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August 8, 2002 - August 14, 2002

News - August 14,2002

Telewest Pulls Eurobell Investment

By:mark.j @ 8:09:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Telewest has removed a significant amount of its investment in Eurobell, its south coast cable franchise, which has recently been hit by capacity problems.

The move is no doubt related to Telewests attempts to cut its £5.3 billion debt mountain, yet it could also hamper the progress of any future broadband cable modem access in the region:

A spokesman for Telewest said: "Obviously we are making choices. I think it is unfair to say that we have stopped investment as we are introducing new services there."

Eurobell customers do not currently have access to broadband or unmetered internet services, as the network cannot handle them. The company plans to introduce broadband to limited areas of the region in September, but has no firm plans to roll-out further services after that.

The cable group added that it has no plans to launch unmetered products, which are the most popular way for consumers to access the internet but are capacity intensive.


The Telegraphs item may be worrying, although hopefully the impact will be minimal.

AlphaPhe Suspend Unmetered Service!

By:Anne @ 12:46:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

UPDATE: We've updated the below announcement since it seems to have changed slightly; same announcement, some extra details.

It was brought to may attention by some of our members, Cranky, Petec and also Romeo with his post in our forums that there was an update on the AlphaPhe website.

Unfortunately the ISP has become the latest service to suspend its unmetered offerings:

AlphaPhe.Net - Important 0808 Service Update

We regret to inform our users that our investors have withdrawn their financial support for AlphaPhe.Net, as our main source of funding has now been removed, it has become financially impossible for us to continue operating our 0808 unmetered service, and it is likely that our unmetered 0808 services may cease to function within the next 24 – 72 hours.

Although we intend to secure new investment and reinstate our 0808 unmetered services if possible, we feel it would be unreasonable to ask our users to wait until our 0808 service is operational again, and believe that the only course of action is to begin issuing refunds to our users.

We are now preparing to process refund requests, if you feel you are entitled to a refund, please click on the refund request link below to request a refund.

Refund Request
We are hoping to process all refund requests within the next 2-3 weeks, we have already cancelled all Credit Card reoccurring payments to ensure that users will not be billed in future, if you currently pay by standing order we request that you cancel your standing order with your bank immediately, any postal payments that have already been sent to us within the last few days will be returned ASAP.

All users websites, domains, and email addresses and other services will continue to function normally until further notice.

Our 0845 local-rate service is unaffected and will continue to operate as normal.

We unreservedly apologise to all our users for any inconvenience, we hope that it may be possible to secure investment for AlphaPhe.Net and reinstate our 0808 unmetered services sometime in the future.


We had expressed some concerns about the service when it first launched, although this is somewhat more sudden then many could have expected. More @ AlphaPhe.

News - August 13,2002

BTs Community Broadband Project

By:mark.j @ 3:21:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

ADSLGuide has been quick to note BT Groups latest press release, which details out their new community broadband concept:

BT TO TRIAL NEW COMMUNITY BROADBAND CONCEPT

BT is to run trials to test a new approach that could bring broadband ADSL technology to small exchanges where previously it was not commercially viable. It will be innovative both in terms of the business model employed and the technology used.

The concept trial, beginning this Autumn, will involve a sponsoring body with a social, development or commercial interest in bringing broadband to specific areas. These sponsors will be Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Gwynedd County Council; Denbighshire County Council, together with IT consultants The ITC (UK) Ltd; the East of England Development Agency; The New Forest Business Partnership; and Omagh District Council.

The sponsoring organisation will team up with a broadband internet service provider of their choice to aggregate demand, source funding and deliver service. The sponsor's contribution will be £7,000 towards the trial of each broadband ADSL exchange unit that supports approximately 16 users. This contribution will cover the length of the six month trial.

Prices for any continuation of service beyond six months, or for a full service should BT decide to go ahead after the trial, have not been set and would depend on the outcome of the trial.

John Davies, chief operations officer of BT Wholesale, said: "We are determined to spread the benefits that broadband can bring as widely as possible, but we have to do so in ways that make good business sense. This sort of innovative partnership approach may well help us do that by unleashing innovative financing schemes, and I am confident we will learn a great deal from these trials."

The trials will also use new broadband ADSL exchange equipment which can use the existing transmission links into BT's internet backbone and can be deployed in much smaller units than currently - serving as few as 16 end users per site but only linking to a single broadband service provider. BT will be working with several equipment manufacturers to develop the concept during the trial.

Details of the trial areas

Scotland: exchanges at Drumnadrochit, near Loch Ness and Muir of Ord, to the west of Inverness will each be equipped to supply broadband ADSL. Highlands and Islands Enterprise will be the sponsor, and they have appointed Scotnet as the ISP on the trial which will bring broadband to small businesses.

Wales: the exchange at Corwen, Denbighshire, will be upgraded to serve 16 ADSL customers under the combined sponsorship of Denbighshire County Council and The ITC (UK) Ltd. Penrhyndeudraeth exchange, near Porthmadog on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park, will be similarly upgraded under the sponsorship of Gwynedd County Council. Broadband will be used principally to service business parks in each area.

England: The East of England Development Agency is sponsoring the inclusion of exchanges at Burnham Market in Norfolk and Shottisham in Suffolk in the broadband trial. In Hampshire, the New Forest Business Partnership, backed by member and technology consultant, Alistair Banks, is sponsoring the inclusion of the Lyndhurst exchange in the trial. Broadband service will be offered to those associated with the partnership during the trial.

Northern Ireland: Omagh District Council is sponsoring the inclusion of Beragh in the trial.


