14,000 or so who were queried who already used the internet found that 87% of these believed that internet access should be “the fundamental right of all people”. There was 71% of non-internet users who also believed that they should have the right to access the internet.
Countries such as Finland and Estonia have already ruled that internet access is a human right for those living in these countries which are interesting for the UK at the moment as the government are trying to get their “Digital Economy Bill” pushed through which would mean that there should be universal broadband across the UK by 2012 and also that a “three strikes rule” would become law for those caught downloading illegal files such as music and videos.
The study also delved into what internet users concerns were with the internet, with fraud being the issue that concerned 32% of those questioned, 27% thought explicit and violent content was the biggest concern with 20% most worried about threats to their privacy.
In the UK we were found to be only second to Japan to feel that the internet has increased our freedom, with 87% of internet uses here believing this to be the case, just 11% did not agree that this was the case. Interestingly a figure of 75% of British felt that internet access should be a fundamental right.
Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are sites that 42% of British internet users enjoy spending time and 55% think that there should be some government regulation of the internet.
Doug Miller, the GlobeScan Chairman said:
“Despite worries about privacy and fraud, people around the world see access to the internet as their fundamental right. They think the web is a force for good, and most don’t want governments to regulate it.”
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March 1, 2010
O2 are to offer mobile phone discounts worth up to £50 for new customers who take up their home broadband.
The home broadband packages that the discounts apply to are either the Premium or Pro packages.
The O2 Premium package is available for £10 for O2 mobile phone customers or £15 for everyone else and offers customers a free wireless router, up to 20Mb download speeds, upload speeds of 1.3Mb 200 free web texts and McAfee security software.
The O2 Pro package also comes with an enhanced wireless router, 500 free web texts per month, 2.5Mb upload speeds and a dedicated customer service number for a cost of £17.50 per month for existing O2 mobile customers or £22.50 for everyone else.
Both deals are available on a 12 month contract and come with unlimited usage (fair use policy applies).
The £50 mobile phone discount will be automatically applied in one lump sum after 11 months of have the home broadband.
O2 are due to launch their own home phone package later this month meaning that they will then be able to offer broadband bundles of home broadband, mobile phone, home phone and mobile broadband.
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February 26, 2010
New studies are to be undertook by Ofcom and the SamKnows website into the broadband speeds we receive.
 The research follows up successful broadband speed testing done last year between Ofcom and SamKnows and is designed to give a more accurate picture of our actual broadband connections and speeds and not just the advertised “up to” speeds that we all see.
Quite often there is a big difference between the advertised “up to” speed that broadband providers advertise and the actual broadband speed received by the consumer.
Volunteers are currently being recruited to take part in the study and if selected then they will be provided with a White Box that will be then used to monitor the web traffic for specific broadband providers.
With broadband in the UK rapidly changing and getting faster the information gathered will be interesting to see for those who are signed up to the next generation fibre broadband deals and those on the BT 21CN network.
The BT C1CN network is due to offer ADSL2+ technology to around 75% of UK homes by Spring 2011 which is able to deliver theoretical maximum broadband speeds of 24Mb.
We also have the huge investment in fibre optic networks currently taking place, with BT rolling out their own fibre broadband network which will offer broadband speed up to 40Mb, Virgin Media already have a 50Mb broadband package and announced yesterday that by the end of the year that they will be starting to roll out Virgin Media 100Mb broadband via their new DOCSIS 3 network.
The last broadband testing that was funded by Ofcom to be done via the “White Box” in 2009 found that the average broadband speed was 4.1Mb which was the equivalent of 57% of the advertised headline speed.
CEO of SamKnows, Alex Salter said:
“What started out as a project to monitor and report on the UK’s broadband connectivity in general, it instead highlighted that a clear discrepancy exists between what the ISPs are saying and what the end consumer is actually receiving.
What we’re looking to measure in the forthcoming project is how this ISP performance will improve as consumers switch to services which are being advertised as significantly faster.”
It is anticipated that the broadband speeds of users will increase throughout the year as new technologies become rolled out and made available to more people and as such we would expect the average broadband speed we are receiving to also rise in line with this.
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February 25, 2010
Virgin Media are set to start the roll out of their own 100Mb fibre broadband and help take broadband in the UK up to the next level.
