March 22, 2002 - March 28, 2002
News - March 28,2002
NTL Changes Tune - Service Problems
By:mark.j @ 9:21:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Despite a recent press release from one of NTLs senior staff stating that it was "business as usual" for their various services, doubts have now been cast following a warning issued to investors:
The group has said "various uncertainties" are putting pressure on its ability to keep the business running, including its ability to maintain "adequate liquidity".
Fingers crossed that Silicon's item doesn't end up meaning bad news for its various unmetered and broadband ISP customers. |
Online Silver Surfers (+55 Years) Double
By:mark.j @ 9:12:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] NetValue is reporting that the number of so called 'Silver Surfers' online, those over the age of 55, has apparently doubled since the start of 2001:
It suggests the group now accounts for 13% of the UK online population, numbering around two million people.
Britain now has one of the highest percentages of silver surfers, surpassed only by Sweden and Denmark with 17% and 16.3% respectively.
NetValue says online banking is one of the biggest attractions for the age group.
The Ananova item also reports that genealogy is very popular among Silver Surfers, four times more than the average surfer no less. |
EasyNet ISP Gains New Chairman
By:mark.j @ 9:08:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The popular business dialup and broadband ISP EasyNet has employed the former ICL CEO, Keith Todd, to be its new chairman of the board:
Keith Todd, the UK's "fat-pipe champion" in his role as chair of the Broadband Stakeholders Group, is replacing existing chairman David Rowe, who will now concentrate on his role as CEO.
More @ Silicon. |
0800 & 0845 Costs To Fall?
By:mark.j @ 9:04:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] We're not yet sure whether this will even affect dialup ISPs, however Oftel have chosen to lift the regulation on provision of NTS services.
In other words costs should fall for businesses providing services over telephone numbers such as 0800 and 0845, which technically includes a great deal of ISPs:
David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications said: "More and more companies offer their customers information services using 0845 and 0800 telephone numbers.
Regulation was originally needed to require BT's prices to be transparent and non-discriminatory, and to ensure consumers' demands for the services were met as competition was not fully effective. But prices for these services have now fallen substantially and there are over a hundred potential suppliers to choose from.
BT’s market share has declined in recent years, whilst the market shares of its competitors have risen. So I no longer see a need to have a special regime for BT.
Oftel now intends, therefore, to remove these restrictions on BT. As a result, BT will have total freedom to compete in the market on price and service with the potential for better deals for businesses.
Today’s announcement follows on from Oftel’s recent announcement to reduce regulation in the international calls market and on BT’s price notification process.
It shows that regulation may well be needed to stimulate competition in telecoms markets - but when that competition is established, regulation can be put to one side. |
News - March 27,2002
NTL Losses @ £11.2 Billion!
By:mark.j @ 3:05:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] It's good to see that despite all the troubles NTL is still able to maintain its broadband cable modem services, although even that could be in doubt over the long-term following today’s news.
According to the Evening Standard NTL has managed to rack up one of the country's biggest ever losses - £11.2 Billion:
The loss last year is equivalent to £3,733 for every customer NTL has in Britain. It is also much larger than NTL's total sales last year, which came in at £2.57bn.
The company, struggling under £12bn borrowings, has appointed a string of City advisers to come up with a rescue plan.
If NTL goes under, as rival Telewest also struggles and ITV Digital is under threat of closure, the entire pay-TV market in Britain could be left in the hands of Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB.
No doubt the governments Digital TV plans will have started to look decidedly shaky after the bad news from both NTL and ITV Digital. |
Web Dev's Fear AOL Browser Change
By:mark.j @ 2:54:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Website developers have today spoken of their concern that AOL could soon switch its client software from using Microsoft's Internet Explorer to their own Netscape browser technology:
If Netscape becomes the default browser for AOL's client software, developer perceptions of the one-browser world would rapidly dissipate.
"If you're developing, you develop for IE," said David Averill-Pence, a San Diego-based Web developer whose sites include an unofficial site for New Line Cinema's "The Lord Of The Rings" movie. "Nobody I know spends a lot of time worrying about whether a site will work with Netscape."
As the world's largest Internet service provider, AOL controls about 5 percent of the browser market -- not enough to dislodge IE, which is used by more than 80 percent of all Web surfers. Still, a switch in the service's default browser could provide a big push for Web standards that might help level the playing field for IE rivals, according to Web developers and standards advocates.