While still not quite widespread enough to have a significant overall impact, any such move as the above is likely to be welcomed.

XHTML v2 Standard Could Kill Websites?

By:mark.j @ 3:13:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Fears are growing that literally Billions of websites could be in trouble after the W3C revealed that its new XHTML v2 standard would NOT be backward compatible with HTML 4.0 and XHTML 1!:

The changes, which affect an interim Web design language known as XHTML, were approved by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) last week amid a flurry of documents ranging from voice browsers to TV style sheets. The first, a second edition of XHTML 1.0, corrects errors in the published recommendation, while a working draft of XHTML 2.0 marks a significant departure from its predecessors.

Of primary concern to some Web developers is the W3C's warning that XHTML 2.0 will not be "backward compatible" with HTML 4.0 and XHTML 1.0. That alert has raised concern that billions of Web pages risk obsolescence unless they are translated to the new Web language.

Most see any significant clash between the old and new languages as a long way off. But some developers say the lack of compatibility will immediately hold them back from switching to XHTML 2.0, a reluctance that could potentially complicate what many see as a necessary evolution for the Web.


The new XHTML v2 specification was designed to complete the transition from HTML to XML as the fundamental language used to build web pages.

Of course web browser support is what matters and in that sense traditional HTML will no doubt be around for a long time to come. There are enough languages without the W3C forcing people to learn another; its adoption will be very slow, so don't worry. More @ ZDNet.

Gov e-Minster Touts Wireless (Wi-Fi)

By:mark.j @ 3:01:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

The government’s e-Minster, Stephen Timms, has today been touting the UK’s broadband wireless (Wi-Fi) hotspots, which comes at a time when 'The Mobile Campaign' is busy lobbying for better coverage of the technology:

The politician in the firing line for the Mobile Campaign, Stephen Timms, started his job as e-Minister by declaring commercial WiFi to be legal in the UK - a great start. So we asked him what his attitude to open wireless in this country really is...
The first thing on our agenda was: "What's your attitude to our campaign to get the London Underground opened up to wireless?" And his response: "A lot of people would like access on the underground... but what the implications for London Underground Limited are, I don't know." I don't know? What sort of Ministerial reply is this?

An honest one, it seems. Astonishingly, the Department of Trade and Industry seems to have made a mistake - as a reporter from the FT was heard to say after meeting him for the first time - he appears to be someone who knows what he's doing in the job as e-Minister. He also seems somewhat unusual, as top politicians go, in being at least relatively BS-free.


Coverage is one thing, although finding people willing enough to trump up the huge amounts of cash required to access the service is something altogether more difficult. More @ The Register.

Online Shopping Gets Cheaper

By:mark.j @ 2:51:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

New figures from the Goldfish e-Tail Price Index show that online shopping has, for the first time in nine months, actually got cheaper!:

The cost of a basket of consumer goods bought online fell by 0.1 per cent in July from its June level, the first monthly price drop since October last year.

According to the Goldfish e-Tail Price Index, which shows the average price paid by consumers for goods on the internet, month-on-month figures for July showed a price decrease in 7 of the 11 categories of goods and services online, including food, clothing and books and CDs.

But year-on-year figures show that internet shopping prices are up by 4.4 per cent.


More @ Web-User.

Orange Launch MMS Packages

By:mark.j @ 2:47:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

T-Mobile has today been joined by mobile operator Orange as the second provider to offer Multimedia Messaging Services. MMS allows pictures and sound as well as text to be sent to other modern mobile phone users:

Orange hopes that 40% of its customers will be using it by 2005, but is only initially offering it to those on contracts. Users will be charged 40p for each photo message sent, compared to its typical 12p charge for SMS.

Person-to-person services are also being supplemented by MMS updates on celebrities, news, sport and offbeat stories run through the operator's online content arm Ananova. These messages will cost 25p to receive.

The move follows its rival T-Mobile's launch of picture messaging at the start of June. Unlike Orange, T-Mobile is charging users a flat fee of £20 per month for unlimited use of the service, SMS and WAP.


The netimperative.info item reminds us that Nokia's 7650 and Sony Ericsson’s T68i are presently the only two mass-market phones to support the technology.

On a personal note and we found a cheaper way to send picture messages using the 7650. Simply use the phones E-Mail service to connect to your ISP as you would normally and send the pictures as an attachment, which is cheaper, if more complex to setup.

BTO - Financial Advisers Avoid The Net

By:mark.j @ 2:37:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

A new survey conducted by UK ISP BTOpenworld has found that 50% of financial advisors rated security of sensitive data as the main hindrance to the uptake of the Internet as a business tool:

SECURITY FEARS PUT FINANCIAL ADVICE IN JEOPARDY

Fears over online security are preventing independent financial advisors (IFAs) from offering the best range of deals to customers, recent research by BT Openworld has revealed.

In a survey of financial advisors, conducted by BT Openworld, 50 per cent rated security of confidential or customer sensitive data as the main hindrance to the uptake of the internet as a business tool. As more banks look to the internet to tap into new markets, smaller niche players must now play catch-up - but caution reigns despite the apparent opportunities, and the tools available to counteract such potential security breaches.

IFAs that trade online can significantly improve the service they offer customers through increased speed of service. Through the installation of simple anti-virus software, or by channelling internet traffic and email through a firewall, this can be done safely.

However, while almost 100 per cent have started to involve the internet in their business and are working smarter online - such as electronic filing with the Inland Revenue - a significant number still remain sceptical and uninformed about security issues.

