ISPreview takes a look back at the year that was 2000

One step forward, two steps back

As with the first generation of providers there ended up being problems with the second. Surfunlimited became slow and frequently engaged, NTL World suffered similar problems and a shortage of CD's, TFI the same and Breathe decided it'd kick a few people for heavy usage.

Around the same time (end of the summer) WorldCom finally signed the deal to offer FRIACO via its Telco and to ISPs. All the while new BTSurftime based ISPs kept rising along with a few basic 0800 providers, although most failed to impress. Come early autumn and signs that a third generation of ISP based on FRIACO started to show through.

Before long things were clearly starting to change, now ISPs like 24/7FreeCall, CloudNine, FreeChariot, Games World, Madasafish and several more were either launching or already launched using a mixture of the available systems. BTSurftimes higher prices, yet more reliable options, were also starting to take a noticeably stronger hold.

The Third Generation

By now many of the ISPs bar a few such as the newer Connect25, Breathe and older RedHotAnt had started to take up a rather specific price direction. ISPs were now taking on a more commonly priced area of £20 - £50 per month, although expensive, there's nothing about unmetered that should be cheap.

FRIACO then changed into FRAICO Hybrid, which had an underlying metered charge, much to the disappointment of many providers. BT was typically dragging its feet on enabling BT exchanges for the new system and getting the important ISP side changes online, a typically anti-competitive thing for BT to do.

Suddenly another change started to occur; a group known as Surfing Rabbit introduced 24/7 free local calls. The offer was a revelation and soon to be followed by BT announcing its own Off-Peak free local calls, then days later FreeChariot did the same, but for 24/7 access. Suddenly a whole new market was beginning to open up.

Around the same time FreeChariot also became the first to introduce a FRIACO based unmetered option. Although the service limits and price proved that FRIACO still needed a lot of work, it was good, but simply not flexible enough (metered charge blamed).

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