Typically as a website developer I have a viewpoint; all browsers should 'display' HTML in the same way as standard. How they process it, what extra functions they offer and other things can vary, but the standard HTML output should always be the same. More @ ZDNet. |
BT Improve Service - By Cutting Jobs?
By:mark.j @ 2:45:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] BT has today given us another example of their world famous fuzzy logic; apparently cutting 2,200 call centre staff will actually improve customer services - obviously, it's the first thing you'd think (umm?):
The move will also see 53 call centres closed - over half its existing quota. They will be replaced by 30 state-of-the-art "customer contact centres".
When complete, the cuts will take the number employed in BT call centres down to 13,600. BT said the restructuring is designed to make the telco the UK's "customer service champion".
More @ Silicon. |
New Article @ ISP Review
By:mark.j @ 9:50:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] ISP Review has today published a new 5-page article that's designed to explore some of the common the misconceptions surrounding ISPs and their unmetered usage policies.
It also takes a deep look at the reason why so many seem to expect more than ISPs can realistically provide for.
Expectations - Unmetered Usage (Standard Dialup ISPs):
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/articles/usage |
BT Trial Next-Gen Broadband (VDSL)
By:mark.j @ 8:56:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] This won't come as much of a surprise to those experienced in the ways of broadband DSL, not least because we've heard it several times before over the last two years.
Despite this it has now been confirmed that BT is indeed evaluating super high-speed broadband technologies at its Ipswich research labs:
Despite the fact BT's slow roll-out of first-generation broadband technologies has been widely panned, it's already looking at the next stage.
silicon.com has discovered the telco is evaluating a system called VDSL, or Very high-speed Digital Subscriber Line, a cousin of the DSL technology used by most broadband subscribers in the UK today.
It has been around since the late eighties and in its fastest configuration can deliver downstream speeds of 52Mbps - nearly a thousand times faster than a conventional modem, over existing copper telephone wires.
The Silicon is quite correct to state VDSL's age, yet BT will no doubt be using the latest technological revision, although it'll be 2006 before there's a commercial launch.
The item goes on to state that BTs future broadband strategy will be announced shortly and a full-scale trial is expected to begin next year. In other words, we'll all be using R/ADSL for sometime to come. |
European ISPs Prove Vital
By:mark.j @ 8:38:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Despite reports of heavy losses and slumping share prices, European ISPs have still proved to be vital assets for their debt ridden Telco parents.
Telco's such as Deutsche Telecom and France Telecom that have spun off ISPs have seen these businesses contribute retail as well as wholesale profits from selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of network capacity to consumers in the form of Internet access.
And now the ISPs expect to generate core profits over the next few quarters and finally make a positive impact on the Telco’s' bottom lines. "It'll become a big advantage for Telco’s to have fully-consolidated ISPs," said a London-based Internet analyst.
Today, European ISP shares are worth a quarter or less of their early 2000 levels after the bursting of the Internet bubble. The companies so far have posted losses as the costs of building customer bases have outstripped advertising and access revenues.
But the firms now forecast they will become profitable within the next year and a half because they have cut costs dramatically and focussed on higher-margin services, such as providing high-speed broadband access.
Observers point out that the success of Europe's listed ISPs is in the interest of both parties. As fully consolidated units, any profits have a "double whammy" effect impacting the bottom line of parent and offspring. "It's become a 'can't-lose' scenario," one analyst said. |
NTLs Broadband Rollout - Update
By:mark.j @ 8:27:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] DigitalSpy is reporting that ntl:home's broadband cable modem service is once again to increase coverage by including Derby and Wessex in the future rollout list:
"We are delighted to confirm that Derby and Wessex franchises are now in our rollout schedule. The response since the announcement earlier this week has been very positive. We are all working towards an August launch date, and will keep DS abreast of any changes to that date."
There's also a small bit of information regarding the newer (faster) services, although no firm launch dates have been set. |
News - March 26,2002
NTL Cheerful Despite Serious Problems
By:mark.j @ 3:17:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] You'd have thought the mood at NTL would be somewhat less than cheerful given the increasingly serious problems with debt and management, yet the MD (Managing Director) is keen to stress otherwise.
Indeed customers have been quick to highlight his latest update, which can be read HERE:
Dear everyone,
This is the first in a series of regular updates that I'll be posting on this web site to keep you better informed about NTL.
In the press recently you may have seen a number of articles about the appointment of advisors to look at options to strengthen our balance sheet and reduce our debt. Sometimes it's only natural to think the worst, so I wanted to reassure you.