Tools such as the Common Trading Platform (CTP), which IFAs use to source information and products for their clients, require a significant amount of internet use. Using a broadband connection would improve the speed with which the relevant research could be conducted, saving time and money for the IFA concerned. The monthly flat rate fee also helps to reduce overall internet costs.

Tony Harris, president, Business Internet Services, BT Openworld, said: "In the financial services industry, up-to-date information is absolutely critical if you are to maintain any sort of relationship with your customers. One of the benefits of broadband internet access is that it enables small businesses to react much faster."

Harris added: "Smaller financial and accounting companies often lose out to the bigger players as consumers prefer to opt for the names they know. Using the internet, both as a research tool and as a customer channel, can help them provide a more personalised, accessible service to their clients."

Opera Web Browser Hits v6.05

By:mark.j @ 9:29:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

One of the better known and unfortunately commercial alternatives to Microsoft's dominant 'Internet Explorer' (IE) web browser software, Opera, has today seen a new release taking it to v6.05:

Opera 6.05 Changelog
This version implements changes in OpenSSL.

Security
Applied OpenSSL ASN.1 patch
Fixed an issue where HTML content could be inserted into directory listings
Added new certificate authority roots

Miscellaneous
Not possible to invoke "meta refresh" in an e-mail
Fix for Java-related slow navigation
Fix for handling of initial Byte Order Mark (BOM signature) in *.ini files


http://www.opera.com/download/

NOP Shows UK Broadband Rise

By:mark.j @ 9:08:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

A new survey from the NOP Research Group has found what many others have already reported, UK broadband access and use is on the rise.

Apparently such access has risen by 60% over the past six months, which is no doubt related to earlier cost cutting measures from various ISPs and suppliers:

Around eight percent of Internet users in Britain now subscribe to broadband services and NOP forecast that by August 2003, around 15 percent of British Internet users will have a broadband connection at home.

According to NOP, the biggest obstacle to take-up of broadband services in Britain is not cost-related but to do with the fact that many people feel that they don’t use the Net enough to justify broadband installation.

NOP found that only one in four British Internet users said that cost was stopping them from switching to broadband.


Not surprisingly the survey also found broadband users to spend longer online than they ever did before and download larger files. We note that there's no mention of the poor coverage by some technologies.

Virus Drought Hurts Computer Experts

By:mark.j @ 8:53:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

As reported last month, the number of computer viruses, specifically online E-Mail worms, has finally begun to drop. Yet the quite period has left many experts to trumpet their effectiveness as the predictions of doom suddenly begin to look overblown.

Nobody has a bullet-proof explanation, but theories range from the introduction of enhanced anti-virus software to stiffer anti-hacker laws to more vigilant computer users.

Last year security experts calculated that Code Red, Nimda and Sircam worms caused billions of dollars worth of damage, knocking out computer networks for days and forcing companies to scramble for patches to prevent recurring attacks.

The wave of intrusions put anti-virus firms in the spotlight. They warned companies to fortify their networks against these unseen invaders or risk losing precious time and resources in network outages and lost files.

For the unprepared, they said, things would get worse in 2002. But with the exception of Klez, a persistent email worm that’s still making the rounds, there's been little cause for alarm.

"Klez is the biggest case of the year and that's it," said Mikko Hypponen, manager of anti-virus research at Finland's F-Secure. "That's a big surprise to us and to everybody else in the anti-virus community."

Hypponen last year warned viruses would spread to mobile computing devices, including pocket PCs and so-called smart phones, yet such instances are rare and minor - for now. Most of us won't be loosing any sleep over the matter, the fewer the better.

BTOpenworld Introduces Voice Portals

By:mark.j @ 8:43:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

BTOpenworld has announced the launch of its new voice portals (BTOpenworld Periphonics IVR), which it hopes will help to improve customer service:

BT Openworld's Periphonics IVR Now Live

BT Openworld will be providing an automated voice solution for the registration of new customers, via a freefone number - 0800 731 7777.

Existing customers can now also benefit from automated voice assistance for their most common technical problems, such as those relating to connection and email, via a national rate number - 0870 241 4567.

These new automated voice solutions have been developed as a customer experience improvement initiative by BT Openworld's product line and operations teams in conjunction with helpdesk supplier - Client Logic.

Mark Bromage, Customer Experience Manager at BT Openworld, commented: "We are aiming to deliver a new technology solution to our customers by providing them with a true alternative to the premium rate helpdesk, offering an excellent customer experience from BT Openworld."


It’s not clear whether voice means person or automated response, although it’s probably the latter.

Tele2 Wireless ISP Changes Name

By:mark.j @ 8:36:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

ADSLGuide has noted that the troubled broadband wireless ISP Tele2 appears to have re-branded itself as 'Liberty Broadband'.

No explanation for the change, which occurred yesterday, has been given. It looks as if the ISP is still in the process of updating the website since much of it remains 'Tele2' orientated/titled.

There's a press release, although it's kind of short =) and doesn't explain why the change has occurred. This latest move has left many scratching their heads:

TELE2 UK LTD changes name ... now Liberty Broadband Ltd

News - August 12,2002

E-Commerce Rules Cleared Up

By:ross @ 6:57:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

UK ISPs have welcomed changes to e-commerce regulations due to become law next week, which limit the liability of internet firms selling goods abroad to the national laws in their own country.

When published earlier this year, the Department of Trade and Industry's initial drafts of regulations to implement the EC's e-commerce directive prompted ISPs to complain that they suggested that UK providers of services over the web would be subject to the national laws of "each member state", rather than just the country in which the services actually originated.

However, the ISPA (Internet Service Provider's Assocation) today said it had been able to gain "a clear and transparent" commitment from the government that UK service providers would be subject only to UK national laws, under the 'country of origin' principle.


