December 17, 2001 - December 22, 2001
News - December 22,2001
WonkyPig Increase Prices - !AGAIN!
By:mark.j @ 10:13:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] It looks as if the unmetered dialup ISP, WonkyPig, which likes to changes its prices more than the Queen changes dress, may have stepped too far with their latest increase:
Telephone lines will be closed from 21st December 2001 until 2nd Jan 2002 if you require assistance please email: frontdesk@wonkypig.co.uk
From Janurary 2nd our Support Number will be 07092 001 686 and operate from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
There will also be a price increase for new customers signing up after the 2nd Janurary the prices will be:
BT LINE : £16.99 per month with no setup fee
NON BT LINE: £19.99 per month + £19.99 signup fee
Please note that the above is only for new customers joing the service after the 2nd Janurary.
Happy Christmans Surfing
From all of the crew at Wonkypig
While the NON BT LINE increase ‘MAY BE’ fair given the additional charges imposed on an ISP for the transit to cable operators, the BT only option will no doubt be seen as expensive by comparison to others.
The price rise may only apply to NEW customers, although existing ones have already begun to see a familiar pattern and become frustrated by it. WP has now gained a firm reputation for changing price and services whenever they choose. The question is; will this be the last one? |
News - December 21,2001
!!Merry Christmas From ISP Review!!
By:mark.j @ 3:38:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The ISP Review staff would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and if you're not allowed to celebrate it (religious reasons don't care, work etc.) then just ignore the silly drunk people and those wearing red and white suits as best you can.
Note, if you happen to see reindeer zapping across the sky then PLEASE.. PLEASE!! Don’t inform the military, they're on a high state of alert and children don't want to see reddish stains on their presents.
There may be the odd news update between now and following Monday after Christmas week, although don't expect much. Most ISPs also tend to break for this period, bar a few.
Merry Christmas |
BTOpenworlds New Chief Executive
By:mark.j @ 3:21:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] While for most of us it's the season to be "jolly", for BT it's the seasons to change senior managers. Today Alison Ritchie has been appointed BTOpenworlds new chief executive, after Andy Green.
Ritchie, currently BT's restructuring project director, will take over the role at the beginning of January. The post had been left vacant after Green moved to head BT's Ignite corporate Internet division at the end of November.
BT has undergone drastic management changes in the past year with the appointment of Dutchman Ben Verwaayen from Lucent Technologies as the new group chief executive this month, replacing Peter Bonfield. It also hired Christopher Bland, the former chairman of public broadcaster BBC as BT's new chairman in May.
Despite Ritchie's 20 years of experience with BT, don't think for a moment that the troubled narrowband unmetered dialup services will improve. One BT CE or Manager is just the same as another, from the consumers perspective that is. |
LINX Boasts Network Growth
By:mark.j @ 3:16:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] One of the primary hubs for most of the UKs Internet traffic, The London Internet Exchange (LINX), has today been boasting about their size and how they can reach half the world's internet routes:
The company currently has 120 ISP partners and claims to be the largest internet exchange point outside the US.
Linx boasts 96 per cent of the UK's internet traffic with a maximum through-put of 11 gigabits per second.
More @ Silicon . |
Online Shopping DOESN'T Ease Stress
By:mark.j @ 10:18:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Having ordered some of our own Christmas presents online two months ago only to find that they still haven't arrived (hint: don't shop @ innovations), we're well aware of the problems with online shopping as well as the benefits.
Today yet more research into online shopping, this time by EXE Technologies, has found that out of 1,000 people (aged above 15), most still have concerns:
Only one in ten people with access to the internet said online shopping had helped them cope.
A quarter were worried online stores wouldn't deliver on time, and 40% were worried about giving their credit card details over the internet.
Asked for their gripes with high street shopping, 30% cited unhelpful staff and 59% said stores raised stress levels by being too overcrowded.
We can't help but agree with the findings in Ananova's news item, what do you think? |
British Women Shopping Online
By:mark.j @ 10:09:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] A recent report from Egg highlighted a 10% growth in the number of women surfing the Internet, which worked out as a total of 36% for female users in the UK.
Today new research from Nielsen/NetRatings has found that by November 2001, 43.1% of Britons using the Internet were women, compared to 39.7% a year ago. That's over 6,000,000 female surfers, which most of them using the Internet for shopping.
Of the 10 websites that drew the highest proportion of their audience from women above the age of 18, eight were e-commerce destinations.