At NTL it's business as usual. Your services are unaffected. Our telephone, TV and internet services remain available to meet the needs of our current and future customers all over the UK, Ireland and Europe.
For the last eight years NTL has been at the forefront of a communications revolution. We've consolidated the cable industry giving us scale, and at the same time we've built the alternative telecommunications network. This network is the reason why, in the UK today, the range of services and pricing for telephone, TV and internet access, has never been better.
Looking ahead, a robust balance sheet means renewed strength and confidence to provide you with the best TV, telephone and internet services. We're also working hard to keep improving the level of service we provide you. I know it's an issue. We've made it our number one priority. And we will maintain the improvement.
No doubt, there will be much more in the press over the coming months. However, my message to you is simple: it's business as usual at NTL.
Thanks for choosing us - rest assured we're doing everything we can to exceed your expectations.
Regards,
STEPHEN CARTER
It's nice to see that NTLs 'usual business' consists of a dirty great big pile of debt, but then at least they're still running. |
BT Update Broadband ADSL Checker
By:mark.j @ 3:06:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Thanks to several readers for pointing out that BT has updated their broadband R/ADSL availability checker, although if you're anything like us then the following message may seem familiar =):
Unfortunately, your area is not yet upgraded for ADSL. We are reviewing the opportunity for upgrading more exchanges and will update this site in the middle of April.
See you in April BT: http://www.bt.com/broadband/ |
Oftel Relax SOME BT Price Controls
By:mark.j @ 2:57:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Oftel has today lifted controls on 20 international routes where competition is now established. In other words BT only needs to give Oftel one day’s notice of changes and can reduce prices to below cost without the regulators consent:
David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, said: "Competition is delivering real benefits to consumers. Two hundred operators now offer competing calls services on international routes. The 20 routes deregulated today include calls to India, Pakistan and Turkey."
"46 routes, covering 83 per cent of calls from the UK, are now effectively competitive. In 2001 consumers paid on average 20 per cent less for international calls than in 2000 and over 50 per cent less than five years ago."
Oftel has also today announced that it has relaxed BT’s 28-day period of notification of price changes which has existed since 1984.
Following consultation, Oftel has decided that the regulation – designed to give other companies time to respond to price changes – may actually reduce the incentive to make price reductions as competitors may simply follow BT’s price changes by setting their prices relative to BT’s.
The regulation will initially be reduced on a trial basis to monitor its effects on competition. After 18 months Oftel will make the reduction permanent if it is appropriate to do so.
Note the 28 day policy, the same one BTs recent R/ADSL price reductions were supposed to abide by, interesting timing. |
VIA NET.WORKS Update ADSL Prices
By:mark.j @ 9:38:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] VIA NET.WORKS UK, a popular provider of single-source managed Internet services for business, has become the latest ISP to announce a cut to its broadband ADSL services. Full press release follows:
VIA NET.WORKS' new fully-supported ADSL packages improve business continuity for SMEs
VIA NET.WORKS UK, a leading provider of single-source managed Internet services for business, is announcing new pricing for its range of ADSL services and launching new ADSL-based business solutions that deliver fully supported broadband Internet connections to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With business continuity the primary concern of SME users, VIA customers can take advantage of lower cost broadband connections whilst reducing the risks to their businesses from network downtime and security breaches.
The new VIA Assured ADSL services are available for networked users, providing broadband ADSL connection and a back-up ISDN connection that can be activated in the event of downtime in the ADSL network. Service level guarantees are currently not available for ADSL in the UK and connections can be subject to loss of quality and availability due to the limitations of the telephone infrastructure where local-loop connections to the home or office may not support broadband communications.
"We want to make ADSL an 'industrial strength' solution for bandwidth-hungry SMEs," said Jeff Meulman, Managing Director, VIA NET.WORKS UK. "But the quality of the UK's telephone network is currently limiting BT's ability to make ADSL reliable and widely available for the serious business user. By offering a 128Kbps ISDN connection with our ADSL service, we're making sure that our customers have emergency back-up access to the Internet to minimise disruptions to their business."
The increased risk of hacking attacks to businesses with a permanent connection to the Internet is addressed by the new VIA Secure ADSL service. VIA Secure ADSL includes the provision of a firewall, a layer of protection between the business' network and the public Internet. The business can either manage the firewall itself or outsource management to VIA's security experts. This service is available to businesses with multi-user networks.
