OFCOM Broadband survey update

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by Cyni_cal

They do lie...

No, they really don't

unlimited, yeah in the middle of the night,

No. Your ability to download data is unlimited at any time. Though your speed may be limited at certain times.

they do hook people, with offers they can't deliver they

That OFCOM report seems to disprove this comment.

Strange how VM employees always get good connections

Both my parents and I get rock-solid connections. As does a good friend of mine. And none of us are VM emplpyees.

So that's another thing proved wrong.

perhaps if they get a problem they don't have to learn a foreign language to get problems resolved.

Pretty sure everyone I have ever spoken to at VM spoke English. It's the only language I know so I'd know if they weren't speaking it

That was a good rant though. Well done. But, as I just proved, rants rarely include facts in them.

[Cyni_cal]

Just included facts. If downloads are limited in any way they are not unlimited.

Unlimited ..."not limited or restricted in terms of number, quantity, or extent" Oxford Dictionary.
I think the relevant word is "restricted" tell me restricted doesn't apply to traffic management. Traffic management restricts your speed and speed restricts quantity, ergo traffic management is a restriction. As VM advertise unrestricted, they are lying.

When I ring India I can't understand them. I think VM understand my
Stirling pounds I pay them.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by Cyni_cal

Just included facts.

But not really.

If downloads are limited in any way they are not unlimited.

Like it or not, within the industry "unlimited" has a very specific meaning relating the the amount of data that can be downloaded not the speed.

When I ring India I can't understand them.

Me neither. But then I also have problems with some variants of the Scots accent too. Doesn't mean they're not talking English. though.

[Cyni_cal]

Supercilious claptrap. As you can't grasp the meaning of the word unlimited i don't want to waste anymore time on a Birkett fanboi.
I will take the meaning onboard of this quote.
"Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience"
you nearly managed to drag me down to your level.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by Cyni_cal

Supercilious claptrap.

No. Just the facts.

As you can't grasp the meaning of the word unlimited i don't want to waste anymore time on a Birkett fanboi.

I have explained the meaning of the word within the broadband industry. That is all.

I am sorry you are unable to handle the truth.

[Taf]

Like it or not, within the industry "unlimited" has a very specific meaning relating the the amount of data that can be downloaded not the speed.

So why have I recently received 2 emails, and 2 letters, telling me that I am downloading "too much during peak hours"? (4 adults using the same connection, Shub says around 4Gb each full day). They already restrict speed if we exceed their "limits", so now they they want to "limit" data downloaded?

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Taf

So why have I recently received 2 emails, and 2 letters, telling me that I am downloading "too much during peak hours"? (4 adults using the same connection, Shub says around 4Gb each full day). They already restrict speed if we exceed their "limits", so now they they want to "limit" data downloaded?

That must hint at there being an unpublicised limit during peak hours. If something is truly unlimited then there would be no need to send out emails when a unknown limit is breached ???

Here is a simple question, has anyone any evidence that BT or Sky have sent out this type of email on there UNLIMITED products ???

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by Sirius

That must hint at there being an unpublicised limit during peak hours. If something is truly unlimited then there would be no need to send out emails when a unknown limit is breached ???

There used to be an unpublicised limit but no longer, they now just send out "advisory" letters and don't actually take any action against those breaching the "limit". They used to disconnect you for breaching said limit.

Here is a simple question, has anyone any evidence that BT or Sky have sent out this type of email on there UNLIMITED products ???

BT used to have a 300GB/month limit on their unlimited products, after which your speed would be cut to ~1Mbps, they quietly revoked this policy a while ago though.

[RobboEdin]

I thought that ALL ISPs who claim 'unlimited' in fact have FUPs (fair usage policies) in order to ensure the fairest service to ALL customers.

[BenMcr]

Just to point out, Virgin Media don't use the term 'unlimited' anymore

[carlwaring]

I never noticed that; but then I don't need to look at their 'shop' anymore these days

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by RobboEdin

I thought that ALL ISPs who claim 'unlimited' in fact have FUPs (fair usage policies) in order to ensure the fairest service to ALL customers.

All "Unlimited" ISPs have acceptable use policies, not necessarily fair use policies. Some for example have no fair-use limitation on how much you use, only the acceptable use policy to prevent you using it for illegal purposes (e.g. harassment, terrorism, malicious attacks, etc.)

[thenry]

The average fixed broadband download speed was 12.0Mbit/s in November 2012

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/mar...peeds-nov2012/

[qasdfdsaq]

Average cable broadband speeds increased by 58% in the six months to November 2012
1.11 The average download speed of a UK residential cable broadband connection increased by 10.4Mbit/s (58%) to 28.3Mbit/s in the six months to November 2012 (Figure 1.4). This was largely a result of Virgin Media’s ongoing speed upgrade programme which is due to be completed by the end of June 2013 (although upgrades to its 120Mbit/s services will continue until the end of the year). Over the same six-month period the average speed of a residential ADSL connection also increased, albeit by just 0.2Mbit/s (3%) to 6.0Mbit/s, partly as a result of ADSL1 customers being upgraded onto faster ADSL2+ services.

Yay, "double" everyone's speeds, gain a 58% improvement in average...

Still, catching up with BT. Average speed on VM "fibre" is now only 31% slower than on BT "fibre".

Peak time congestion looks like it's still bad though mildly improved, with VM cable customers losing on average 11-16% of their speed at peak time vs. 6% on FTTC.

That's an improvement of about 3% on VM and about 6% on its' competitors. Except for VM 30Mb customers, who saw their average speeds actually reduce.

Funny enough, BT 38Mb is outperforming VM 30Mb and BT 76Mb is outperforming VM 60Mb, which you might think is obvious, but I recall VM advertising their competing service would be faster due to line losses on xDSL.

... Apparently they were wrong.

Unsurprisingly, on the upload, BT 38Mb is faster than all of VM's surveyed tariffs, including VM 100Mb, and on comparable tariffs closer to triple.

Still. I think the most significant is that VM have managed to cut peak time speed loss on the 100Mb service by about 20%, which means quite significant improvements in capacity and reductions in congestion.

Similarly, average latency on VM is now finally lower than on BT Infinity (when averaged over 24 hours) which again indicates capacity improvements but packet loss is still ten times higher. Unfortunately latency still increases enough at peak times that it ends up worse than on BT.

Loading a web page still takes longer on VM 100Mb than BT 76Mb though that particular result is completely insignificant and just there for laughs...

VM DNS failure rates are also still several orders of magnitude higher than anyone else's as is jitter, but again the latter has improved about 20% since 6 months prior.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Yay, "double" everyone's speeds, gain a 58% improvement in average...

Except the report is only up till November last year. There has been a further 5 months of speed work since then.

So at the point of measurement in no way has everyone's speeds been doubled.