The move means, for example, that UK firms offering 'three for two' or lifetime guarantees on products will not be liable if they are bought over the internet in Germany, where such offers are illegal. The regulations, will become law on 21 August.

Source: netimperative.info

Tiscali - Heavy Users Off...

By:rich @ 6:54:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

The Register has reported that Tiscali are to kick heavy users off their unmetered service:

"Tiscali UK has threatened to boot off users who abuse its 24/7 unmetered dial-up service. In an email Tiscali warned punters that they have "extremely high usage" on their AnyTime dial-up packages.

The ISP claims that this high usage level is "adversely affecting the service we can offer other users" and that unless punters "significantly reduce" their usage then their accounts will be terminated on 18 September 2002.
More @ The Register

Tiscali hasn't actually set any guidelines as to what the "abuse level is". Hopefully we should have an answer from them tomorrow.

AOL for Mac OS X

By:ross @ 6:51:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Targeting the growing number of consumers using Mac systems at home, America Online released a new AOL for the Mac OS X, offering a number of Mac-tailored features.

With Mac users well acquainted to waiting months for features after release to their PC counterparts, AOL may bring a smile to some with a number of Mac-first features, in addition to upgrades already available in their latest PC release.

"We've listened to what our members who use Macs want, focused on the features they use most, and taken a number of steps to make AOL's convenience and ease-of-use more fully integrated into the Mac environment," said David Gang, Executive Vice President of AOL's Product Marketing Group.


Among the new Mac-first features, AOL has integrated the Gecko Web browser, Netscape's updated version of its core browser, with support for open Internet standards such as HTML 4.0, CSS, XML, W3C Document Object Model, JavaScript, among others.

This new version of AOL for Mac OS X is available as an upgrade for existing members at no additional charge at AOL Keyword: Upgrade and on AOL's website.

Zipcom Touts Broadband Wireless

By:mark.j @ 2:35:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Zipcom has once again issued a new press release touting the use of its business broadband wireless technology, this time for use with website hosting services:

Northgate’s hosting services driven by wireless technology

Customers at Northgate Information Solutions are benefiting from fast and resilient hosting services with broadband capacity that can be easily increased and decreased, having chosen Zipcom’s HighwayWireless Internet connectivity services.

Zipcom is providing the applications and IT Outsourcing services provider with a joint 16Mbps high-speed broadband wireless (microwave) and fibre connection used to host Northgate customers’ web-sites and e-commerce sites.

Unlike a leased line that can be susceptible to disruption due to a digger cutting through underground cables, the diversely routed wireless service provides ‘always available’ connections and operates on an automatic fail over system, so comes on stream instantaneously if the leased line is down. Furthermore, HighwayWireless also has load-sharing capabilities, enabling information to be routed through primary and secondary connections ensuring a truly robust and resilient service.

Zipcom’s service ensures an efficient up-grade path with bandwidth that can be easily increased or decreased with as little as 24 hours notice, reflecting the changing demands of Northgate’s customers – a flexibility not available as standard from a traditional leased line Internet connection. A similar fibre connection can take up to three months to install whilst a wireless connection is normally installed within four weeks and offers the flexibility of allowing capacity to be scaled up, step-by-step. The minimum bandwidth capacity with the wireless service is 2Mbps increasing to 155Mbps.

Tony Killen, network and communications manager, Northgate comments, “Because of the high demands expected from Northgate’s hosting service and the nature of our customers (predominantly central and local Government and UK Police Forces), we needed a resilient infrastructure that could easily meet the demands of a high capacity connection. Furthermore, to ensure Northgate continued to stay ahead of its competitors we needed to offer, through Zipcom’s Service Level Agreement, a 99.95% deliver of service guarantee.

Because Zipcom independently owns and manages its own national network, HighwayWireless is able to provide a dedicated wireless Internet connection ensuring exceptional service quality.

We decided to partner with Zipcom because it presented the most innovative solution and demonstrated it had the excellence, knowledge and experience within the marketplace. Within six weeks Northgate had a wireless link-up, replacing our old 1Mbps Internet pipe with a flexible bandwidth service that reflected our customers’ demands,” adds Killen.

Zipcom’s services are backed by a comprehensive Service Level Agreement (SLA) and customers are offered a dedicated account manager, providing a single point of contact for all enquiries – a vital service to Northgate as Killen explains, “Soon after the solution had been implemented the BT circuit failed, and even though this wasn’t caused by Zipcom, it immediately resolved the problem. Unlike the usual help desks, Zipcom ensured we had a single point of contact that truly understood the technology and what we needed to ensure our hosting support services stayed on-line. We are serious about our business and our customers, Zipcom is serious about its quality of service.

ISPr Site Update - New Survey (Poll)

By:mark.j @ 1:00:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

We've just started a new front-page survey (poll), which asks - "Should ISPs be forced to meet an official quality standard?".

In other words, do you believe that an industry regulator such as OFCOM (Oftels replacement) should enforce stricter quality standards upon ISPs to help prevent some of the problems we so often see? The results of the previous survey are as follows:

How good is your broadband ADSL connection?
Excellent - 35%
Good - 23.5%
Unusable - 16.3%
Average - 16.1%
Poor - 8.7%
Total Votes = 513


A pleasing 74.6% of people appeared to be happy or content with their ADSL service, yet some 8.7% were unhappy and an astonishing 16.3% found their broadband connection unusable.

16%+ is a very large percentage of people to have describe their service as 'unusable', although recently a number of ISPs such as PIPEX have been having serious problems.