"Installing a broadband connection without a firewall is an open invitation for hackers to access internal networks, stealing or altering business critical information or committing fraud," continued Meulman. "To prevent embarrassing security breaches and the serious disruption that accompanies such attacks, a firewall is an absolute business necessity. Many SMEs do not have the time or resources to manage their own firewall technology - VIA is able to handle this for them as part of the Secure ADSL service."
VIA Assured ADSL and VIA Secure ADSL services form part of a broad portfolio of ADSL services specifically designed with SMEs in mind. For connectivity-only requirements, VIA Basic ADSL is available, with the single-user option starting from £30 per month with a one-off £50* installation, and £70 per month with £50* installation for the Business Network option for multi-user networks. VIA Premium ADSL is a complete broadband business solution offering SMEs an ADSL connection with email, webmail, a domain name, web space and comprehensive website visitor statistics. These services can be tailored to the needs of the single- or multi-user businesses.
Availability
All VIA's new ADSL services and pricing are effective from 1 April 2002 with download connection speeds of 512Kbps and 50:1 contention ratio for single user options, and 512Kbs, 1Mbps and 2Mbps with 20:1 contention ratio for business network options. The new VIA pricing reflects BT's recent reduction of the wholesale prices of ADSL connections. For more information, please contact VIA NET.WORKS' corporate sales desk on 0845 330 8000, email sales@vianetworks.co.uk or visit http://www.vianetworks.co.uk
*Pricing information is for guidance only and may be subject to change. Quotations are available by contacting VIA or a VIA PartnerDesk Reseller. |
AOL Shut CompuServe - Prep R/ADSL
By:mark.j @ 9:32:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] After weeks of speculation and rumours, AOL UK has finally confirmed the closure of CompuServe, which is apparently being phased out because of its age and having become unprofitable.
We already knew of its intentions to close Netscape Online during June, yet it wasn't until yesterday afternoon that AOL UK was able to confirm that CompuServe would indeed follow a similar path.
An AOL spokesman said Compuserve 2000 and Netscape Online would be terminated by the end of June. He would not disclose the number of subscribers affected, saying only that it represents "a small minority." Of course knowing AOLs numbers, a small minority is probably HUGE.
AOL, the UK's second-biggest ISP with 1.7 million paying subscribers, does not include Netscape and Compuserve customers in its official AOL customer tally. The AOL spokesman added that the affected customers would be offered a free trial of AOL in the meantime.
Compuserve Classic, which has hundreds of thousands subscribers in the UK, would not be impacted by the decision, the company said.
In Britain, the company has invested heavily to promote the AOL brand over the past two years. The spokesman said AOL will begin advertising an AOL-branded broadband Internet service in the coming weeks as well. We know very little about this service, aside from the fact that it’s ADSL based and will cost £29.99 per month following recent BT reductions (currently £50). |
Virgin.net ISP Wins PeoplePC Deal
By:mark.j @ 9:22:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Virgin.net, the semi-popular UK unmetered and LCR dialup ISP, has won the exclusive rights for PeoplePC, a supplier of corporate workforce PCs for the home:
This could add a "further 30,000 Virgin.net customers in 2002", but of course, the figure is contingent on the uptake of PeoplePC's offers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. We are instead supplied with marketing waffle.
"We have selected Virgin.net as our ISP of choice going forward, because the company has similar brand values to ours (etc. etc. etc.)" Proper English next time, please.
In the UK, PeoplePC runs so-called employee connectivity programmes for Powergen and Countrywide Assurance, enabling customers to 'give' or to offer net-ready PCs at home at subsidised prices as a benefit.
Unfortunately details are scarce, although you can read more @ The Register. |
BT Remove Private ISP Dialups
By:mark.j @ 9:16:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Following on from yesterday’s item, BT has today confirmed that the list of private ISP dial-up numbers will finally be taken offline.
They had originally been published because of abuse by those using the BT Together (unmetered local ‘voice’ calls) system for free Internet access (not allowed with ISPs - even under true local STD's).
Typically a number of news sites noted how such information could easily be abused by hackers and BT has thus opted to remove it. Unfortunately it's probably already been up far too long and no doubt anybody able to abuse it will have already stored a copy, nice one BT! |
News - March 25,2002
ISPr Newsletter Update
By:ross @ 4:29:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Subscribers to our Newsletter will be happy to hear that we have restarted the feature that is emailed weekly on Sundays, but we would like to apologise to subscribers who may have received multiple copies of this weeks Newsletter - and some may not have received it at all.