The news comes hot on the heels of yesterdays announcement by Fibrecity who announced the three broadband providers who would be offering the residents of Bournemouth their own 100Mb fibre broadband services.
The news that virgin Media are to start rolling out a 100Mb fibre optic broadband service will also be a blow to big rivals BT, who are currently rolling out their own fibre network “BT Infinity” that offers broadband speeds up to 40Mb.
Also, with Virgin already having it’s network available to around half of UK homes and businesses it gives them good footing to deploy their new technology to double their current headline speed of 50Mb to 100Mb.
Thew new speed increases come as part of Virgin’s DOCSIS 3 network which is already delivering broadband speed of up to 200Mb in Ashford, Kent where the initial trials are taking place. These trials are set to be extended now to Coventry where the trials will continue to focus on future technologies such as teleconferencing and downloading HD programmes on demand.
The other exciting news with this is that Virgin believe that the DOCSIS 3 network will be capable of broadband speeds up to 400Mb.
Neil Berkett, Virgin Media’s Chief Executive said:
“There is nothing we can’t do with our fibre optic cable network, and the upcoming launch of our flagship 100Mb service will give our customers the ultimate broadband experience. Just as we led the way by launching the UK’s first ever next generation service, we want to keep giving our customers the very best broadband available, by investing in technological innovation and transforming the experience they have when they are online. The launch of Virgin Media’s 100Mb service will be a historic moment and will mean the UK will be comparable to other leading broadband nations.“
Although this will likely be a bit of a blow to BT, as consumers hopefully we will see the benefit as the battle to offer the fastest broadband continues between Virgin Media and BT.
BT won’t want to stay a long way behind Virgin Media but unless they perhaps up their ambitions they could well be stuck behind, especially as Virgin Media have funded this with their own money and not been asking for tax payers money to fund it like BT was asking for to help with the roll out of their own fibre network.
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February 19, 2010
Eclipse Internet are to launch fibre optic broadband packages offering broadband speeds up to 40Mb.
The new Eclipse fibre packages will go live on April 12th and will offer broadband speeds of a maximum 40Mb and with a guaranteed 12Mb throughput.
 The Eclipse Fibre broadband packages will use the BT fibre optic network (BT Infinity) that mainly will offer fibre broadband on Fibre-To-The-Cabinet (FTTC) with the broadband going via the copper wires form the cabinet to the home via VDSL2.
There will be two different deals launched, Eclipse Fibre and Eclipse Fibre Pro. Both will offer pretty much the same although the Pro package will have 10GB more monthly usage, a larger upload speed and a free WAN router.
Both deals will also have a £75 installation fee and are primarily targeted at the Business broadband user.
- Eclipse Fibre
- £39.95 per month
- Up to 40Mb Broadband download speeds
- Up to 2Mb upload speeds
- 12Mb guaranteed throughput
- 50GB usage
- Free vDSL router
- Eclipse Fibre Pro
- £49.95 per month
- Up to 40Mb Broadband download speeds
- Up to 10Mb upload speeds
- 12Mb guaranteed throughput
- 60GB usage
- Free vDSL router
- Free WAN router
Users can register their interest in the new fibre broadband packages online on the Eclipse Internet website.
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February 18, 2010
A delayed £70 million project to provide high speed broadband to schools and libraries across the Scottish Highlands has finally been completed.
The project was called the Pathfinder North Broadband Project which finally went live on Wednesday uses both fibre optic cables and broadband wireless technology to get the high speed Internet to all the schools, libraries and other council buildings, of which there is a total of 801 connected.
Five local authorities were involved in the project, which included The Highland Council and Moray, Argyll and Bute Councils and Orkney and Shetland Islands Councils.
The Chairman of The Highland Council’s Resources Committee, Councillor Carolyn Wilson said:
“The Pathfinder North scheme represents a major investment in rural locations, which depend so heavily on good communications. The provision of high-speed broadband services is great news both for our teams and the people they support, who have access to our community schools, libraries and offices. We are looking forward to using the network to the best of its capability, ensuring that we continue to meet the needs of all the communities we serve.“
The new network is not being shared to other people in the Highlands which means that broadband speeds of between 2Mb and 300Mb will be available to those on the new high speed broadband network.
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