NTL Expands Broadband Rollout

By:mark.j @ 8:33:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

DigitalSpy reports that NTL has today expanded their broadband cable modem rollout list to cover the coming months and year:

The areas are as follows:

Derry (cable modems only)
Leicester (cable modems only)
Remaining areas of Southampton (cable modems only)
Norwich (set-top-box/STB and cable modem options)
Great Yarmouth (STB and cable modem options)
Wearside (STB and cable modem options)

There are also details on ntl:home's plans for areas that are not on the cable modem rollout list, and plans for broadband service in London.

The broadband team explained: "The areas without any kind of broadband service are currently subject to a strategic review to work out how we deliver broadband to them. We are committed to the complete rollout of broadband services, but some areas may have cost implications that may be a little beyond our reach right now. This review will establish that." ntl:home is restarting trials of wireless broadband, previously known as WHAM, as part of its strategy to deliver broadband to the largest possible customer base.


It'll be interesting to see whether NTL can ever get its broadband wireless service out of trials. Perhaps they'll have the sense to cover areas that don't already have a land based broadband system.

News - August 11,2002

ISPr Update - Forum Back Online

By:mark.j @ 10:18:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

The forum has been upgraded and is now back online, note that there are a few new features, although most of the changes are admin side and or designed to fix a number of nasty bugs.

For example, when adding a new poll/survey you can now choose 'Advanced Options' and set whether people can view the results without voting or not etc.

ISP Review Weekly Update

By:mark.j @ 9:05:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

I'll make this weeks update short because we're about to upgrade the forums a little earlier than expected and this is likely to take most of our time.

We had hoped to finish the new 'Reader ISP Reviews' service by now, yet sadly bug fixing and the need for some additional features has delayed its launch. Thus we've moved up the next forum upgrade and will be dealing with it right after this news post is done.

Please note that our ISP Review forums will be offline for up to two hours after this post is made while we upgrade and update all the threads. Another post will be made once the upgrade has completed.

News - August 10,2002

Fast24 ISP Upgrades Servers

By:mark.j @ 4:45:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

The unmetered dialup ISP Fast24 has used our forums to post a new announcement regarding an important server upgrade:

As part of our service improvements, we have committed considerable resources to implement a server upgrade program. As a result, during the next three weeks we shall be replacing and upgrading all servers (DNS, Email, Etc). In addition to this, we shall also be placing the new servers onto a new backbone, and have committed to increased connectivity.

The only real down side to this is that the DNS servers IP addresses will change, so for those customers who program the DNS servers into their routers a change will be required. This is the first time in approximately four years that we have changed the ip addresses of our DNS servers. All other connections work by host name, and as a result there will be minimal (if any effect).

Please note that we will not be taking any server offline until we have put it's replacement online, copied all customer files onto the replacement server, and redirected the hostnames, so that the traffic therefore redirects to the replacement server.


Most normal customers shouldn't need to make any adjustments, although those stated above may wish to make the alterations.

BTOpenworlds 'Line Only' ADSL

By:mark.j @ 8:50:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

ADSLGuide is reporting that BTO could launch its new 'Lines Only' broadband ADSL product on 3rd September 2002.

The service will have an activation fee of £65 (inc. VAT) and a hefty £29.99 (inc. VAT) per month price tag:

The BT Openworld Line Only product is different from their current Home 500 product in that you won't have to purchase the BT Openworld hardware package. A trial has been running for this product for a while and the triallists have until 30th September to cancel, otherwise they will default over onto a 12 month contract which is the standard contract term.

The reason for the delay compared to other ISPs was to allow the BT Openworld helpdesk to determine the best way to support users with widely varying types of hardware, a service which has been of dubious quality throughout the past two years.


In short, it's identical aside from the fact that you'd now be allowed to choose your own hardware. Typically BTOpenworld remains one of the most expensive broadband ADSL providers, which is no real surprise.

News - August 9,2002

Isonetric Cuts Price Of Satellite Broadband

By:mark.j @ 7:00:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Isonetric (Satellite-ADSL), the group behind a number of broadband Satellite ISPs, has hit back at its closest competitor, BTOpenworld, by offering a free installation for the next 2,500 people who place an order.

However it doesn't end there, the group has also reduced its charges to just £149.99 per month, which is apparently almost £7 per month cheaper than BTOpenworlds offering [Ed - not BTOs £59.99 PM one then]:

Isonetric Broadband cuts price of satellite broadband

Isonetric Broadband is offering free installation for the next 2,500 people who place an order for satellite broadband and to encourage more SME’s to utilise satellite broadband services, Isonetric Broadband have also reduced its charges to just £149.99 per month which is almost £7 per month cheaper than BT Openworlds offering.

Isonetric Broadband launched their satellite broadband service in September 2001 and included the installation and hardware costs in the monthly charges to make budgeting easier for SME’s.

Joe Anderson, MD of Isonetric Broadband "Isonetric Broadband is excited to ‘dish’ out a challenge to BT Openworld and make Satellite Broadband more accessible for all businesses let down by the lack of infrastructure for terrestrial broadband solutions”.

Visit http://www.satellite-adsl.co.uk to register your interest.


Typically and as with so many Two-Way broadband Satellite ISP services, this is likely to be more than most residential users could afford.

