Broadband users 'ripped off' - Telegraph article

<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...11/15/nbband11
5.xml>

Almost half of all broadband users are being ripped off by service
providers as they receive less than half the connection speed they
signed up for, a survey disclosed yesterday.

The moneysupermarket.com poll shows that 44 per cent of users are
affected as providers are failing to deliver the speeds they advertise.

The survey shows that 55 per cent of the nation spends an average of 172
hours - or more than seven days - a year downloading music, games, films
and podcasts.

Ofcom, the communications regulator, has confirmed that it is in
discussions with six broadband providers.

Helen Simpson, an Ofcom spokesman, said: "It is a concern for Ofcom if
consumers are being misled, or feel they are being misled. We are
already looking closely at this issue.

"We've expressed our concern to the Advertising Standards Authority and
we're talking to the industry."

Rob Barnes, the head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com,
said: "As most people are only achieving half the speed they signed up
for, a typical film of 500Mb could take up to four hours to download,
instead of 60-90 minutes."

Consultations are ongoing between Ofcom's consumer panel and industry
leaders BSkyB, BT, Carphone Warehouse, Orange, Tiscali and Virgin Media
and the panel hopes to publish the findings in early December.
--
Mike News

Mike wrote:
> <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...11/15/nbband11
> 5.xml>
>
> Almost half of all broadband users are being ripped off by service
> providers as they receive less than half the connection speed they
> signed up for, a survey disclosed yesterday.
>
> The moneysupermarket.com poll shows that 44 per cent of users are
> affected as providers are failing to deliver the speeds they
> advertise.

They're not failing at all. They offer "up to" a certain speed and that is
exactly what the customer gets even if it's 50kb/s. I'm more concerned that
it's not real broadband in any case, even at maximum speed.

> The survey shows that 55 per cent of the nation spends an average of
> 172 hours - or more than seven days - a year downloading music,
> games, films and podcasts.
>
> Ofcom, the communications regulator, has confirmed that it is in
> discussions with six broadband providers.
>
> Helen Simpson, an Ofcom spokesman, said: "It is a concern for Ofcom if
> consumers are being misled, or feel they are being misled. We are
> already looking closely at this issue.
>
> "We've expressed our concern to the Advertising Standards Authority
> and we're talking to the industry."
>
> Rob Barnes, the head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com,
> said: "As most people are only achieving half the speed they signed up
> for, a typical film of 500Mb could take up to four hours to download,
> instead of 60-90 minutes."

If it's 500MB then it's a bootleg and the subscriber has no business
downloading it in the first place. A genuine DVD is 8GB or more.

(kim)

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:54:07 UTC, "kim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> They're not failing at all. They offer "up to" a certain speed and that is
> exactly what the customer gets even if it's 50kb/s. I'm more concerned that
> it's not real broadband in any case, even at maximum speed.

It *is* real broadband. It may not be fast, though.

(look up the definition of 'broadband'; it has nothing to do with speed)

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

kim wrote:
> Mike wrote:
>> <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...11/15/nbband11
>> 5.xml>
>>
>> Almost half of all broadband users are being ripped off by service
>> providers as they receive less than half the connection speed they
>> signed up for, a survey disclosed yesterday.
>>
>> The moneysupermarket.com poll shows that 44 per cent of users are
>> affected as providers are failing to deliver the speeds they
>> advertise.
>
> They're not failing at all. They offer "up to" a certain speed and that is
> exactly what the customer gets even if it's 50kb/s. I'm more concerned that
> it's not real broadband in any case, even at maximum speed.
>
>> The survey shows that 55 per cent of the nation spends an average of
>> 172 hours - or more than seven days - a year downloading music,
>> games, films and podcasts.
>>
>> Ofcom, the communications regulator, has confirmed that it is in
>> discussions with six broadband providers.
>>
>> Helen Simpson, an Ofcom spokesman, said: "It is a concern for Ofcom if
>> consumers are being misled, or feel they are being misled. We are
>> already looking closely at this issue.
>>
>> "We've expressed our concern to the Advertising Standards Authority
>> and we're talking to the industry."
>>
>> Rob Barnes, the head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com,
>> said: "As most people are only achieving half the speed they signed up
>> for, a typical film of 500Mb could take up to four hours to download,
>> instead of 60-90 minutes."
>
> If it's 500MB then it's a bootleg and the subscriber has no business
> downloading it in the first place. A genuine DVD is 8GB or more.
>

8GB is the limit for a double wotsit DVD, so it can't be more..

