Virgin Media: 2008 improvements

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/10/virgin_media_throttling_update/>:

"Virgin Media subscribers will fall foul of the cable company's
bandwidth-throttling policies for shorter periods when they are
rejigged in the new year.

High speed internet is at the centre of new boss Neil Berkett's plan
to turn around VM.

From "early 2008" the top three per cent of uploaders and the top
three per cent downloaders will be throttled between 4pm and 9pm.
Restrictions are currently imposed between 4pm and midnight on a pool
of the top five per cent in both directions.

Once the throttle is applied, it'll stay in place for five hours. The
present regime allows for two separate slowdown periods of four hours
each.

VM says it expects to throttle fewer connections overall as a result
of the changes.

Users on the cheapest "M" package will be throttled from 2Mbit/s to
1Mbit/s downstream if they download 300MB between 4pm and 9pm. The
current download threshold is 350MB. The upload threshold will kick in
at 150MB and restrict speed to 128Kbit/s.

The middleweight "L" package will be slowed down from 4Mbit/s to
1Mbit/s downstream if they download 800MB before 4pm and 9pm."
--
Martin Jay

"Martin Jay" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/10/virgin_media_throttling_update/>:
>
> "Virgin Media subscribers will fall foul of the cable company's
> bandwidth-throttling policies for shorter periods when they are
> rejigged in the new year.
>
> High speed internet is at the centre of new boss Neil Berkett's plan
> to turn around VM.
>
> From "early 2008" the top three per cent of uploaders and the top
> three per cent downloaders will be throttled between 4pm and 9pm.
> Restrictions are currently imposed between 4pm and midnight on a pool
> of the top five per cent in both directions.
>
> Once the throttle is applied, it'll stay in place for five hours. The
> present regime allows for two separate slowdown periods of four hours
> each.
>
> VM says it expects to throttle fewer connections overall as a result
> of the changes.
>
> Users on the cheapest "M" package will be throttled from 2Mbit/s to
> 1Mbit/s downstream if they download 300MB between 4pm and 9pm. The
> current download threshold is 350MB. The upload threshold will kick in
> at 150MB and restrict speed to 128Kbit/s.
>
> The middleweight "L" package will be slowed down from 4Mbit/s to
> 1Mbit/s downstream if they download 800MB before 4pm and 9pm."
> --
> Martin Jay


will anyone notice?

Martin Jay wrote:

> <snip>
>
> Users on the cheapest "M" package will be throttled from 2Mbit/s to
> 1Mbit/s downstream if they download 300MB between 4pm and 9pm. The
> current download threshold is 350MB. The upload threshold will kick in
> at 150MB and restrict speed to 128Kbit/s.
>
> The middleweight "L" package will be slowed down from 4Mbit/s to
> 1Mbit/s downstream if they download 800MB before 4pm and 9pm."

The inevitable consequence of a 'one price' subscription.

ANY ISP that doesn't charge by the GB in one form or another has to impose
such restrictions.

Graham

"Eeyore" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>

> The inevitable consequence of a 'one price' subscription.
>
> ANY ISP that doesn't charge by the GB in one form or another has to impose
> such restrictions.
>
> Graham
>

which is why i like my ISP (entanet). published limits and penalties, and a
usage monitor so i can keep an eye on things, same goes for eeyore's fave,
idenet
you do get what you pay for, sooner people realise, better for everyone.

tony h wrote:
> "Eeyore" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> The inevitable consequence of a 'one price' subscription.
>>
>> ANY ISP that doesn't charge by the GB in one form or another has to impose
>> such restrictions.
>>
>> Graham
>>
>
> which is why i like my ISP (entanet). published limits and penalties, and a
> usage monitor so i can keep an eye on things, same goes for eeyore's fave,
> idenet
> you do get what you pay for, sooner people realise, better for everyone.
>
>
It may also be the case that ISP's will have to introduce differential
rates for different times of the day.

I would like to move to Virgin Media as my phone line is unreliable
however with the current complaints, vague contract and 1 year lock in I
have not felt like taking the gamble.

Incidentally do we know where the contention is occurring. Is it in the
"last mile" cable to the customers or is it in VM's connection to the
internet.

"Nick" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:475ea775$0$13942$(E-Mail Removed)...

