BE's new pricing

[Ann]

BE have brought out a new Value deal.  £7.50 for an up to 8meg speed with a 40gig download limit, although the limit doesn't start until July.  It's a bit cheap and does make me wonder whether it's all going to fall apart this year!

[Rik]

We've seen it happen before, Ann, then comes the FUP and throttling.

[somanyholes]

then comes the FUP and throttling.

I would of thought a large proportion of be's users will leave it that happens, me included.

[Rik]

Let's hope I'm wrong, So.

[Ann]

They will certainly have to be careful but O2 customers have been paying lower prices for some time using the same LLU.  They are also telling on the forum that it is not available for current customers who are expected to continue paying £13.50, but I know different   

[Rik]

Orange used to play those sort of games...

[Supanova]

Orange used to play those sort of games...

True, but unlike Orange BE actually provide something that could be considered actual internet, while Orange rarely provide anything of the sort.

Anyway, its 'BE/O2' vs 'Virgin' and I hate virgin so BE for me.

[Gary]

True, but unlike Orange BE actually provide something that could be considered actual internet, while Orange rarely provide anything of the sort.

Anyway, its 'BE/O2' vs 'Virgin' and I hate virgin so BE for me.

I wish BE/O2 was at our exchange  with my line I would get very good speeds, and a much better allowance

[Sebby]

We've seen it happen before, Ann, then comes the FUP and throttling.

The difference is, though, that those ISPs are at the mercy of BT (both in terms of cost and service), which BE aren't.

[Rik]

True.

[Sebby]

Don't get me wrong, I don't think for one second that BE are indestructible, but I think they've got a much better chance than some others we've seen in the past because they are LLU.

[Rik]

Providing the sales people listen to the engineers, eh?

[Gary]

Providing the sales people listen to the engineers, eh?

They seem to have done so far, Rik  but companies do get greedy 

[Ann]

Sometimes I get the distinct impression that BE and O2 compete with each other which is very odd but may in the end bring about their downfall.  Just remember that I said it here first!

[Rik]

I've just bookmarked it, Ann.

[dujas]

It could work, we know the cost of bandwidth usage on O2/BE LLU is significantly lower than BT's 21CN, so if they're happy to subsidise the line costs...

[Technical Ben]

I heard of this strange story a while ago.
Some big rich people offered "free money" to the public. It was a great idea. The supply of money was "unlimited". And the plan could not fail.
The customer would pay back more than they borrowed. How could the rich people loose?
But then the money ran out, and the customer could not pay back what the borrowed.

I have a bad feeling that some ISP companies see Bandwidth the same way as the banks saw money. When they run out of bandwidth, and the entire thing collapses. Who is to blame? The customer for using what he is given, or the company for make false promises/bad decisions? Will they ask for a bail out?

[edit] Unless BE/O2 do support the infrastructure unlike BT.

[dujas]

Not really. Internet access has always been about the balance of the profitable light users against the money losing heavy users. Something that becomes increasingly difficult with overall usage on the rise, hence traffic management, download caps and FUPs. The only exception seems to be where the broadband package is cross subsidised by an additional revenue stream e.g. Landline/TV/Mobile phone contacts etc.

You can get unlimited usage packages from BT Wholesale reliant ISPs, but you're looking at £90+ per month.

[Technical Ben]

Which is exactly what I said. You can get unlimited services. It costs £90 a month. So why complain about the price? If a company like O2 is willing to sell "unlimited broadband" (home access) for £7.50 subsidised by mobile contracts and other customers, what do you expect? I would not expect everything to be cosy if O2 had to squeeze 12 customers onto the same bandwidth as the customer paying £90.

So we pay £15-£30 with IDNet, and get the equivalent bandwidth, service, email and webspace. If you think you can go elsewhere for less than do. I would if I find somewhere as dependable. But being locked into a 12 month contract, I don't want to take the chance.

[Ann]

You are way out with that.  O2's Home Access is much more.  According to the website it's £22.50 a month.

http://broadband.o2.co.uk/home/findmore.jsp

[D-Dan]

Well, here's a reason for me not to switch. Over at Be they estimate:

"You can get BE broadband on ***********
It's probably going to be this fast:

3 megs*

This estimate is based on from data supplied by BT./Find out more.

Buy a BE broadband package NOW"

And O2

"We've estimated that your maximum download speed is 3 meg .This is based on information BT gave us about your BT line. "

But with IDNet:

"Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]:   965 / 7,645"

Think I'll stay right where I am

Steve

[Ann]

That thing said I'd get 3.5 megs.  I actually can get 11 megs.  As I'm on the Value deal mine is capped at 8 megs but the little gizmo thing is bonkers.

[Technical Ben]

You are way out with that.  O2's Home Access is much more.  According to the website it's £22.50 a month.

http://broadband.o2.co.uk/home/findmore.jsp

Sorry, it was quite a while since I last checked. It's £17.50 for mobile phone users. I guess I was thinking of their LLU options. There service still fails on all levels.

[Gary]

Sorry, it was quite a while since I last checked. It's £17.50 for mobile phone users. I guess I was thinking of their LLU options. There service still fails on all levels.

Thier LLU is fine, when I had it no issues and great stability using my own router and for £7.50 as i'm an O2 mobile customer, O2/Be LLU is perfectly acceptable and would be my choice is it was in my Village, not the access package which is adslmax though as thats a failure

[davej99]

It is not clear to me that any of the large ISPs can provide a good quality congestion free ADSL service. You would think that economies of scale would make this possible. This made we wonder how IDNET manage to deliver the quality of service they do?