The problem lies with an administration problem with the mailing-list software, and we are hoping it will be fixed soon, so we can get mailings back to normal. |
BT Question ISPs - DSL Rollout & Demand
By:mark.j @ 3:35:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] We've now heard from more than one of our industry contacts that BT has started asking ISPs for suggestions on rollout based on demand / data from availability checkers.
Typically it's not officially public news and so we can't reveal the ISPs responsible for passing this on, although it shouldn't be an uncommon thing for BT to do every few months, especially given recent changes.
I'll of course be sending my own postcode and phone number data over to as many ISP contacts as I can find in the hope that somebody might actually enable the local exchange (keep dreaming) =]. |
Lucent Double Long-Distance Data Speeds
By:mark.j @ 3:18:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The Bell Labs wing of Lucent has managed to double the distance and speed at which data can be transmitted over fibre optic networks:
The lab's owner, Lucent, argued that it would make it cheaper for carriers to offer higher bandwidth.
In a demonstration, Bell Labs said that it had sent a whopping 2.56Tbps across 2,500 miles, outstripping the previous record of 1.6Tbps over 1,250 miles.
The company achieved the massive rate by sending 40Gbps of data over each of 64 separate channels of fibre optic cable by a process known as diversion multiplexing, and a coding scheme called differential phase shift keying.
More @ VNUNet. |
BTOpenworld’s Satellite ISP - Update
By:mark.j @ 3:06:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Following on from the earlier item sourced from yesterdays Sunday Times, BTOpenworld has today sent out a formal press release with yet more interesting bits of information. Note that this is a long release and we did cut a few paragraphs, however despite this it remains a lengthy update:
BTOPENWORLD OFFERS BROADBAND SATELLITE FOR BUSINESSES NATIONWIDE
BTopenworld is making high-speed Internet access available to businesses across the whole of the UK, following the extension of its broadband satellite service.
The high-speed two-way satellite service will be available from March 25, 2002, following successful trials in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and Northern Ireland. In a move to promote the uptake of broadband satellite, BTopenworld has cut the monthly rental charge by up to 20 per cent.
The service allows companies in areas without broadband coverage to benefit from always-on Internet access and download speeds of up to ten times faster than normal dial-up connections.
BTopenworld is partnering with Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd, a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, to provide the service which consists of two products. Business Satellite 500/1 allows a user to connect a single PC to the service, while Business Satellite 500/4 allows up to four PCs to be connected.
The monthly rental for the 500/4 multi-user product has been cut from £139.99 to £109.99 and the 500/1 single-user service monthly rental of £69.99 has been reduced to £59.99. These reductions will take effect from April 1, 2002 for new and existing customers. The one-off connection charges are £1,299 and £899 respectively. This covers the purchase of the satellite dish and indoor broadband unit, and installation (all prices exclude VAT).
Joshua Levinberg, Gilat co-founder and senior vice-president of business development said: "We believe these new offerings will be a great benefit to UK businesses - enabling them to receive broadband Internet virtually anywhere. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to combine our leading VSAT technology with BTopenworld's experience and leadership in Internet services. We are very pleased that the pilot programme was successful and are happy to support BTopenworld in expanding the service throughout the UK."
During the initial pilot programmes in the Highlands and Islands and Northern Ireland, BTopenworld worked closely with development agencies to promote satellite broadband. This model will now be followed across the UK.
BTopenworld has been working with SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) to accelerate the deployment of broadband satellite access to SME's, schools, doctors' surgeries and public service agencies in the South East. Peter Sinclair of SEEDA's wired region team said: "The benefits of high speed broadband access are readily identifiable. We want to help small businesses experience the benefits of broadband for themselves, no matter where they are based, broadband satellite enables us to do this."
In the South West, BTopenworld has been working with the South West regional development authority as part of a national project. Nick Lewis, director of Corporate Services said: "In a bid to encourage take-up of broadband satellite, we intend to offer £800 vouchers for qualifying organisations willing to participate in the evaluation and appraisal of broadband satellite. This scheme will be available for use with all ISPs who offer a broadband satellite service."
For further information please visit http://www.btopenworld.com/satellite or call 0800 671155. |
BT Expose Private Dialups To Hackers
By:mark.j @ 2:59:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] BT may have inadvertently exposed specialised ISP connections to abuse after it published a 5,000 strong list of private network dial-up numbers, but only if you're using a 'BT Together' line?:
Many businesses have private dial-up numbers to allow remote access to the company network. These numbers are almost always ex-directory, keeping network access points guarded from the prying eyes of hackers and war dialling software.