"Online shopping sites had a bumper November, and it's no coincidence that this is happening at the same time as more women are coming online," said Nielsen/NetRatings Internet analyst Tom Ewing. |
Oftel Boost Broadband Services Provision
By:mark.j @ 9:56:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] New arrangements announced today by the telecoms regulator Oftel will mean that competing operators can combine BT’s broadband DSL network with their own networks to offer broadband services to consumers. Press release follows:
At the moment, operators that want to offer broadband DSL services either have to buy BT’s wholesale broadband products at BT’s prices or install their own DSL equipment in BT’s local exchanges through Local loop Unbundling.
Allowing other operators to use a combination of their own and BT’s DSL networks is a significant new method to provide high speed services to consumers.
Following a request from Energis and Thus to require BT to provide a broadband interconnection product, Oftel today published a draft Determination setting out the proposed interconnection arrangements.
Broadband interconnection increases the range of options to provide broadband services to consumers, both business and residential, which includes leased lines, unbundled local loops, BT's wholesale DSL products, cable modems rand emerging technologies such as fixed wireless broadband access and satellite.
The usual consultation period for this latest of Oftels broadband related proposals is set to end on 25th January 2002. |
News - December 20,2001
Tiscali Launch Localised Domains
By:mark.j @ 12:58:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The European wide Italian ISP group, Tiscali, are to offer access to new language specific domain names aimed at regionalizing their web addresses:
The ISP has struck a deal with domain name registry New.net, which will allow Tiscali’s 7.5m subscribers to have domain names in their native languages, with address extensions in – among others – English, German, Portuguese and Italian.
The registry offers extensions such as .gmbh for German companies, or .turismo for Italian firms, and hopes to capitalise on Tiscali’s pan-European user base to offer web address extensions tailored to local markets.
The domains, which are incorporated into the existing structure of the internet, require users to upgrade their network, to take advantage of the new address.
To be honest we know a fair few people who’d rather they spent the money on improving the already problematic networking of their UK ISP. More @ netimperative.com . |
Oftels Draft Management Plan 2002/3
By:mark.j @ 12:47:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] With Oftel set to turn into a general regulation body (OFCOM) and the heavy requirements of implementing new EC framework for electronic communications afoot, the regulator has today started to consult its draft management plan for the next two years. Press release follows:
Creating competitive broadband markets is a major part of this work, and Oftel has today separately set out its programme of work to support the competitive rollout of broadband services in the UK.
Oftel welcomes comments on its work plan from all those with a stake in the success of the UK electronic communications market, including consumer groups, telcos, service providers, other regulators and Government.
David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, said: "Oftel's work in 2002/3 will take place in the context of several important developments. Ensuring that UK telecoms regulation is in line with the new European Directives will be a major task for Oftel over the coming year."
"Work has begun to prepare for the market reviews required by the Directives. Oftel and the other regulators whose responsibilities will pass to OFCOM have already completed important groundwork to establish the new regulator. This work will continue over the coming year."
"Broadband will continue to be a major focus of Oftel's work in the coming year."
"Oftel has published its regulatory approach to broadband, setting out the work we will undertake to achieve competitive broadband markets in the UK. This includes ensuring an appropriate regulatory framework for competition to develop in broadband services - intervening in particular where players with market power could otherwise slow down or block the rollout of services."
"This work covers promoting access to unbundled local loops, wholesale DSL services and tracking the takeup of services. In addition to these major new initiatives, Oftel has a wide range of work in areas from consumer information to the prevention of anti-competitive practice."
The closing date for comments is 31 January. |
Clara.net Filtering New Maldal Worm
By:mark.j @ 12:41:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The latest E-Mail Worm (virus) to hit the Internet is known as Maldal, which disguises itself as a Macromedia Flash based Christmas and New Years greeting message.
Thankfully Clara.net has been quick to filter the virus from their E-Mail system; they're also introducing an opt-out method for the filters:
Claranet has begun to filter all inbound and outbound email for the Maldal worm. More details on the worm can be found at this website:
http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/cmas.shtml
Claranet are working to develop an opt-out mechanism for virus filtering. |
6.5% Addicted To Cybersex
By:mark.j @ 9:38:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Apparently an estimated 6.5% of MALE Internet users are addicted to cybersex and have online fantasy lives so intense that their off-line relationships may suffer.
