Changing broadband annually opinions

Is it a good idea to switch ISPs every year.

With mobile phones, you get cashback, reduced line rental and free phone.
After a year its not worth continuing unless the same benefits are renewed.

With broadband, most providers provide a new modem or router upon joining.
Is it worth moving ISPs to get a new freebie every year?

AMO

The entity currently known as NoSpam wrote:

> With broadband, most providers provide a new modem or router upon
> joining. Is it worth moving ISPs to get a new freebie every year?

No, becasue the "freebies" aren't really very good value.

--
Iain A F Fleming

"NoSpam" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:41262265$0$20250$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is it a good idea to switch ISPs every year.
>
> With mobile phones, you get cashback, reduced line rental and free phone.
> After a year its not worth continuing unless the same benefits are
> renewed.
>
> With broadband, most providers provide a new modem or router upon joining.
> Is it worth moving ISPs to get a new freebie every year?

I think the lack of margins make this tricky. As virtually none of the ISPs
actually own the infrastructure, and are entirely at the mercy of BT
wholesale in regards of pricing, the room for price improvements are
marginal.

A good way to see the true costs of BB are to look at some of the smaller
ISPs, who lack the capacity to take a loss to gain market share, often they
are barely making a few quid a month once they cough up to BT wholesale.

Not even BT internet can genuinely offer a discount, Oftel forbid them from
cross subsidising.

Gaz

> AMO
>
>

"NoSpam" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:41262265$0$20250$(E-Mail Removed):

> With broadband, most providers provide a new modem or router upon
> joining. Is it worth moving ISPs to get a new freebie every year?

I'd say no, the only "freebies" tend to be free migration, so unless you
move continuously for the lowest monthly charge there's not much to be
gained, ok maybe a wardrobe full of ten quid USB modems and microfilters,
but not a lot else IMHO.

regards
Paul
--
paul <at> spamcop.net

On 20 Aug 2004 in uk.telecom.broadband, "NoSpam" wrote:

>With broadband, most providers provide a new modem or router upon joining.

That's news to me, but I only changed from one ISP to another after 18 mths
and the two I use are doing all I need for now :-) Peter M.
--
PlusNet <http://tinyurl.com/24ymz> - I recommend them and save some cash.
Depends on account that is opened by new customer, but good value ISP IMO.

On 20 Aug 2004 in uk.telecom.broadband, I wrote:

>>most providers provide a new modem or router upon joining.
>
>That's news to me,

Sorry, was thinking in the context of a migration from one to another
since many would not want to go through a cease with ISP #1 and then
a dealy and then ordering from ISP #2 and a further delay (unless a
contractor and fitting the change into time spent working away :-)
--
PlusNet <http://tinyurl.com/24ymz> - I recommend them and save some cash.
Depends on account that is opened by new customer, but good value ISP IMO.

"poster" <us-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 20 Aug 2004 in uk.telecom.broadband, "NoSpam" wrote:
>
> >With broadband, most providers provide a new modem or router upon
joining.
>
> That's news to me, but I only changed from one ISP to another after 18
mths
> and the two I use are doing all I need for now :-) Peter M.

Broadband is like mobile phones in some ways, in that those with the free
activation and modems are likley paying more in monthly fees.

I pay £21.99 a month I think it is for unlimited broadband usage at 512k,
the tariffs which have 'free' modems are usually considerably more than
this, or they limit the amount of data \ speed.

So it may well be worth changing to an ISP \ package which doesn't include
any kit in the long term, as you are not then subsidising the new users. I
suppose you could liken it to those of us that go for cheaper phones with
cashback, or even O2 Online tariffs 'sim only' where you save a fiver a
month by not taking a new phone.

Sam
> --
> PlusNet <http://tinyurl.com/24ymz> - I recommend them and save some cash.
> Depends on account that is opened by new customer, but good value ISP IMO.


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NoSpam wrote:

> Is it a good idea to switch ISPs every year.
>
> With mobile phones, you get cashback, reduced line rental and free phone.
> After a year its not worth continuing unless the same benefits are renewed.
>
> With broadband, most providers provide a new modem or router upon joining.
> Is it worth moving ISPs to get a new freebie every year?
>
> AMO
>
>
If you look in detail most of the 'freebies' are paid for over the first
year in high subscriptions. It might be worth a swap after year one if
you went for such a deal and they provider doesn't give you a good deal
in year 2 compared to a 'connect only' deal to which you could transfer.

You see these costs explicity if you play about with the subscription
options for the likes of PlusNet.

Has anyone filtered out the fundamental economics of low user / capped
services from BT wholesale pricing ?

Bill