US Cable Giant Liberty Global buys Virgin Media

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

The tiers below 30Mbit have 75% management, the 30Mbit and above tiers all have 50% management

So that means a customer that was on XL 20 and was getting managed down to 5Mbit as part of the STM policy, is now on 60Mbit and gets managed to 30Mbit.

That is the very reason that I changed my XL 20 to XL 60. Because I use Netflix a lot, I was getting capped quite a bit, and on XL 20, the capped speed of 5meg wasn't fast enough to stream the new 5.8meg Super HD Netflix streams. Now that I'm on 60meg, they can cap me as much as they want, as 30 meg is more than adequate for anything I want to do. Even the 15meg cap of the 30meg service would be fine for me. This is why, for anyone on the 30meg and above service, I can't understand what the big deal is about capping?

[Chad]

Originally Posted by passingbat

I can't understand what the big deal is about capping?

I think it's all to do with having to take a broadband package that you might not really need, in order to get the service you require. What I mean is an unmanaged 20mb connection would probably suit most people’s needs. However to get a constant service that suits them, when restrictions are in place, 20mb might turn out to be useless meaning they need to take the next broadband speed up such as 60mb.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Chad

I think it's all to do with having to take a broadband package that you might not really need, in order to get the service you require. What I mean is an unmanaged 20mb connection would probably suit most people’s needs. However to get a constant service that suits them, when restrictions are in place, 20mb might turn out to be useless meaning they need to take the next broadband speed up such as 60mb.

Why do you think an unmanaged 20Mbit connection would cost less than the current 60Mbit one does?

[Chad]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Why do you think an unmanaged 20Mbit connection would cost less than the current 60Mbit one does?

I haven't mentioned cost anywhere in my post.

Do you think an unmanaged 20mb connection should be the same price, or cost more than a managed 60mb connection?

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Chad

Do you think an unmanaged 20mb connection should be the same price, or cost more than a managed 60mb connection?

I would expect it would cost more - which was my point.

It may not look like a customer wanting an unmanaged 20Mbit connection 'needs' 60Mbit, however if that gets them the level of service they want, then they need it - no matter the headline speed of the tier.

[passingbat]

I could be wrong on this, but is it just the people who download masses of HD pirated shows and films who complain about capping, and people who have normal usage requirments aren't even aware of being capped?

I am on XL BB and the only reason that I stayed in 20meg was that I had a rock solid modem and was reluctant to swap to the Superhub, which initially had a bad reputation. 20 meg was fine for me (even when capped) until Netflix introduced SuperHD a month or so ago, and so I swapped the modem. I now have the service level that meets my needs, even when capped.

[Chad]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

I would expect it would cost more - which was my point.

It may not look like a customer wanting an unmanaged 20Mbit connection 'needs' 60Mbit, however if that gets them the level of service they want, then they need it - no matter the headline speed of the tier.

They will only need 60mb if their service provider is throttling lower broadband levels to the extent that they become unfit for purpose, for what that individual uses the internet for. The broadband provider is creating a false need for their faster broadband packages.

I think a truly unlimited 20mb connection should be cheaper than a managed 60mb connection. I have a truly unlimited 15mb broadband connection via my current provider which costs only £3.75 per month. It’s not as fast as the connection I had with Virgin however I know exactly what up and down speeds I’ll get 24/7 regardless of what I’m doing.

Ultimately it’s all in the customers hands. Nobody is being forced to take a throttled broadband service. There are multiple broadband suppliers now offering unlimited services at different speeds and prices. If people are not happy with a restricted service, they can go wherever they like at the end of their current contract.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by Chad

I have a truly unlimited 15mb broadband connection via my current provider which costs only £3.75 per month. It’s .

If that's the actual speed that you get, and it's consistently that speed, then it is very good for ADSL (which I believe you have?) I assume that price you pay is part of your Sky half price deal?


Certainly streaming services, which are becoming more and more popular, will shake the BB market up; more people are likely to go over the download limit and invoke capping as legal download services become more popular. And you do raise a good point re a an overall lower speed with no capping and a faster speed with capping. I think I'd choose the faster speed with capping for the odd occasion when I wanted to download something fast. But it's nowhere near clear cut.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by Chad

I think a truly unlimited 20mb connection should be cheaper than a managed 60mb connection. I have a truly unlimited 15mb broadband connection via my current provider which costs only £3.75 per month. It’s not as fast as the connection I had with Virgin however I know exactly what up and down speeds I’ll get 24/7 regardless of what I’m doing.

I'm the same however I only receive around 9mb , that said its flawless on Netflix Super HD , YouTube and it gets a hammering with Sky On Demand content.

[Chad]

Originally Posted by passingbat

If that's the actual speed that you get, and it's consistently that speed, then it is very good for ADSL (which I believe you have?) I assume that price you pay is part of your Sky half price deal?

It's been very consistent so far. I live close to the exchange and very close to the cabinet in the street. Not everyone will get 15mb, I'm just very lucky.

£3.75 per month is part of my SKY half price deal for 12 months. I have however noticed that SKY has a deal available to all new and existing customers switching their broadband and line rental to SKY. Take a 12 month contract, get the first 6 months of unlimited broadband totally free. That’s only £45 for a whole years worth of unlimited broadband, which is what I’m paying. Essentially SKY unlimited broadband is currently half price for everyone at the moment, depending on what services you take with them.

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Why do you think an unmanaged 20Mbit connection would cost less than the current 60Mbit one does?

To be honest if you've been a virgi media customer paying £35 for broadband then go to sky and get your broadband for £7.50 it's very hard to ever want to pay over £30 again for BB/Phoneline ever again. I would rather put the extra £15-£20 on 2 extra sky HDmultiroom boxes or Sky sports if I didn't have them.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Bogof

To be honest if you've been a virgi media customer paying £35 for broadband then go to sky and get your broadband for £7.50 it's very hard to ever want to pay over £30 again for BB/Phoneline ever again. I would rather put the extra £15-£20 on 2 extra sky HDmultiroom boxes or Sky sports if I didn't have them.

Who's paying £35 then as many customers are on different bundles and pay nothing like your quoted figure by you.

[Itshim]

Originally Posted by denphone

Who's paying £35 then as many customers are on different bundles and pay nothing like your quoted figure by you.

Well said,if that figure was true I would only be paying £14 per month for XL TV , TiVo , V+ & phone line pay around £50 with calls !!!

[Chad]

Originally Posted by Bogof

To be honest if you've been a virgi media customer paying £35 for broadband then go to sky and get your broadband for £7.50 it's very hard to ever want to pay over £30 again for BB/Phoneline ever again.

Agree 100%

---------- Post added at 12:51 ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 ----------

Originally Posted by denphone

Who's paying £35 then as many customers are on different bundles and pay nothing like your quoted figure by you.

100Mb broadband on it's own is £35.00. Of course not everyone will have broadband just on it's own, but it's not too uncommon.

[joglynne]

NASDAQ:VMED Investor Notice: Lawsuit to Stop Takeover of Virgin Media Inc. filed.

The Shareholders Foundation announces that an investor in shares of Virgin Media Inc. (NASDAQ:VMED) filed a lawsuit in effort to stop the proposed takeover of Virgin Media by Liberty Global, Inc. at a value of approximately $47.87 per NASDAQ:VMED share.

http://empowerednews.net/nasdaqvmed-...filed/1835712/

I have been reading about the allegations that the Virgin Media Board breached their fiduciary duties ever since the details of the takeover became public but now it appears that the Shareholders Foundation have decided to challenge the takeover in the courts.