ISP Review takes a look at the diminishing trust in unmetered ISPs

The Turning Point

Although it took nearly a year to happen, Oftel and BT did finally recognise the need for stronger support in this area of ISP services. While Oftel set about outlining FRIACO (wholesale), BT was also quick to introduce its solution, Surftime.

Both systems were designed to make unmetered services cheaper without putting the operator (Telco) behind the ISP under any serious stress. Unfortunately Surftime ended up being far too expensive, with a typical 24/7 package costing roughly £30 per month, if not more.

While on the other hand FRIACO was rejected by operators, who weren't happy with the prospect of jumping strait from a Local Call Rate model to unmetered. Typically FRIACO was later re-drafted during the summer (2000) to include an underlying metered charge on calls and while accepted by a few operators, the majority of previously interested ISPs flatly refused to use the system.

The industry was now in a state of flux, with Oftel claiming the existence of FRIACO and Surftime technology to be enough, while most ISPs still refused to adopt either, with a few exceptions (Plus.Net, BTInternet [Off-Peak] and several others).

Further Evolution Required

While the new systems appeared better, they too proved unable to cope with the varied demand of customers and were both far too inflexible for those ISPs wanting to offer something they could alter for reasons of competition. During the end of 2000 the only ISP to take up a FRIACO solution was FreeChariot, which later dropped it during the first two months of 2001.

By the dawn if 2001 it was clear that what had once looked so promising (FRIACO / BTSurftime) was now starting to cause further anger and stress in an already increasingly volatile industry. As ISPs such as LibertySurf, RedHotAnt and IGClick started to disappear, Oftel once again began putting pressure on BT and devising another FRIACO.

During early 2001 BT announced its new SurfPort24 range and soon after Oftel touted an updated FRIACO with no underlying metered charge and ST-FRIACO (we never quite understood the last one). Later into the summer BT bowed to pressure and introduced WebPort24 for smaller ISPs unable to order in the bulk required by SurfPort24.

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