Dr. Al Cooper of the San Jose - California, Marital and Sexuality Centre, which conducted the survey, states: "We know a lot of people are using the Internet for sexual activity. We need to figure out how people get in trouble with it."
Cooper, who has conducted a series of surveys probing the growing world of Internet sex, said his latest study was aimed at identifying those at risk for cybersex "addiction".
We'll leave it at that since it could well be the reason Santa never got around to delivering his presents last year =). |
Freeserve SMASH R/ADSL Price Barrier
By:mark.j @ 9:31:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] While we've no idea how they can sustain this while keeping good services and support intact, ADSLGuide is reporting that Freeserve is to offer their R/ADSL Wires-Only (D.I.Y) Home USB broadband package for £29.99 per month (PM) under trial!
BTOpenworld started ADSL through similar 'skin-tight' pricing, although later kept it @ £39.99 PM when the wholesale charged dropped to £30 from £35.
It's also worth noting that this is a trial and registrations must be in by 8th January 2002. Strangely the trial itself will end on the 31st of that same month, suggesting that it has more to do with the Wires-Only aspect rather than price. This is a good thing because it means the price is more likely to stay for new subscribers when it's finished.
The catch? There's a 12 Month contract rather than the new 1 Month deal. On top of that there's the usual £99 activation charge, which INCLUDES a USB Modem. In short this means that Freeserve is guaranteed at least £458.88 for the first year, we'll be interested to see how they cope.
Question: will other providers follow suit? |
News - December 19,2001
Force9's New 'Website Wizard'
By:mark.j @ 3:25:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Few people out of the total population of Internet users actually know how to build a website, however one of PlusNET's sister ISPs, Force9, has today introduce a special wizard to help do just that. As usual PlusNET’s extremely long release forced us to cut a few paragraphs:
Making website creation a breeze - Force9's new 'website wizard'
Force9 Internet, one of the UK's most established Internet Service Providers, today launched the 'Website Wizard', an easy-to-use online website design and publishing tool suitable for all ages and purposes. For all those wishing to create a website but discouraged by the technicalities involved, Website Wizard now makes it literally as easy as using a mouse.
Available through their interactive customer portal (http://www.force9.net), this great new addition to Force9's arsenal of web-based applications was recently launched on 'sister' ISP PlusNet (www.plus.net) and has been warmly greeted by customers who have found it both easy to use and powerful in scope. The website creation tool is available to all Force9's customers including non-subscription 'free' accounts.
The Force9 Website Wizard has been designed to remove totally the need for 'inside knowledge' of HTML code or additional third party software when designing or uploading your completed pages to the World Wide Web. Whether you're a net 'newbie' or an old hand, you'll find that the point-and-click interface and step-by-step guidance makes it a straightforward process to publish your pages, fully-working to the free web space afforded to every Force9 customer. And, unlike some other similar systems you'll find on the Web, the resulting pages do not suffer from annoying pop-up windows or intrusive advertising messages.
With 16 different themes to choose from, each with 6 different designs, there's plenty of choice when it comes to the look of your new website. Themes include Business, Entertainment, Travel and Hobbies just to mention a few. With practically a hundred designs available, your website can be as individual as you are.
Website Wizard lets you quickly and easily add text, images and hyperlinks to your pages, the straightforward interface helping you select the font and its size as you go. You get to choose the font colour and whether the text is to be normal, bold, underlined or italicised.
Also provided are links to useful online resources for those that are not sure about how to obtain pictures for their own site. Simply save the downloaded picture to your hard drive and upload from there.
Once completed, the web pages can be previewed, edited if required and then saved to your free web space for the whole world to see. Using another great Force9 feature 'Site Submit', you've even got the option of submitting your new pages to the Internet's major 'Search Engines'. |
Scottish Power(ing) Thus Telecom
By:mark.j @ 3:16:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Well it's not a big piece, but we had to do it for that subject alone. Thus, the telecom group associated with several UK ISPs, has reached an agreement with its main shareholder, Scottish Power, which should carry it through to becoming cash-flow positive.
Thus said on Wednesday that Scottish Power (SP) had agreed to fully underwrite an open offer for up to £275Million of Thus's shares at 48 pence a piece, in exchange for cancelling its loan facility to the company.