BTO Joins Microsoft - Marketing Initiative

By:mark.j @ 2:40:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

UK ISP BTOpenworld has teaming up with Microsoft's BCentral.co.uk in a new joint marketing initiative designed to help the UK's small businesses get the most from their technology:

BT OPENWORLD JOINS FORCES WITH MICROSOFT'S BCENTRAL.CO.UK

BT Openworld and Microsoft form joint marketing initiative to help the UK's small businesses get the most from their technology

BT Openworld, the number one UK business ISP, and bCentral.co.uk, Microsoft's dedicated resource for the UK's small business community, have signed an agreement that will allow the two companies to share both content and traffic on their business portals. The deal also encompasses a joint initiative to provide Microsoft Hotmail users with a business-focussed newsletter.

Both Microsoft bCentral.co.uk and BT Openworld will provide content for the newsletter, designed to provide small businesses with the latest news, tips and case studies to help them use technology to overcome many of the common problems that new or small businesses face.

The deal will mean that BT Openworld will provide content for the technology and internet access channels of www.bcentral.co.uk. The content will be aimed at the small business market and will enable Microsoft to provide users with a useful resource on internet access.

In return, Microsoft will provide content for the IT channel of BT Openworld's business portal – http://www.btopenworld.com/business - helping visitors to this site make the most out of their technology for their businesses.

The small business newsletter, Business Connect, which is being produced by IDNet, will be available for free to all five million Hotmail subscribers. Anyone who is interested in receiving the newsletter will be able to sign up for it upon completion of a Hotmail registration or, if they are existing Hotmail users, will be able to subscribe under the free newsletters option on the Hotmail site.

Tony Harris, president of business internet services at BT Openworld, said: "The deal with Microsoft allows us to provide quality content to the Microsoft bCentral.co.uk site while at the same time highlighting the BT Openworld offering and online business resource centre. We are keen to pool our resources with another leading company to deliver an enhanced information service to existing and prospective customers."

Alistair Baker, director of small & medium business, at Microsoft UK said: 'This is a very exciting new partnership with a great deal of potential. The small businesses that visit our site are always hungry for support on running a business and this is another large step towards providing what they need. It is an excellent example of two leading companies coming together to support the UK's small business community and help them reach their potential through technology.'

Vodafone Delays 3G Service - 2003

By:mark.j @ 2:32:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Not surprisingly delays in the supply of next-generation 3G (UTMS) broadband wireless compatible handsets has delayed Vodafone's commercial service launch until next year (2003):

Vodafone has said that it will not sell any 3G phones outside of Japan until 2003, after previously claiming that it would launch in the UK, Germany and Spain at some point in the second half of this year.

The Financial Times also claims that Vodafone has experienced problems with trials of roaming between existing and 3G networks, although a spokesperson for Vodafone claimed that it had been saying that it would not start marketing services until 2003 "for some considerable time."

The move follows Vodafone rival O2's much publicised delay to its 3G launch schedule following a strategic review of its network infrastructure and phone suppliers earlier in the year.


The netimperative.info item reminds us that Hutchison3G UK now looks set to be the only operator to have early 3G services out the door before 2003. Not that anybody really cares; most providers have yet to implement GPRS services, let alone 3G.

One.Tel Preps Broadband Campaign

By:mark.j @ 11:05:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

One.Tel has issued the details of their planned broadband ADSL marketing campaign resulting from BT Wholesale's grant, which we covered on Wednesday:

ONE.TEL BROADBAND HITS THE ROAD

A broadband circus is coming to town as One.Tel embarks on a massive countrywide tour staged to preach the gospel of speed, content and interactivity!

The One.Tel broadband roadshows, which begin in October and run until December, are designed to educate the public on what broadband does. Not only by showing off the speed of connection, but also by showcasing some of the content available and what people can do with it.

One.Tel has already made a name for itself in broadband content by doing deals with MTV and the BBC to bring streaming music, sport, news and weather services to its portal.

If we’re going to get people turned on to broadband, we’ve got to show them why it’s so good,” said Phil Worms, One.Tel’s head of internet. “Talking about how fast it is just isn’t working and that’s why we’ve been meeting with some of the biggest names in entertainment to provide content. We’re very proud of the MTV Live and BBC content, but that’s just the beginning.

To really understand the potential of broadband you have to see it in action. We’ve got to grab people’s attention and with our content partners, we’ll be going into shopping centres across the country with an all singing, all dancing, interactive broadband roadshow.

If we can show people face to face that with broadband you could book your dream holiday, as well as arrange the loan to pay for it in less than 30 minutes from the comfort of your armchair, we’re half way to winning the battle.


The roadshow concept has been assisted by a grant from BT Wholesale. The grant was awarded for successfully rising to the challenge of devising this new way of getting the broadband message out to as many people as possible and encouraging new registrations.

Whilst specific content partners are being kept under wraps until the launch, One.Tel has confirmed what the roadshows will demonstrate to give them the widest appeal:

Music - concerts and performances by big name artists (streamed media)
Sports – interactive news and score updates with video footage
Children’s / Learning – music, songs, activities, learning and games
Lifestyle – Motoring, travel
Gaming – multi-player, video reviews and news
News and information – video live news, sports headlines and interactive weather

PIPEX ISP Complaints Continue!

By:mark.j @ 9:17:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

It's now been a full week since we gave some of PIPEX's problems a wider public airing and despite our pleas for an explanation and proposed solution, PIPEX has so far failed to contact us directly via E-Mail.

In fact the only people that did manage to get a response were the good guys @ Web-User, to which PIPEX stated that our highlighted problems were supposedly 'historic' (out of date), strange since they were new!

Thus we've today chosen to highlight three of the very latest complaints in the hope that, this time, PIPEX may send us a formal written response:

Repeated emails to customer support asking info on the simplest of matters receive no replies at all, which is very frustrating.
- E-Mail By Bob

On 21st June after 4 days of getting no connection at all on offpeak 5.1 dialtime 64k and several days of engaged support nos, email reporting which does not work I emailed Lee of pipex to ask for help, several days later on 7th july i got a reply which basically said 'we cannot sort your problem out' .

