[joglynne]

Being a member of this forum can, i feel, give us an unrealistic view of how we think customers will react to this latest statement by a VM representative, and that's if the average customer even sees it.

I have several neighbours and friends who have never realised that STM exists let alone get upset about it. As long as they can do what they want they appear quite satisfied by the service they receive. When I speak to them they are all surprised that I consider there to be any problems with their VM BB. The odd one has commentated about the 'pauses' they experience when watching things but they have just dismissed the problem as being "the way the internet works".

IMOP I doubt whether there will be any mass exodus as I believe that those customers on a TV/BB/Phone package will consider changing suppliers to be too much hassle when what they think are seeing and hearing appears to be just a war of words between competing suppliers.