Unless, that is, one of the company's remote employees is dialling in over a BT Together line. BT Together offers unlimited phone and internet calls at a flat rate. But the internet calls only apply to numbers in the 0844 04 bracket, i.e. BT SurfTime.
Policing these services against potential ISP abuse has apparently caused BT to start flagging any number that gets a lot of incoming BT Together data calls, such as the corporate network dial-in, as an ISP.
The VNUNet item reports that BT has potentially exposed the dial-ups for use by hackers and indeed the full list can be found HERE. The page itself states:
Local and National geographic numbers you use to dial-up to your ISP (i.e. numbers that share your local or national area code) are not included in the unlimited call elements of any BT Together option. If you do dial-up to these numbers, the typical BT Together pence per minutes rate will apply (1p per minute inc. VAT for local evening and weekend calls, or 2p per minute inc. VAT for national evening and weekend calls).
We know of a lot of people who do this, which is hardly surprising since very few are aware of the above restriction, which is understandable if a little ridiculous. |
Vodafone Introduce GPRS Roaming
By:mark.j @ 9:20:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Newer GPRS (mobile phone) data services are set to get a boost this week after Vodafone announced its intention to launch a commercial GPRS 'roaming' service for Europe:
Customers in 12 countries will be able to access email and web services while travelling. GPRS allows users to stay connected to the internet while making calls.
Vodafone says customers travelling abroad will be able to access services in exactly the same way as they do at home.
The countries covered are Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
The Ananova item also reports that Vodafone's remaining networks and partners should be covered by the end of the year. Unfortunately GPRS is still far too costly and restrictive for most people to take notice. |
BTOpenworld Drop Satellite ISP Price
By:mark.j @ 9:15:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] BTOpenworld is on target for a national launch of their new broadband Satellite ISP service next week following a 'successful' trial in Northern Ireland, the Highlands and the Islands of Scotland.
Thankfully BTOpenworld appears to have noticed its competition from TiscaliSat, which is currently in trial and of a lower price. The group plans to drop the single-user price from £69.99 to £59.99 per month:
Broadband satellite will remain much more expensive than the ADSL equivalent, and will appeal mostly to business users who make extensive use of data-heavy applications involving music and pictures.
For a single user, broadband satellite will cost £59.99 a month, a reduction from the trial price of £69.99. However, this is on top of a connection charge of £899, which covers the cost of a satellite dish and broadband connection box.
For multiple users, the monthly rental drops from £139.99 to £109.99 a month. The multi-user installation fee is £1,299 and allows up to four personal computers to be connected.
To be honest we can't work out where the £899 connection charge comes from since hardware and installations combined should never be that expensive. Tiscali-sat still looks more affordable. You can read more @ The Sunday Times (need to be a user). |
Telewest Debts Cause New Trouble
By:mark.j @ 9:02:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Telewest is to be taken over by its banks and bondholders following the operators’ ever declining value and increasing debts (from 550pence two years ago to just 14p today):
The company has amounted debts of £5bn and it is thought its creditors will now swap debt for shares in a deal that will see investors such as Liberty Media as well as financial institutions playing a greater role in the management of the firm.
Credit ratings agency Moody's has added to the malaise surrounding Telewest, saying it cannot see how the company can now manage its debts, according to the Observer.
Many will note that Telewest’s situation isn't unlike that of its bigger rival NTL, which is in far greater trouble. More @ Silicon. |
News - March 24,2002
ISP Review Weekly Update
By:mark.j @ 10:03:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Good news, we're now officially into spring. Bad news, traditional April showers will soon follow and the temptation of Easter eggs shouldn't be far behind. Anyway, back to the weekly update.
I've spent the last week trying to finish up the new article on 'Unmetered Use & Expectations', which should finally go online sometime next week and will cast light over a difficult subject.
Once that's out of the way I should also be able to concentrate on doing a few new reviews. There could also be a change to the front page as we remove the latest Article and Review listings in favour of more dynamic content from the 'Reader Top ISPs' system.
Sadly the forum upgrade has suffered a delay thanks to the authors skipping a release, although this only means extra features for when we do upgrade.
On the other hand we may not bother and simply upgrade to the version already out, however this depends on a trial of the software, which we'll do on our beta forum next week.