On 12th July after a few days off work I emailed lee to cancel my account (which still did not connect), on 21st July I got billed for Aug. I asked for explanation and was told t&C state that I had to give

30 days notice so this needed to be before end of June, I could not do this as they are uncontactable and take ages to reply. I do not understand how they have the cheek to not provide a service and yet still insist on payment, I await for their reply to my objection on this payment with interest, if it is not a refund I will take them to the small claims court just for the fun of it, as they will not show up I will win hands down.

- E-Mail By John

I'm still trying to cancel my pipex account - I've never used it as they were so slow (two weeks to give me an account) So I went to another ISP. I signed up online with pipex on 30th May, I recived the account details on 12th June !!. (they started billing me from 5th June too !)

I wrote to them twice between signing on and reciving the account through the post, once requesting an acknowlagment of my order, after hearing nothing for days, I wrote to cancel any order they may have had. I also tried to phone their sales support line which of course permenently engaged.

Two months later they are still billing me !!.

I wrote them another email demanding repayment as I have not used this account since I cancelled my order. It is now 8 days since I wrote this email and have still had no response. I will be going to trading standards about Pipex and seeking advice from them.

- E-Mail By Adrian

Indeed for all of the above billing issues we'd definitely suggest contacting trading standards first. Or if you're on a credit card then simply pop into your bank with example E-Mails (evidence) and have them refund the money.

Companies can not charge you for ANYTHING if they don't deliver the stated service and no amount of T&C protection can remove your legal consumer rights to that. So if you’ve subscribed and asked for a refund after NEVER being able to connect, then PIPEX is wrong and not you.

Once again we hope that PIPEX will see this and kindly respond via E-Mail to us with an explanation and proposal for solving the problem.

EasyInternetCafe Faces Piracy Fine

By:mark.j @ 8:52:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

The EasyInternetCafe chain could face fines of up to £100,000 if the British Phonographic industry finds that users of the service have been using it to download copyright music onto CDs.

Unlike most of the ridiculous, 'blame the ISP for what a customer does', situations, the fact that Easy also allowed the material to be put onto a CD makes it more serious, apparently:

According to EasyInternetCafe, the problem arose because its high street Internet café's gave users access to CD writers. "In the early days, customers could burn CDs at EasyInternetCafes. Our terms and conditions didn't allow people to make illegal copies, but even though we didn't allow the burning of MP3 files onto CDs it was happening," the EasyInternetCafe spokesman said.

EasyInternetCafe claims it offered the BPI its full assistance once it was confronted about the activity.

"We let the BPI see our hard drives so they could assess the extent of the problem, and we have removed CD burners from all our stores. However, we don't believe their assessment of how much music was being downloaded and burned to CD is accurate," explained the EasyInternetCafe spokesman.


According to ZDNet the BPI had been asking for £1,000,000, yet this has now been reduced to £100,000, which must be paid by 14th August. Of course there’s no mention of those whom actually did the copying being caught or fined, which is typical.

NTL Restores Semi-Hacked Site?

By:mark.j @ 8:41:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

While technically old news since it was first reported two days ago on our forum, NTL has finally restored its website to normal after its staff (not a hacker) mistakenly loaded an alarming pop up message on to the site:

Last night visitors to ntlworld.com were confronted by a pop up message that said: "You have successfully configured your hard drive for re-formatting. Next time You start this computer you will need to re-install your operating system."

This warning, you'll be relieved to know, is about a non-existent risk. Surfers were never at risk of having their PCs wiped after visiting NTL.

A representative of NTL has been in touch to inform us that the Javascript code which generated the pop up was cooked up by its own techies for testing purposes. The code, used in the development of an advertising banner, was mistakenly loaded onto NTL's live site.


The Register is reporting that some users still seem to be seeing the pop-up, although that could be more to do with site caching since it's gone for most. Took them long enough.

V21 Offers Firenet Users A Free Trial

By:mark.j @ 8:28:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Hardly surprising given yesterdays Firenet offer to V21 subscribers; today unmetered ISP V21 has retaliated in kind by offering all Firenet subscribers a FREE 7 days trial of their flat rate internet access =):

V21.co.uk are pleased to offer all existing Firenet subscribers a FREE 7 days trial of our Flat rate internet access.

Steve Kaye Managing Director of V21 says 'We believe in total customer satisfaction and giving FREE trials is the best way, we have recently received several disconcerting comments from Firenet current subscribers with reference to unstable platforms, and inaccessible customer support, we think with our platform we are able to conquer this problem, not to mention the £2 per month saving !'

The 7 days trial offer is open to all Firenet users and can be signed up immediately by calling our FREE signup telephone line on 0800 089 2121


Of course total customer satisfaction may not include removing everybody’s existing customer E-Mail addresses, but then that's just our assessment and we could be wrong.

Hopefully this is the last tit-for-tat between providers, although you never know.

News - August 8,2002

Gio Suspend Anytime Packages

By:ross @ 3:38:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Gio Internet have taken the decision to suspend sign-ups to their Anytime 100/200/300 packages. A message on their website reads:

Customer Notice: The Anytime services have been temporarily suspended due to heavy demand and to maintain quality of service for existing subscribers - please sign-up to our Gio Universal / Unlimited Package above

No doubt a move to try and urge existing customers not to leave the service which has seen its fair share of problems. But we can't help wonder how the Universal package will hold up, considering its the package most people complain about in our Gio Forum.

