We investigate the common misconceptions surrounding unmetered use

Conclusions

Even given a future price cut there are still serious economic limits to what ISPs can provide and at an affordable price. Clearly Oftel and BT could do more, yet there's little chance of a 'significant' enough reduction in the wholesale cost of FRIACO to produce a marked change. Thus solutions must be found elsewhere.

Since there's currently no general industry regulation and you can't blame a customer for buying a product, the ultimate responsibility for change and improvement must come directly from ISPs. It's arrogant for some providers to think it's the customers fault for expecting too much, ISPs hold the ultimate responsibility for the product they sell and how it's promoted.

What follows is a list of recommendations, which we believe all unmetered dialup providers should follow:

1. Clear Definitions of Usage Restrictions - Making sure to highlight exactly what's meant by maximum or recommended daily use.
2. Clearly Promoted Restrictions - ISPs must make this available on the service offer pages since they're part of what's being sold, they should NOT just be mentioned in the Terms & Conditions.
3. Try To Offer Packages Based On Usage Type (hours per month) - This is more economically realistic, easier to control and gives the ISP direct justification for dealing with people who surf over a clear limit.
4. Price Services Realistically - This should be done with No.1 in mind because there's no set standard for pricing, it's largely based on contention, port cost and usage. Typically these are dynamic unless you set a standard, in which case the ISP has control and should thus negate the need to increase prices.
   

Sadly the industry is highly competitive and it's unrealistic to expect such changes without the needed regulation, which even OFCOM may be unable to fully provide.

Education is also a difficult task because most ISP subscribers don't read related websites or magazines, they simply use the service expecting to be given 24/7 access whenever they want and for as long as they want. It's hardly 'arrogant' of somebody to expect so much from an ISP if they don't know any better.

Sadly the ultimate conclusion can only be one of frustration because it's up to the ISPs and industry regulation to improve, not consumers, yet this isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

Thankfully those reading this should at least be somewhat better off with the knowledge that not all is what it seems, indeed in the world of the Internet Service Providers, it's often far less. Choose wisely.

[Print Page | Main Page]