UK broadband is slow and costly: slowest and most expensive broadband connections in the world.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml

"Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
report published yesterday."

I thought so. We are being ripped off again.

"Billy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
>
> "Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
> expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
> report published yesterday."
>
> I thought so. We are being ripped off again.

As if we didn't already know

George

"George Weston" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Billy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
>>
>> "Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
>> expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
>> report published yesterday."
>>
>> I thought so. We are being ripped off again.
>
> As if we didn't already know
>
> George
>

Did we need a report?

You did not know this is rip off Britain.

Billy wrote:

> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
>
> "Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
> expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
> report published yesterday."
>
> I thought so. We are being ripped off again.

The USA is certainly no cheaper AIUI.

Graham

"Billy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
>
> "Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
> expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
> report published yesterday."
>
> I thought so. We are being ripped off again.


So, how would you do things differently ?

Billy wrote:

> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
>
> "Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
> expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
> report published yesterday."
>
> I thought so. We are being ripped off again.

According to that report an 'entry level' broadband connection costs £14.50 pcm. That's clearly not so.

Ignoring the so-called 'free' ones, you can still get broadband for ~ £10.

And 'low cost' US broadband may only be 768kbps....
http://www.verizon.net/

3Mbps costs rougly the equivalent of £12.50
http://www22.verizon.com/content/con.../all+plans.htm


And don't expect to be able to download GBs every day either !

" Verizon Wireless proudly boasts that its wireless "BroadbandAccess" service is "unlimited." But Verizon's definition of
unlimited may not match consumers' expectations, as those who use the service extensively quickly learn.

..... when consumers use this service like they would any other broadband connection, Verizon cancels the account.
ConsumerAffairs.Com discovered this when Verizon, with very little warning, cancelled our account.

"We found that your usage over the past 30 days exceeded 10 Gigabytes. This level of usage is so extraordinarily high that it
could only have been attained by activities, such as streaming and/or downloading movies and video, prohibited by the terms and
conditions," Verizon said in a terse letter. "

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...unlimited.html

Graham

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:41:55 +0100, Eeyore
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>
>Billy wrote:
>
>> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
>>
>> "Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
>> expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
>> report published yesterday."
>>
>> I thought so. We are being ripped off again.
>
>According to that report an 'entry level' broadband connection costs £14.50 pcm. That's clearly not so.
>
>Ignoring the so-called 'free' ones, you can still get broadband for ~ £10.
>
>And 'low cost' US broadband may only be 768kbps....
>http://www.verizon.net/
>
>3Mbps costs rougly the equivalent of £12.50
>http://www22.verizon.com/content/con.../all+plans.htm
>
>
>And don't expect to be able to download GBs every day either !
>
>" Verizon Wireless proudly boasts that its wireless "BroadbandAccess" service is "unlimited." But Verizon's definition of
>unlimited may not match consumers' expectations, as those who use the service extensively quickly learn.
>
>.... when consumers use this service like they would any other broadband connection, Verizon cancels the account.
>ConsumerAffairs.Com discovered this when Verizon, with very little warning, cancelled our account.
>
>"We found that your usage over the past 30 days exceeded 10 Gigabytes. This level of usage is so extraordinarily high that it
>could only have been attained by activities, such as streaming and/or downloading movies and video, prohibited by the terms and
>conditions," Verizon said in a terse letter. "
>
>http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...unlimited.html
>
>Graham
>

It's not just about cost, it's about service as well. You try telling
a yank he needs to use an 0870/09 number to get support and he'll take
you out!

Brian wrote:

> Eeyore <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >Billy wrote:
> >
> >> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
> >>
> >> "Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
> >> expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
> >> report published yesterday."
> >>
> >> I thought so. We are being ripped off again.
> >
> >According to that report an 'entry level' broadband connection costs £14.50 pcm. That's clearly not so.
> >
> >Ignoring the so-called 'free' ones, you can still get broadband for ~ £10.
> >
> >And 'low cost' US broadband may only be 768kbps....
> >http://www.verizon.net/
> >
> >3Mbps costs rougly the equivalent of £12.50
> >http://www22.verizon.com/content/con.../all+plans.htm
> >
> >
> >And don't expect to be able to download GBs every day either !
> >
> >" Verizon Wireless proudly boasts that its wireless "BroadbandAccess" service is "unlimited." But Verizon's definition of
> >unlimited may not match consumers' expectations, as those who use the service extensively quickly learn.
> >
> >.... when consumers use this service like they would any other broadband connection, Verizon cancels the account.
> >ConsumerAffairs.Com discovered this when Verizon, with very little warning, cancelled our account.
> >
> >"We found that your usage over the past 30 days exceeded 10 Gigabytes. This level of usage is so extraordinarily high that it
> >could only have been attained by activities, such as streaming and/or downloading movies and video, prohibited by the terms and
> >conditions," Verizon said in a terse letter. "
> >
> >http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...unlimited.html
>
>
> It's not just about cost, it's about service as well. You try telling
> a yank he needs to use an 0870/09 number to get support and he'll take
> you out!

My ISP's support (Idnet) is available on a freephone number. :~)

Idnet's average score for last month at thinkbroadband.com was 87%. I don't recall having seen such a high rating before.

Graham

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:56:29 GMT, Billy <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
>
>"Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
>expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
>report published yesterday."
>
>I thought so. We are being ripped off again.


We also have the most expensive transport systems, alcohol and tobacco
taxes and everything else - why should broadband be any different ?

jim

Billy wrote:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...oadband117.xml
>
> "Households in the UK are suffering from some of the slowest and most
> expensive broadband connections in the world, according to an official
> report published yesterday."
>

The most notable comment in the report is that the UK has a much higher
minimum-cost for Broadband than many other OECD countries.

That is constraining the uptake of broadband among considerable numbers
of users. I have three near neighbours still on dialup because they
consider the £170+ first-year cost of Broadband just too much given
their modest (current) internet usage.

And that is a loss not only to them, but to society and to our supposed
"knowledge" economy, which is constrained by the "missing" users -
people who might use online services if they could enjoy the
responsiveness of Broadband speeds, but who find it too painful (or
completely unusable) at dialup speeds.

Other countries are managing to provide moderate-rate low-cost always-on
services - what a tragedy that Oftel/Ofcom were not given the powers (or
did not have the wit) to deliver the same.

John Geddes
Derbyshire