>
> Incidentally do we know where the contention is occurring. Is it in the
> "last mile" cable to the customers or is it in VM's connection to the
> internet.
>

from what i've read its the backhaul, virgin's connetion to the net, not
helped by the 'cloned modem' problem (or not, as they seem to be taking
steps to rectify, finally)

tony h wrote:

> "Eeyore" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>
> > The inevitable consequence of a 'one price' subscription.
> >
> > ANY ISP that doesn't charge by the GB in one form or another has to impose
> > such restrictions.
>
> which is why i like my ISP (entanet). published limits and penalties, and a
> usage monitor so i can keep an eye on things, same goes for eeyore's fave,
> idenet
> you do get what you pay for, sooner people realise, better for everyone.

I couldn't agree more. People expecting 'something for nothing' are bound to be
disappointed.

Graham

"Martin Jay" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/10/virgin_media_throttling_update/>:

Oh look... it's only goin to affect 3% of the user base now instead of
the previous 5%.
Makes it look like it's not so much of a problem.
It's all for the good of the customers, to give them an enjoyable
experience.
Yes, we'll keep usin this line of speech, so it takes the attention away
from us and why we are still packin em in till it explodes.
We're doin it so the abuse of our payin customers usin the product we
have sold to them does not impact the service of our other payin
customers.
Let em fight amongst themselves, after all, it's all their own fault.

I didn't know it was 2008 already.

Why don't they just get rid of this victorian network and come up with a
propper network but i think that maintenance or putting money back in to the
bussines is a dirty thing to do in this country.
If i compare this to my brother in law in the Netherlands who suffers from
MS and is in house all day and is on the internet with 2 computer 24 / 7 365
days of the year and has never heard anything from his ISP regarding
throtteling his internet connection.




"Martin Jay" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/10/virgin_media_throttling_update/>:
>
> "Virgin Media subscribers will fall foul of the cable company's
> bandwidth-throttling policies for shorter periods when they are
> rejigged in the new year.
>
> High speed internet is at the centre of new boss Neil Berkett's plan
> to turn around VM.
>
> From "early 2008" the top three per cent of uploaders and the top
> three per cent downloaders will be throttled between 4pm and 9pm.
> Restrictions are currently imposed between 4pm and midnight on a pool
> of the top five per cent in both directions.
>
> Once the throttle is applied, it'll stay in place for five hours. The
> present regime allows for two separate slowdown periods of four hours
> each.
>
> VM says it expects to throttle fewer connections overall as a result
> of the changes.
>
> Users on the cheapest "M" package will be throttled from 2Mbit/s to
> 1Mbit/s downstream if they download 300MB between 4pm and 9pm. The
> current download threshold is 350MB. The upload threshold will kick in
> at 150MB and restrict speed to 128Kbit/s.
>
> The middleweight "L" package will be slowed down from 4Mbit/s to
> 1Mbit/s downstream if they download 800MB before 4pm and 9pm."
> --
> Martin Jay

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:26:44 +0000, Martin Jay wrote:

> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/10/virgin_media_throttling_update/>:
>
> "Virgin Media subscribers will fall foul of the cable company's
> bandwidth-throttling policies for shorter periods when they are
> rejigged in the new year.
>
> High speed internet is at the centre of new boss Neil Berkett's plan
> to turn around VM.
>
> From "early 2008" the top three per cent of uploaders and the top
> three per cent downloaders will be throttled between 4pm and 9pm.
> Restrictions are currently imposed between 4pm and midnight on a pool
> of the top five per cent in both directions.
>
> Once the throttle is applied, it'll stay in place for five hours. The
> present regime allows for two separate slowdown periods of four hours
> each.
>
> VM says it expects to throttle fewer connections overall as a result
> of the changes.
>
> Users on the cheapest "M" package will be throttled from 2Mbit/s to
> 1Mbit/s downstream if they download 300MB between 4pm and 9pm. The
> current download threshold is 350MB. The upload threshold will kick in
> at 150MB and restrict speed to 128Kbit/s.
>
> The middleweight "L" package will be slowed down from 4Mbit/s to
> 1Mbit/s downstream if they download 800MB before 4pm and 9pm."


Something wrong there. Top 5% download more than 350 BB and the top 3%
download more than 300MB. And if you reach your max (300MB on size M) at
8:59 pm then you will be throttled until nearly 2am!!!!!
This new throttling schema is worse/more draconian than the one it is said
to be replacing.
It figures, VM bandy deceptions about as if they were as cheap as lies.

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