We're also starting to move into working on the new 'Reader ISP Reviews' section and I'm still busy planning the future 'Security' page in my head. More next week. |
NTLs New Cable Modem
By:mark.j @ 9:24:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Original ntl:home customers look set to be among the first to see NTLs new branded broadband cable modem adaptor.
DigitalSpy reports that the modem, which is manufactured by Ambit Microsystems, will replace supplies of the Terayon model:
The modem prominently displays the "ntl:home broadband internet" brand. It complies with DOCSIS 1.0, and like the current Terayon model, is DOCSIS 1.1 "ready". DOCSIS, which stands for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification, defines standards for cable modems and the equipment they connect to.
Seven lights on the front of the modem provide a diagnostic function:
* Power
* USB - lights up when a USB cable is connected to the modem. Blinks during modem to PC communication
* ENET - lit when the modem is connected to a device via Ethernet. Blinks during modem to PC communication
* U/S - Blinks during activity upstream from the modem to the local ntl:home UBR
* D/S - similar to upstream light, instead indicating status of downstream connection between modem and UBR
* SYNC - indicates status of downstream connection between modem and UBR
* RDY - blinks during establishment of connection and during the registration process; fully lit during normal operation
The new modem should cut costs over the original by 50%, although no official launch date has been announcement. It will be available 'soon'. |
News - March 23,2002
Zen Launch Revised ADSL Prices
By:mark.j @ 9:23:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] On top of an updated website, Zen Internet has also announced their final broadband ADSL prices, which as you all should known by now, are related to BTs reductions due to take place on 1st April. Full press release follows:
Zen launches new Web site to accompany revised pricing
Zen Internet, one of the UK's leading Broadband providers, has today launched sweeping changes to its ADSL product portfolio along with a revamped dedicated Web site at http://www.zenadsl.com.
The company has made changes across its full broadband product portfolio with the reduction of its ZenADSL Home service price to £29.99 per month inc. VAT and its Office services starting at £60 plus VAT per month. The new prices are available to customers ordering from today.
Self-installation ADSL offers both customers and ISPs several advantages over traditional installation. The main advantage is that a visit to the premises by a BT engineer is no longer required. After the order has been placed, and pre-activation checks finalised, Zen arrange for the line to be activated. Then, customers simply need to plug in their ADSL modem or router and a micro-filter.
Zen are providing customers with the option of purchasing an Alcatel Speed Touch USB modem or Speed Touch 510 router for £99 or £199 plus VAT (including delivery and two micro-filters) respectively. Zen have full confidence in offering this equipment to customers, having found it to be both reliable, effective and affordably priced. Customers can supply their own equipment - a feature not permitted with some ISPs. Zen also offer the option of purchasing from a range of WatchGuard firewalls, giving customers a complete ‘one-stop shop’ for high-speed, reliable and secure broadband Internet access.
Zen’s Home and Office range has been further enhanced with the inclusion of single or multiple (up to 256) static IP addresses with all services. Considering Zen's vast experience in fully managed VPN solutions with ADSL, these enhanced services offer customers a wide flexibility which, combined with the reduced minimum contract of only three months, must make the packages one of the most attractive deals currently available in the UK.
Zen are committed to making ADSL broadband Internet access increasingly accessible to the mass market. |
FutureServers Launch Unmetered ISP
By:mark.j @ 9:14:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] We've seen more new unmetered ISPs this week than could be considered healthy, however that's not likely to stop the latest entrant in the form of FutureServers.Net (NeonHippo backed ISP). Full press releases follows:
Hampshire based ISP, ‘FutureServers.net’ have recently launched their unmetered Internet Access service at £12.98 a month. (Credit/debit card and BT line required, with instant on-line sign up and account activation.)
Yet another one to join the fray you might say, but Managing Director, John Short told ISP Review that their entry into this market was in fact a natural extension of the company’s business philosophy.
"We pride ourselves on the comprehensive services that we offer our customers." he said, "Our Internet access facilities are an integral part of our business. Having experienced our high availability 0845 ‘pay as-you-go’ services, our customers started to enquire about unmetered access. Being a very customer orientated business we always endeavour to source good value, high quality services and products, and believe that as a NeonHippo Reseller, our unmetered services will provide this.
They have stated that there is a 13:1 contention ratio and currently no usage limits (apart from a 2 hourly or 10 min idle time disconnect). Reports from our first customers to take advantage of the service are very favourable."