Thus also said it had agreed terms of an underwritten £90Million bank facility with a third party. Analysts had estimated Thus was short by up to £100Million to finance it between 2003 and 2004. Shares in Thus rose 11 pence% (21p) on the news. |
Gov Updates Digital Divide Plans
By:mark.j @ 3:12:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The UK government has updated its plans for tackling the Digital Divide (With & Without Internet/Technology/Computer Access), they're apparently putting faith in UK Online Centres:
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that only one in four homes in Northern Ireland, the North East of England and Wales has Net access.
In contrast, almost half of homes in London and the South East has access to the Internet.
A Government spokeswoman told The Register: "We recognise that there are disparities and to address this the Government is developing 6,000 UK Online Centres across England providing local Net access and support."
More @ The Register . |
Vodafone Makes Roaming 3G Call
By:mark.j @ 3:04:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] In the battle of 3G broadband wireless firsts, Vodafone has been the latest operator to score a success. This time the popular group has been able to make the WORLDS FIRST roaming 3G call:
The call was made between John de Wit, chief executive of Vodafone's Spanish offshoot, and Darryl Green, president of J-PHONE.
Thomas Geitner, chief executive of Vodafone's global products and services operation, says the calls have brought the benefits of 3G mobile technology a step closer to reality.
It's on target to launch its 3G network in the second half of 2002, subject to the availability of dual mode 3G handsets.
More @ Ananova . |
BT Predicts Human Extinction?
By:mark.j @ 3:00:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Just great, according to a BT 'futurologist' (Ian Pearson), the human race will be extinct by the year 2040 unless serious controls are placed on technological advances:
Speaking exclusively to vnunet.com, Pearson, of the telco's BTexact development arm, said that scenarios envisioned by science fiction movies such as Terminator were no longer mere fantasy.
"In 1900 there were only a few ways for the planet to be wiped out: comet, disease etc. But in the last few decades we have amassed a whole plethora of possibilities: nuclear, environmental, biological, and a lot of future threats will come from computing," he said.
According to Pearson, artificial intelligence (AI) will soon make robots that are more intelligent than humans, and which will pre-empt human actions and possibly assume control of critical assets.
We'd assume the VNUNet item means that we won't all get broadband in time to be wiped out by killer robots evolved from toaster ovens or a cloned version of Osama Bin.. whatshisname.. using nuclear weapons. BT really does prevail in the realm of Christmas spirit, thanks guys.
It's also worth noting that the famous Mr.Hawkins (scientist) claims the opposite; the human race must evolve technologically in order to survive. Hmmm, given that BT tends to miss all the dates it sets, we'll just ignore them both! =). Merry Christmas and lets hope Sony doesn't make a killer AIBO! |
Freeserve Use EU Legislation On AOL
By:mark.j @ 2:46:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] In its latest effort to force AOL UK into charging VAT on its ISP packages, which it's so far avoided due to being semi-USA based, Freeserve has pinned its hopes on some new European legislation:
New legislation before the European Council of ministers will require companies from outside the EU to register for VAT if ratified, and force them to charge VAT at the standard rate of the member states of customers.
The legislation would mean AOL – which as a US registered content provider does not have to pay VAT for its UK operations – would need to start charging customers 17.5% value added tax on subscription rates.
And with the Government continuing to drag its heels on reaching a decision over tax regulations, the proposed EU legislation could be the fillip its campaign requires.
The netimperative.com item also highlights a comment by Customs and Excise, reminding us that they're still investigating and a report will be issued after Christmas. Either way the new EU legislation won't come into force until sometime in January 2002. |
Andrews & Arnold Go D.I.Y xDSL ONLY
By:mark.j @ 9:52:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Andrews & Arnold, one of the more popular and most expensive broadband R/ADSL offering ISPs, has opted to completely drop their standard xDSL IPStream product and go with the Wires-Only option.
The ADSLGuide item points out that this will occur on 15th January 2002, although how it'll affect existing customers isn't clear.
It's also not clear how much the new monthly charge will be for their 'Home' offer, although knowing A&A it could end up being as expensive as the standard R/ADSL option from various other ISPs. |
News - December 18,2001
UK To See Biggest Broadband Growth
By:mark.j @ 3:38:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Yet more statistical data, this time from Jupiter MMXI, predicts that the UK and Italy will see the biggest level of broadband growth next year (2002) - increasing access three fold:
Despite the growth, Jupiter predicts that it will be 2006 before broadband in Europe reaches critical mass.
Until then, two-way satellite, fibre-to-the-home and fixed wireless access will emerge as alternatives to broadband next year.
