The Great 'Unlimited' Swindle

[kpuk]

How many ISPs advertise 'Unlimited' Broadband? Most do, and then hide the actual limits in a FUP (Fair Usage Policy) which often don't even specify what is fair...

If you are fed up with this, please sign the e-petition at the 10 Downing Street website by going to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Unlimited-ADSL/

Thanks

It's not really a swindle - you just have to do your homework first.

[kpuk]

This is a typical extract from a well know ISPs FUP.

"This fair usage policy automatically identifies the very small number of extremely heavy users and manages their bandwidth only during peak hours (6pm to 11pm Monday to Sunday), to protect the service for all our other customers."

they don't say what is defined as heavy users, BUT on their main sales page they quote UNLIMITED time online and downloads..they can't have it both ways. Its either 'Unlimited' or its managed.

Here another one from a Major provider. Again on the main sales page they quote Unlimited Usage

Unlimited usage

"unlimited usage so you can surf, download and watch content online to your heart’s content. Fair usage policy applies" but there is no link to this FUP. You have to hunt through the website, to find the FUP only to read...

xxx will monitor network performance and may restrict the amount of bandwidth available to very heavy users during peak time to ensure that the majority of the customer base has a good customer experience.

Broadband is a contended service, there is no such think as 'unlimited', ISPs need to be honest and upfront with their customers and quote the usage limit that they are using as their guidelines and stop using the term 'unlimited' in relation to usage. By all means say unlimited time on-line, but don't tell us that our usage is unlimited...it never is. Customers should not have to try and decode an obscure FUP.

Yes - and?

I'm with Tiscali and peek hours are 6pm -11pm. I'm on "unlimited" downloads. I get a 40GB allowance for peek hours - this is calculated during peek hour downloads only...the rest of the time it's unlimited.

Whats so difficult to understand about that?

[Tezcatlipoca]

This brings up memories of the dreaded "cap threads"...

[Druchii]

Signed... I hate having to do that kind of homework for friends and family... Especially when they probably never will be capped.

[pedantic]

Originally Posted by lsainsbury

Yes - and?

I'm with Tiscali and peek hours are 6pm -11pm. I'm on "unlimited" downloads. I get a 40GB allowance for peek hours - this is calculated during peek hour downloads only...the rest of the time it's unlimited.

Whats so difficult to understand about that?

Highly unlikely I'm afraid. There's no such thing as an unlimited service, during off peak, you can bet you will be heavily traffic shaped. Something Tiscali are particularly good at.

[awibble]

i would say 90% of people that are using the unlimited and have the fair usage policy kick in, are acutally downloading illegally anyway. All that will happen if you do get them to stop saying unlimited, is that they will monitor what you are downloading and just use that to restrict you.

Originally Posted by awibble

i would say 90% of people that are using the unlimited and have the fair usage policy kick in, are acutally downloading illegally anyway.

Would you care to clarify that statement?

[piggy]

Originally Posted by lsainsbury

Would you care to clarify that statement?

what needs clarifying?
anybody who downloads 100's of gbs a week/month will be downloading copyright material fact!
the goverment and isp's are running away from this issue if the music and video content were to be monitored/stopped the broadband industry would die....why else would anybody want 10mb/20mb/50mb iptv?....bulls**T

[awibble]

Originally Posted by piggy

what needs clarifying?
anybody who downloads 100's of gbs a week/month will be downloading copyright material fact!
the goverment and isp's are running away from this issue if the music and video content were to be monitored/stopped the broadband industry would die....why else would anybody want 10mb/20mb/50mb iptv?....bulls**T

Im not saying everyone that downloads that amount is downloading copyright material, i push a lot but i use the connection for work, and installing windows, and linux over the internet can push a lot of BW. However i bet if you had a vote where there was no tracking, and you asked people how much there transfer was vs how much of it was legal you would find the more that was transfered, the more that was illegal.

Some dont even know there doing it, theres some sites that charge you to download things so you think its legal, but its not.

Originally Posted by piggy

what needs clarifying?
anybody who downloads 100's of gbs a week/month will be downloading copyright material fact!
the goverment and isp's are running away from this issue if the music and video content were to be monitored/stopped the broadband industry would die....why else would anybody want 10mb/20mb/50mb iptv?....bulls**T

Who's talking about 100GB's a month? I only need to push a bit over 40GB during peek hours and they could be on my case.

I'm a IT engineer and thus download quite a lot in ISO's, Service Packs and other legit software - and some of this will be within peek hours.

BTW - I will sign the e-petition!

[awibble]

all they do is limit your connection in peak hours, its not like they cut you off or shout at you, you just might find your connection drops from 10Mb to 6Mb (thats what happens to a friend of mine), its not like its anything major.

And as an IT engineer i'm sure that you know how over selling works, i would love to find a DC that will give you a 10Mb connection 24/7 for £35 a month, you might be able to get it for £50, but that would be pushing it.

Originally Posted by awibble

all they do is limit your connection in peak hours, its not like they cut you off or shout at you, you just might find your connection drops from 10Mb to 6Mb (thats what happens to a friend of mine), its not like its anything major.

And as an IT engineer i'm sure that you know how over selling works, i would love to find a DC that will give you a 10Mb connection 24/7 for £35 a month, you might be able to get it for £50, but that would be pushing it.

Tiscali limit my connection in normal bloddy hours but thats another thread!

[kpuk]

Thinkbroadband have a new News item leading on the 'unlimited' debate, with a link to the e-petition.

See: http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/3...-material.html