ISPreview takes a final look at the unmetered/freecall situation

Where's the Profit?

If you've read this far without your draw dropping then you're probably wondering how any ISP could possibly make a profit - EVER. Now fair enough our prices aren't accurate, but even if they were 50% smaller it'd still be a very big problem and they aren't even close to that.

So the casual ISP has several ways to earn a living and they are:

1. Use a higher ratio so you have less modems and more users - only works with smaller ISPs (big ones - Freeserve - get into serious troubles).
2. Increase the monthly price (would be fine if the market hadn't become so competitive as to screw each other out of using higher prices).
3. Decrease the overall network speed and thus cost (works, but not enough to make any difference).
4. Kick all those who use more than you'd like them to do (common and very efficient way of doing things - a result of their own false advertising though).

At this point we'd direct you over to our 'Real Unmetered' article that is essential reading to understand why unmetered doesn't really exist and how we all get ripped off.

What ISPs Don't Tell You

You've probably heard us mention in the 'Real Unmetered' article that ISPs become victims of their own success. They do this by advertising 'unlimited' services where it is impossible to provide such a thing, thus they or the customers invariably become a victim of one of the four points mentioned above.

Now here's the fun part, pickup the phone and ask your ISP just how long they'd like people to stay online. Most BT Surftime ISPs offering the standard £25 per month 24/7 style option will say around 90Hours (3Hours a day) and no more, FRIACO ISPs will say closer to 130Hours (4.3Hours a day). You'll usually notice that the FRIACO options are closer to the £20 mark for more, that's better then the £30 for less with Surftime.

Suddenly the pieces should fit together, people are expecting so much from unmetered ISPs because they are advertising the impossible and not showing the true limits of what is being offered. This is why so many people get kicked for heavy usage and why ISPs are in turmoil.

The only reason any people escape this is because usage patterns vary, meaning that somebody abusing the system by using way over 90hours per month is contradicted by a light user only operating on 1 hour per day. However if service problems occur then such high users are identified and kicked. Sounds fair enough and it would be had the ISPs advertised their limits in the first place.

In the near future, and hopefully if Oftel do what we ask of them, ISPs will be made to show their limits. This will allow consumers to choose what ISP allows the most usage and go with them while paying the appropriate price. Yet all this also presents more problems.

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