The netimperative.com item highlights the Jupiter report as stating exactly what BT said only recently, that broadband won't be a mass-market technology until 2006. The rest we know. |
Average Internet Use Increases
By:mark.j @ 3:32:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] No big surprises from Nielsen / NetRatings updated UK average Internet usage statistics for November 2001 today. The key parts are as follows:
Number of sessions per month: 13
Time spent per month: 6:08:40
Time spent per session: 29:29:00
Duration of a page viewed: 0:45
Active internet universe: 14,007,757
Current internet universe estimate: 24,542,068 |
UK Internet Penetration Graphic
By:mark.j @ 3:27:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Last week we reported on some new Internet usage research from of the Office of National Statistics, today the BBC caught up and covered the report, however theirs also came up with this attractive graphic:
 |
BTs Official D.I.Y Broadband DSL Prices
By:mark.j @ 3:20:PM - Comments (4) - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] BT has today officially announced their two new IPStream Home and Office D.I.Y (Wires-Only) R/ADSL broadband services. The troubled Telco also confirmed the launch for 15th January 2002 as had been expected for sometime.
The initiative is the latest move to help reduce broadband retail prices and stimulate demand across the entire UK market, which has one of the lowest penetrations of broadband connections in the industrialised world.
The wholesale price of BT's R/ADSL (Rate Adaptive/Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) service, which transforms normal telephone lines into broadband connections, will cost £25 per month, including a £50 connection fee.
Typically all is not quite what it seems, there's still the high cost of the xDSL adaptor (£100 - £200) to consider for USB options and not to mention the required line filters to clear up interference (£10-£15). On top of that this is a WHOLESALE price for ISPs, NOT CONSUMERS. It's likely most ISPs will price their D.I.Y offer around £35 rather than £30 per month.
In short, while the savings may be good long-term and the new minimum contract period of 1 month is most welcome, very little has actually changed and the key issue of rollout remains a serious problem. |
UKs Steady Internet Access Growth
By:mark.j @ 9:51:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] According to a new government report there's been a steady 7.8% increase in Internet users between January and October this year. Broadband users have also been on the rise, although it's a predictably small one:
The survey, the first of its kind to be published by the Office for National Statistics, scrutinised both dial-up and continuous access packages.
It found subscriber numbers for the latter (broadband) grew 212.2% in the ten-month period to October.
But the report points out that dial-up still constitutes 98% of the total market.
More @ Ananova . |
Brief SniffOut Update
By:mark.j @ 9:44:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] For anybody even remotely interested in the reason why SniffOut chose to put a plug on new subscriptions to their unmetered FRIACO DreamTime product, the ISP had this to say:
The reason for the withdrawal is not that package registrations full - quite the reverse, in fact. Whilst DreamTime attracted a steady stream of subscribers, it has always been by far our least popular package in overall numbers. It also had a very heavy churn rate, with users moved on to ADSL packages, as they became available.
It is in the light of this that we've withdrawn package in present format, with a view to reintroducing it as an our ADSL option. |
CloudNine Improve/Upgrade Networks
By:mark.j @ 9:36:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Following earlier problems experienced by several ISPs after the widely reported issues on BTs FRIACO network, the unmetered and broadband provider CloudNine is taking measures to protect itself.
In today’s press release C9's Operations Director, John Parr, had this to say:
In order to provide total resilience Cloud Nine will be offering full separacy as standard from January 2001 diverging from our sole supplier agreement with BTIGNITE.
Cloud Nine has contracted rack space at RedBus Harbour Exchange Square and an up to 100mb burstable line through Carrier1. This is separate from our Basingstoke based Network Centre.
This is the first part of three phase project of separacy, triangulation and finally full LINX membership.
This will enable Cloud Nine to continue to offer the high quality speedy and reliable Internet connectivity that our customers have come to expect from us. |
UKs Virus Situation - Epidemic
By:mark.j @ 9:29:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] It's perhaps not so surprising that the number of viruses has gone up as the online population grows, although the spread of viruses in the UK has outstripped that of last year by nine times!
Anti-virus firm MessageLabs, which operates primarily in the UK, said that it has detected 1,628,750 email viruses this year compared to 184,257 in 2000. The company also said that it detected one virus per 370 emails this year, compared to one in 700 in 2000 and one in 1400 in 1999.
