Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1809969,00.html

assuming Sky DO go ahead and offer free broadband to those who take the full TV package and a phone line, this should in theory redraw the battle lines with NTL and cause the NTL broadband offering to become a FREE product if you have the full NTL TV package.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

Theres a lot of interesting times ahead :)

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

It depends on speeds offered, use restrictions, all sorts whether this woudl be a real threat or not. The article doesn't say what would be on offer.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

let's hope it isnt that rubbish orange are offering - ie. 2gig usage allowance!

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

This can only be good news, I hope :erm:

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

it might push some ISPs to sell to SKY or NTL or be forced out of business.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

free it might be, bottom of the line, hugely restricted it will certainly be.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

I would be grateful to Sky if they would allow me to dump my BT line somehow.

That would save me a fortune on something i barely use. I should add here that the only reason i do keep it is that i need modem access to things for work purposes a few times a month.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

:p: this can only be good news, hopefully some good might come out of it, as NTL treat there customers like a cash cow:D

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

and Sky don't ?

You will almost certainly require a BT line (as you do for all sky offers).

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

it will be ADSL so will require a BT (probably LLU) line.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

Mine works perfectly off my NTL line?

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

Never heard of a fully unbundled line I guess Paul M.

Nothing stoping a company from taking full control of a line and using it to supply broadband services only - known as 'Dry DSL'.

Stick VoIP over the broadband DSL link and there you go.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

RE:Paul
I cannot believe that there is a worse company than NTL:shocked:

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

I think free broadband is a way of the future, many people don't need the unrestricted offerings and probably would dump the peace of mind for the freeness.

If the hype gets enough maybe ntl might give a crap service level for free. Lets not forget they were the pioneers in the free internet back in the day with the awfully ****ty (for me at least) free 56k. I'm sure ntl can contribute getting a large portion of its userbase to the old service.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

Ye, we could all end up paying for our internet via a licence, just like we have to with a TV :shrug:

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

Broadband now is seen by many as an essential utility.

Look how far we have come in ten years, what is it going another ten years.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

According to a guy I spoke to in retentions this week, NTL are coming up with new pricings and 10MB BB for all in about 3 months, perhaps the competition and new management input (from Telewest & Virgin) will be to our good.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

ntl didn't (& never do) pioneer anything.

In fact, as I recall it was a knee jerk reaction to the dropping of the then monthly access charge by Freeserve.

As I've said before, ntl are followers-not leaders.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

Actually Claranet were the 'pioneers' of free internet as they were the first company to announce plans for it (although they never did get round to launching it) whereas NTL did although not that successfully for most (we managed 52k so that wasn't bad).

Surely the knee jerk reaction to Freeserve was launching pay-as-you-go internet?

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

I have a NTL phone line but not there broadband my question do you get the speed with NTL?? my ISP says 8MB but my exchange can only handle 4.5mb max i get about 3.7mb.

Re: Watchout NTL - 18th July everything changes
 

And like other essential utilities (gas, water, leccy), it will need to be paid for (Return On Investment, and other horrible capitalist words).

Sky bought EasyNet last year, which had a very good core fibre network - and they are now investing heavily in that division (re TriplePlay).