Broadband charges set to tumble

[Mr T.]

Broadband charges set to tumble
(Filed: 16/12/2004)

The cost of broadband internet access is likely to fall after Ofcom ordered British Telecom to cut the amount it charges internet providers.

Ofcom said local loop unbundling charges - the prices third-party companies pay BT - will fall by between 36 per cent and 60 per cent from January 1.

There are currently more than five million broadband connections in the UK and companies will be under pressure to pass the savings on to consumers in what has become a highly competitive market.

The market for "unbundled lines" is relatively small at the moment - just over 26,000 lines - but the number is likely to grow rapidly as companies take advantage of flexibility in the agreements.

Stephen Carter, chief executive of Ofcom, said: "This year has seen a lot of progress on local loop unbundling. This has been achieved through a combination of industry investment, regulatory review and, importantly, constructive engagement from BT."

Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale, said: "BT has been working hard with Ofcom since May on this issue and these price reductions are absolutely in line with what we jointly agreed then. I believe they are right for the industry."

The technology offers high-speed connection to the internet, no need to dial-up and the ability to use the net and make phone calls at the same time.

ADSL Guide

[Paul Oliver]

Nice tip Bren, i will wait a few more weeks then before signing up.

[SCUBA Chick]

Thanks for sharing that Bren...we're currently still on snail pace connection so will hope to get a good deal on broadband in the new year.....

Cheers me'dear

Scubachick

[Michael Lowrey]

Bren,

Out of curiousity, how expensive is broadband in the UK? Obviously, I'm not a candidate, but was wondering about how affordable it was elsewhere...

Best wishes,
Michael

[Steve S]

Originally Posted by Michael Lowrey

Bren,

Out of curiousity, how expensive is broadband in the UK? Obviously, I'm not a candidate, but was wondering about how affordable it was elsewhere...

Best wishes,
Michael

Hi Michael,

mine is £15.99 a month from Tiscali with no download restrictions

Safe diving,
Steve

[Bantam]

Guys,

Don't get too excited. This is just the cost that BT charges to the ISP for a LLU (Local Loop Unbundled) tail.
95% of you will still have a regular BT ADSL Circuit which connects to your ISP via BT's network.

The LLU bit comes when the ISP installs their own switches into the BT Exchange, so instead of the DSL breakout plugging into BT's IP network it plugs into the ISP's directly.

Whereas most people on Broadband have a BT ADSL line into their house, and it uses BT's IP network all the way to the ISP's peer where it then breaks out into your own ISP's network. Your router logs onto the ISP's network via BT's network.

The best value ISP for broadband (if you're not downloading shedloads and just want a faster browse) is Plusnet - £14.99 per month for 1Mbit/s with 1Gb inclusive traffic per month and £19.99 a month for 2Mbits/s with 2Gb inclusive traffic.

[Jay]

I need a T3 with unlimited download / upload for about £19.99 per month if anyone can arrange it

[Bantam]

Originally Posted by Jay

I need a T3 with unlimited download / upload for about £19.99 per month if anyone can arrange it

We were once offered (in New York) a 100Mbits/s internet connection for $1000 per month. Unfortunately our office 'wasn't lit' so we couldn't have it

[Michael Lowrey]

Originally Posted by Steve S

Hi Michael,

mine is £15.99 a month from Tiscali with no download restrictions

Safe diving,
Steve

Steve,

Thanks. By comparison, I'm paying $42.95 a month for high speed cable service. (Large areas of the U.S. have traditionally got their non-broadcast TV via cable and not via satellite though that is starting to change. Cable offers a second path into homes — and companies can compete as the largest cable TV company is required to let other ISP use their facilities.)

Best wishes,
Michael

[Mr T.]

Originally Posted by Michael Lowrey

Bren,

Out of curiousity, how expensive is broadband in the UK? Obviously, I'm not a candidate, but was wondering about how affordable it was elsewhere...

Best wishes,
Michael

Sorry mate, just got back in.

If you're in North America, then DSL over here is still expensive compaerd to anywhere you might live. Over here itranges from £15.00 a month to £30.00 a month, depending on what bandwidth you choose.

HTH.