UPDATE Hull ISP Karoo Launch Unusual Weekday Broadband Package − ISPreview UK

02-09-10

UK Business ISP Easynet Global and BSkyB Complete Sale to Private Equity LDC

02-09-10

Orange UK Joins 3 and T-Mobile in 3G Mobile Broadband Network Share

02-09-10

Virgin Media UK Provides Broadband ISP Speed Clarity to Customers

02-09-10

UK Consumer Panel Urges Gov to Get Tough on Misleading Broadband ISP Speeds

More Headlines | RSS | Archives

More Polls | Past Polls Archive

Twitter ISPreview

UPDATE Hull ISP Karoo Launch Unusual Weekday Broadband Package

By: MarkJ - 10 November, 2009 (8:27 AM) - Score: 1374 - Fixed Line Broadband, Special Offers

Hull based ISP Karoo (KCOM, Kingston Communications), which predominantly covers East Yorkshire in the UK, is preparing to launch a bizarre new weekday only budget broadband package for just £5.99 per month. Subscribers will only have access to fast ( ADSL2+ ) broadband between the hours of 8am to 4pm from Monday to Friday, outside of that you'll get dialup speeds.

The unusual package, which many will see as a step back in time to an Internet experience that should of died several years ago, is expected to launch on 1st December next month. It has been designed specifically to help job seekers in East Yorkshire get online.

Cathy Philips, Head of Corporate Communications at KCOM, told This is Hull and East Riding:

"We've been quite heavily involved in the Mail's Bounce Back campaign so we're acutely aware there are a lot of people out there who need work and we thought, how can we support them and help. As a local business we want people to have Internet skills and we want people to get back to work. The region's success is our success."

Karoo notes that its budget package could also be used by anybody with a low income, such as pensioners and single parents. It's certainly an interesting idea. Sadly precise package details have not yet been revealed, we only know that it will run off a 12 month contract, include an email account and be discounted to just £4.99 for the first three months.

Speeds, usage allowances and so forth have yet to be announced. What do you think; is this a good or bad idea? Post a comment if you have an opinion.

UPDATE 09:51am

We have updated the above article after Karoo corrected an error in the original newspaper item. It is dialup style speeds (56Kbps) and not a separate dialup connection that will be used during the out of hour’s period.

A KCom spokesperson informed ISPreview:

"Whilst the broadband connection is available 24 hours a day, during the hours of 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday it is at ADSL2+ speeds. Out of those hours, it is throttled back to the equivalent of a dial up connection."

Share: SD, STB, FB, Digg, Blink, Del.icio.us, Reddit, Yahoo, Mixx, Propeller, Diigo

Option: Link | Search

Comments: 2

Carrot63
Posted: 11 November, 2009 - 9:29 AM
Link to comment

Not so unusual. My PlusNet connection exhibits much the same form, although the dialup speed periods are a bit more random. I don't think this'll catch on.

Katy
Posted: 12 November, 2009 - 6:51 PM
Link to comment

You seem to have (deliberately?) missed the point. This is in response to customer request and is part of a Hull drive to provide the unemployed with broadband. Why so negative??