Of this number, more than 500,000 came from the SirCam.A virus, making it the most common of the year. Next in line came BadTrans.B with 258,242, Magistr.A with 152,102, Goner.A with 136,585 and Hybris.B with 90,473.
US internet security watchdog, the Computer Emergency Response Team reported in October that hacker and virus attacks had more than doubled this year, in comparison to 2000. The group said that it had recorded 35,000 security incidents in 2001, compared to 21,756 in 2000, and that the total number may end up near to 46,000 by the end of the year.
Make no mistake, this is a very serious situation and tougher laws to prosecute those behind the viruses can only do so much since you first have to catch them.
The best and most common line of defence should be our computer systems; typically those on older operating systems such as Win9x/ME are the most vulnerable. Learning to use a firewall and having strong virus checking software is now almost a requirement for Internet surfing. More @ netimperative.com . |
News - December 17,2001
MS IE’s Required Security Download
By:mark.j @ 3:46:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Since most of you reading this seem to be using Microsoft's Internet Explorer v5.5 or v6, then it's recommended you download THIS SECURITY UPDATE ASAP.
This fixes some new exploits that need to be patched as quickly as possible since they're very open to abuse. |
SniffOut Launch Pay-as-you-go Access
By:mark.j @ 3:40:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Not two hours after SniffOut suspended registrations to its unmetered DreamTime package and they've now announced a new Pay-as-you-go form of Internet access. Full press release follows:
MEDIA RELEASE
17TH DECEMBER 2001
Sniff Out slashes cost of pay-as-you-go Internet access
Internet users can now get low-cost, prepaid flat rate Internet access in exactly the same way as mobile phone users.
British ISP Sniff Out (www.sniffout.net) has launched its LiteTime package, which allows customers to buy their Internet access on an as-you-need-it basis. There are no restrictions on access - customers can use the service at any time of day or night for a single flat rate.
Instead of signing up for a regular monthly fee, you simply pay for a top-up whenever you need it. This makes LiteTime ideal for anyone who does not go online enough to justify a monthly package.
"LiteTime is designed for people who use the Internet mainly for email, some home shopping and occasional surfing, and who would simply not spend their monthly 'allowance' on an unmetered package", said Sniff Out's Chief Executive Richard Skeels. "We think it will also be attractive to daytime users, who will be able to go online for only 0.5p per minute."
Sniff Out's LiteTime customers can top up their accounts online in fixed amounts of £5, £10 or £15. Like mobile phones, a LiteTime account must be topped-up at least once every 60 days, representing a minimum commitment of only £2.50 per month, or about 8p per day.
LiteTime represents much better value than normal 'pay-as-you-go' Internet deals. For instance, splash out on a £15 top-up and you'll get 50 hours Internet time, which works out at 0.5p per minute. If you're a daytime Internet user, the same 50 hours of surfing at local call rates could cost you £120.
LiteTime customers enjoy the same comprehensive Internet access package as subscribers to Sniff Out's unmetered options. Features include unlimited email accounts, an unlimited amount of web space for personal use, plus a portal site with some 15 channels of news and features.
Customers can upgrade online at any time to one of Sniff Out's unmetered packages, making LiteTime an ideal first step for someone who may be considering moving towards an unmetered package in the future.
Sniff Out's new LiteTime package is instantly available online at
http://www.sniffout.net
It's clearly no coincidence that they'd announce this after closing their DreamTime offer and it does indeed look ideal for 'light users'. However we'd point medium usage ISP customers to where it states this - "splash out on a £15 top-up and you'll get 50 hours Internet time".
Typically since most UNMETERED ISPs costing £14.99 per month limit between 150 and 300 hours of use per month then somehow £15 for 50hours seems excessive. Ideal for light usage, end of story. |
SniffOut ISP Suspend New Registrations
By:mark.j @ 3:31:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The popular unmetered dialup offering ISP, SniffOut, has today suspended registrations to its FRIACO based unmetered DreamTime package. Press update follows:
PRODUCT UPDATE
17TH DECEMBER 2001
Sniff Out has announced that no new registrations are being accepted for DreamTime, its FRIACO based unmetered option with a 5 hour extended cut-off.
The package is now under review, after a survey covering the majority of DreamTime users, and it seems likely that DreamTime will form the basis for Sniff Out's Broadband package to be launched in 2002.
Sniff Out's announcement only affects new registrations; existing DreamTime customers can remain with the package in it's present form.