Typical movie is 3-8GB.


Troble s people ge mystified by the 'up to 8Mbps' and forget to check
contention ratios, line lenghts..blah blah.

Frankly I am flabbergasted to get beyond 3Mbps speeds..when I started
you were lucky to get that on a moderately busy ETHERnet.

> (kim)
>
>

Bob Eager wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:54:07 UTC, "kim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> They're not failing at all. They offer "up to" a certain speed and
>> that is exactly what the customer gets even if it's 50kb/s. I'm more
>> concerned that it's not real broadband in any case, even at maximum
>> speed.
>
> It *is* real broadband. It may not be fast, though.
>
> (look up the definition of 'broadband'; it has nothing to do with
> speed)

It's not just *slow*, for the vast majority of subscribers it's both
*asymmetric* and *contended* with god-knows how many other users (

(kim)

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:36:57 UTC, "kim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Bob Eager wrote:
> > On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:54:07 UTC, "kim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >
> >> They're not failing at all. They offer "up to" a certain speed and
> >> that is exactly what the customer gets even if it's 50kb/s. I'm more
> >> concerned that it's not real broadband in any case, even at maximum
> >> speed.
> >
> > It *is* real broadband. It may not be fast, though.
> >
> > (look up the definition of 'broadband'; it has nothing to do with
> > speed)
>
> It's not just *slow*, for the vast majority of subscribers it's both
> *asymmetric* and *contended* with god-knows how many other users (

Asymmetry doesn't bother me; mainly (not exclusively) it's the file
sharers who complain about that. The contention these days is mainly at
the ISP; you pays your money and you takes your choice.

But however slow it is, it's still broadband.

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

kim wrote:

> Mike wrote:
> >
> > Almost half of all broadband users are being ripped off by service
> > providers as they receive less than half the connection speed they
> > signed up for, a survey disclosed yesterday.
> >
> > The moneysupermarket.com poll shows that 44 per cent of users are
> > affected as providers are failing to deliver the speeds they
> > advertise.
>
> They're not failing at all. They offer "up to" a certain speed and that is
> exactly what the customer gets even if it's 50kb/s.

NO. There is no broadband as slow as 50 kbps.

If you're getting 50 kbps downloads with any broadband connection, the ISP is
simply grossly incompetent.


Graham

kim wrote:

> Mike wrote:
> >
> > Rob Barnes, the head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com,
> > said: "As most people are only achieving half the speed they signed up
> > for, a typical film of 500Mb could take up to four hours to download,
> > instead of 60-90 minutes."
>
> If it's 500MB then it's a bootleg and the subscriber has no business
> downloading it in the first place.

Rubbish. I the last 2 days I just downloaded 2 complete 700+ MB Linux ISO CD
image files.

There is every need to download files that size.

Graham

Bob Eager wrote:

> "kim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> > They're not failing at all. They offer "up to" a certain speed and that is
> > exactly what the customer gets even if it's 50kb/s. I'm more concerned that
> > it's not real broadband in any case, even at maximum speed.
>
> It *is* real broadband. It may not be fast, though.
>
> (look up the definition of 'broadband'; it has nothing to do with speed)

But real broadband isn't that slow. Or if it is, then you might be better off on
fixed rate.

Even the very early entry level cable broadband I had from NTL years ago was 115
? kbps.

Graham

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

> kim wrote:
> > Mike wrote:
> >>
> >> Rob Barnes, the head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com,
> >> said: "As most people are only achieving half the speed they signed up
> >> for, a typical film of 500Mb could take up to four hours to download,
> >> instead of 60-90 minutes."
> >
> > If it's 500MB then it's a bootleg and the subscriber has no business
> > downloading it in the first place. A genuine DVD is 8GB or more.
> >
>
> 8GB is the limit for a double wotsit DVD, so it can't be more..
>
> Typical movie is 3-8GB.
>
> Troble s people ge mystified by the 'up to 8Mbps' and forget to check
> contention ratios, line lenghts..blah blah.
>
> Frankly I am flabbergasted to get beyond 3Mbps speeds..when I started
> you were lucky to get that on a moderately busy ETHERnet.

I occasionally see ~ 800 KBps downloads. That's big B not little b.

Graham