Realistic pricing has been set at £12.98 (with an introductory offer of £30 for the first three months), and it is planned that more services, including an evening/weekend scheme will be introduced later this year.
Anyone requiring more information is invited to visit our FRIACO gateway at http://www.FutureServers.net/friaco .
Aside from the disputable fact that there are "currently no usage limits", which isn't possible and could show a lack of understanding for the product offered, it's otherwise a standard service. We’ve also been informed that the technical support number is 0870 841 6666. |
News - March 22,2002
SniffOut ISP Back Online - Kind Of
By:mark.j @ 2:54:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Several readers have been quick to report that the troubled unmetered dialup ISP, SniffOut, has been offline since yesterday.
Indeed almost everything appeared to be out of action for a fair period of time; however they're now back and have issued the following update:
Friday 22nd March 2002 11:00
There was a major failure at a network interchange at 23:00 yesterday evening. DialPlus customers would have been unable to log-in, and users already online may have experienced difficulty in connecting to various other web sites.. Classic package customer would have been able to log-in to the service and collect mail, but would have been unable send mail or surf beyond the Sniff Out network.
Our peers had restored full service by mid-morning today. We understand that remedial work will be required to prevent further problems and this may result in brief interruption to dial-in access. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
We're still not clear on the exact status of SniffOut, although this latest incident isn’t likely to help. |
BTOpenworld Miss-Bill DSL Customers
By:mark.j @ 2:46:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The latest problem to hit BTOpenworld, one of the UKs largest unmetered dialup and broadband providers, appears to be an issue with billing.
Their system has failed to charge users the new lower rate ADSL prices, thus BTO has promised to refund all those affected:
Earlier this month BTopenworld said it would cut the cost of its service to £29.99 a month following a cut in the wholesale price for DSL.
However, two people have contacted The Register to say that BTopenworld has not automatically made the changes to their bill. Both were shocked to find that according to statements sent out by BTopenworld they will be charged £39.99 a month for April.
At this stage it's not known how many people have been hit by the glitch.
Still, at least those affected get a refund, more @ The Register. |
Netscape Browser v6.2.2 Released
By:mark.j @ 10:13:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Netscape may be somewhat idle as a popular website browser because of Microsoft's dominance and its poor HTML rendering capabilities, but that's not to say it doesn't get updated.
For anybody still using the technology, v6.2.2 Final has been released and can be downloaded HERE. |
Nildram Add Entry Level Broadband
By:mark.j @ 9:19:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] On the eve of the 1st April 2002, BTs official introduction date for their recently announced ADSL price decreases, Nildram has launched its new entry level Broadband service. Full press release follows:
Nildram launch entry level Broadband service...
Nildram, one of the UK's leading providers of Broadband ADSL Internet access, have today announced a new entry-level version of their 'Wires Only' Home500 service, Home500 Lite
Home500 Lite provides high performance Broadband ADSL access via Nildram's renowned network, combined with a single POP3 mailbox and Dynamic IP Address allocation, at a low price of £25.99 inclusive of VAT. This new service provides all the benefits of performance, reliability and customer care provided by Nildram's other services, whilst providing a simplified, lower cost alternative which should prove an attractive proposition to consumers thinking of up-grading to a Broadband connection service.
Home500 Lite can be ordered via the Nildram ADSL specific web site at: http://www.getadsl.co.uk
Iain Ogilvie, Nildram's Marketing Manager comments: "This year is proving to be a very interesting one for Broadband services in the UK and we are delighted, once again, to be able to announce the launch of a new entry level service which we believe will be a popular choice for new Broadband users."
No doubt we’ll be hearing more announcements like this leading up to and following the big date, which is sadly on April Fools day =). |
Telco's Keep Prices Secret
By:mark.j @ 9:15:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Just as WorldCom becomes the latest Telco to stop making its tariff information public, Oftel has now stated that they will NOT force Telco’s to make their prices public until the summer:
Critics say a policy of price confusion within the telecoms industry makes it impossible for users to know when they are getting a good deal.
Last year Oftel's concern over the lack of pricing information available to telecoms users led to an industry consultation on how to make real price comparison a possibility.
Today Oftel said the results of this consultation are not due to be delivered until summer 2002. A spokesman said today: "We are working our way through the responses and are still developing our ideas."
Note that Silicon's item is primarily aimed at business customers and not residential ones, although it's still an interesting read. |
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