It's not clear whether this has been done because the offer finally filled up or whether there were some internal problems, either way it's now closed to any new customer. |
Excite UK To Fold
By:mark.j @ 3:20:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Excite UK, the popular portal that ISPr readers might recognise from its association with The Free Internet (TFI) unmetered ISP, looks set to close this week after a last ditch effort to save it failed.
The portal, a joint venture between the bankrupt American broadband provider Excite At Home Corp. and BT, had been looking for a strategic partner for the past few months as its business suffered from the online advertising slump.
"The decision to cease trading is both unavoidable and deeply regrettable," said Excite UK managing director Rebecca Miskin on Monday. "Our priority now is to our users and our employees and to ensure that the closure is managed in an orderly fashion."
The company said any money left over from the shutdown will be split between BTOpenworld, which owns 42% of the venture, and Excite@Home, which is looking to conserve cash in advance of its planned shutdown at the end of February in the United States. |
NTL Stall Key Mast Network Sale
By:mark.j @ 3:15:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] NTL had hoped to escape its creditors by selling their broadcast mast network, which was supposed to be worth £5bn (+£7bn bonds), however this failed after it was revealed they could only make closer to £1bn:
The company's board is meeting today (17 December) in New York and a statement is expected to follow. NTL maintains that it will update investors on disposal before Christmas.
A further 2,000 jobs were cut at the firm last week, taking the total for the year to 8,800. Salaries have been frozen, and spending cut back.
This comes after a 76 per cent fall in its shares since the end of November. NTL is now valued at less than $200m, compared with a high of over $30bn in January last year.
Quite how this will affect NTLs customers in the UK isn't clear, we'll just have to wait and see. More @ VNUNet. |
Oftel Proposes New Broadband Help
By:mark.j @ 3:06:PM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Oftel, the UK telecoms regulator, has today announce new measures to boost competition in the broadband leased lines market, which will help businesses make greater use of high-speed information services.
Since leased lines are the first cost for most ISPs, then making this area more competitive and thus cheaper could benefit consumers. Oftels press release follows:
The proposed measures place obligations on BT so that other operators can compete more effectively in offering leased lines to businesses.
Leased lines are permanently connected communications links between two or more sites. Partial private circuits (PPCs) are the key wholesale components of leased lines.
Leased lines are used by a growing number of businesses for voice and data calls. Operators use PPCs to provide leased lines and ‘always on’ telecommunications services, such as business to business broadband services.
Oftel has also separately today set out a proposed requirement on BT to carry call traffic from local loop unbundling operators’ equipment in BT’s exchanges across BT’s network and onto the operators’ networks – known as LLU backhaul.
Oftel believes that BT must provide these services at cost orientated prices. |
Forum Offline - Maintenance
By:mark.j @ 9:53:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] UPDATE: Forum back online..
Sorry all, but we need to take the forum offline for the usual monthly maintenance check, which should take roughly 30mins to 1hour. It's being done today because Monday mornings are typically the least active.
Also note that through this week there may be moments when you can't post or find a strange forum error, if this occurs then it should go away because we'll be busy introducing some extra features.
Some sections of the forum may also go MEMBERS ONLY in order for us to save on bandwidth, which is still tipping the limit slightly. |
EU Gain GPRS i-Mode & Roaming
By:mark.j @ 9:20:AM - - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Ever since the first launch of GPRS (general packet radio system) data services and phones during the summer, there's been a serious lack of quality applications and phones. Even the latest colour models (Trium Eclipse, T68 etc.) have limited features.
Now not only is the EU planning to push various operators together in order to promote cheaper and more accessible EU wide roaming, we're also going to see our own version of Japans popular i-Mode!
NTT DoCoMo, Japan's top mobile operator, said on Monday that its partner in Europe, KPN Mobile, will launch a European mobile Internet service similar to its hugely successful i-mode service.
A DoCoMo spokesman said that Ad Scheepbouwer, chief executive of KPN Mobile's parent Royal KPN, would provide details at a regular news conference to be held at 0930 GMT.
The launch of a GPRS-based (general packet radio system) mobile handsets has been a key goal for KPN, which is suffering from a huge debt burden and is hoping to repeat DoCoMo's success with i-mode and put it on track for fast third-generation wireless services.
For those unfamiliar, i-Mode is a culmination of simple (cut-down) audio, visual and game like features that make a phone more fun and entertaining to use. Exactly what differences there will be with the EU system remains to be seen, more @ ZDNet. |
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