FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Totally OT: Broadband Rant - cannot depend on it!!!
Old Oct 17, 2005, 3:53 am
  #8  
JSC
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 690
"ALL the ADSL options which I think is a fundamentally brilliant technology is served by BT in the UK via their conventional exchanges which have been upgraded countless times since early digital exchanges in the 1980/90's."

Actually there is a thing called local loop unbundling now whereby the ISP takes over ownership of your phone line from BT, so they provide voice, broadband and other VAS to you directly, bypassing BT completely. The 2 big ones who do this are Bulldog and Homechoice and because of this they are able to provide an 8MB connection (plus line rental) since they have installed their own newer, upgraded equipment in BT's exchanges. BT is in the process of trialling 8Mb but that won't be available until next year, and even then probably at highly inflated prices to protect their ARPUs. All of this depends on where you are as not all exchanges have been enabled for the higher speeds.

I read that Wanadoo and AOL are thinking also of going down the LLU route but again as they have a big user base they will not provide the best offers, although customer service will probably be better than the smaller ones (Bulldog especially!).

Interestingly in France you can get ADSL2+ which has speeds of over 20MB for only around 25 EUR! The UK is still some way behind the rest of Europe on speeds, even if penetration rates are fairly high.

"Otherwise there is something new called www.now.com broadband which is either radio or satellite, but I am not sure"

Now is a wireless broadband ISP, using radio signals to deliver to your home. It's not using the newer WiMAX technology which will enable higher speeds and I do not know how reliable the connection may be, although I would have thought less so that through a fixed line. One advantage is that you don't need a BT line to receive it, although at £18 for a 1MB line, it's hardly cutting edge. I would recommend that if you realy want wireless that you just get a wireless router but stick with someone like Homechoice (who provide phone, broadband and TV for £18 a month, reduced to £15 for 1st 3 months)

Just my opinions but hope it helps
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