Firenet ISP Offers V21 Users Free E-Mail?

By:mark.j @ 3:17:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Firenet's CEO, Alan Castle, has made the rather controversial move of offering all V21's customers free and unlimited emails, yet they'd still have to change address =(.

Typically this follows the news that V21 is to withdraw all current addresses on its @v21.co.uk domain by the end of August:

Alan Castle CEO Firenet Stated, "In the Light of V21's statement, Firenet are willing to offer all V21's customers Free and unlimited emails to our service.

We have in place AntiViral, Anti-Spam and free Technical support for all our Free Email services, on all Servers regardless of Service you require please check our site for full details or call us on 08707437400

Firenet for the last 3 years, offered these bonus services at no extra cost to our customers and will promise to deliver this service PERMANENTLY, whatever the circumstances.
"

Firenet have recently launched their ADSL service with great interest, and aims to provide more value-added services for the customer at no extra cost. Alan Castle also states "We are working toward a new advanced member service for all our users, which will give all members the opportunity to take advantage of ;

-Bonus Hosting, this will give free unlimited hosting with full support in scripts, access and technical support.
-Free Domain Fowarding
-Free Email Forwarding
-A wider variety of FREE fun email's such as yourname@meeoww.co.uk or yourname@itwasthisbig.co.uk
-A place to have your say and where you are listened to.
- Plus a monthly Free draw with giveaways such as Cash prizes, Free Adsl services for 3 months and lots more
"

Alan added, "This is what i call good customer care, making the customer feel pampered."


Firenet could well come in for some flak over this because it’s one thing to exploit an ISPs problems when it’s in administration and quite another to do it while the service still runs.

BTO Offers Free Satellite ISP Installs

By:mark.j @ 3:00:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Many of you reading this may have already had the leaflet explaining BTOpenworlds new broadband Satellite ISP offer through the door today, if not then they've kindly issued a press release to help remind you:

BT OPENWORLD CLEARS SMES FOR BROADBAND SATELLITE TAKE-OFF
spreads the costs and offers free installation for first 1,000 customers


BT Openworld is opening up broadband satellite services to more SMEs by removing one of the major hurdles to take-up - the initial one-off investment in equipment.

According to a survey of 190 SMEs by BT Openworld, two-thirds of multi-user sites revealed that they would sign up to satellite broadband if they were able to spread the cost over a fixed term contract. Similarly, almost 40 per cent of single-user organisations said the same thing.

In response, BT Openworld is offering firms the option to pay the initial installation fee and equipment costs on a quarterly basis over two or three years. The monthly rental was also recently reduced by 15 per cent, and now starts at £59.99 per month.

To further boost take-up of the service, which was rolled out nationwide in March 2002, from July 1 to September 30 BT Openworld is offering the first 1,000 customers to sign up free installation - a saving of £250.

Tony Harris, president, Business Internet Services, BT Openworld, said: "Small and medium-sized companies often need to keep a close eye on cashflow and can be put off making investments that could really help their business. By allowing companies to spread the initial set-up costs we're removing one of the biggest hurdles to businesses signing up to this service."

BT Openworld partners with SATLYNX*, the European two-way satellite broadband service provider based in Luxembourg, to provide the service, which consists of two products. Business Satellite 500/1 allows a user to connect a single PC to the service, whilst Business Satellite 500/4 allows up to four PCs to be connected.

The quarterly rental cost for Business Satellite 500/1 including initial installation fee and equipment charges is £144.47 per quarter over two years and £109.33 per quarter over three years. In addition, users pay £59.99 per month to access the service.

The Business Satellite 500/4 rental contract for installation and equipment charges works out at £189.84 per quarter over two years and £136.16 per quarter over three years. In addition, the monthly rental is £109.99.

For further information visit http://www.btopenworld.com/satellite or call 0800 671 155.


Typically this is more of a business service since few residential users could or would want to afford £59.99 per month – ouch!

Brightviews Three Senior Appointments

By:mark.j @ 2:43:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE]

Brightview, the group behind UK ISPs such as IC24, Madasafish and Totalise (among many others), has today informed us of three new senior appointments:

Brightview, the company that owns several internet service providers, including www.Callnetuk.com, www.Dialstart.net, www.Freenetname.co.uk, www.Globalnet.co.uk, www.IC24.co.uk, www.Jings.com, www.Madasafish.com, www.Totalise.net and www.Totalserve.co.uk, today announced that it has made three senior appointments. John Coleman is its new Chairman, David Tarsh is
Chief Marketing Officer and Ido Pollak is Chief Technology Officer.

The appointments follow a recent deal in which Brightview acquired the UK based ISPs of US telecommunications company XO Communications. Since its formation in April 2001, Brightview is now probably the largest independent ISP in the UK with over 60 staff and more than half a million live active subscribers.

David Laurie, CEO of Brightview said "I am delighted that we were able to attract three people of such high calibre and experience. Brightview now has a very strong management team, with proven professionals in each area of the business. I have already benefited from the wise counsel of our new Chairman. David Tarsh has already added a great deal as our external communications advisor and Ido has made an immediate impact. I have a great deal of confidence that we have the talent to capitalise on the huge opportunities present in the ISP market."


The press release then swings off to introduce each of the individuals, at length. Instead of simply posting the rest, we'll do a short summary of where they've all come from:

John Coleman = Ex-Chief Executive of Braitrim Holdings
David Tarsh = Promoted From Lower Brightview Position
Ido Pollak = Ex-Co-Founder & CTO of TheMarkerMedia

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