Posted: 26th Feb, 2010 By: MarkJ
Broadband provider TalkTalk has today confirmed that all of its 'up to' 8Mbps Essentials broadband and phone bundle customers will be given a FREE speed boost 'up to' 24Mbps. The provider will also be removing P2P (BitTorrent file sharing) traffic shaping for all
Pro customers.
Plans for this change were first reported towards the end of last year (
here), though it's not all good news. The new line connection fee is currently £59.99, however from today this will increase to £69.99. Free Local Calls for new TalkTalk customers have also been removed.
All Essentials Customers to be Placed on a 24meg Speed Profile
As part of the product changes implemented in January, the Talk Talk Turbo boost has now been incoporated into the Essentials package without charge. This means that all customers will have their profiles amended to represent the best possible speed they can receive on their line. The Talk Talk AC (Alternating Current) will provide customers with their estimated speed with the potential maximum of 24Meg.
No P2P Shaping for Pro Customers
As of 26th February Talk Talk will be removing P2P traffic shaping for all Pro customers. This means that Pro customers will continue to receive Priority on their usage and will have no disruptions to their broadband no matter what their usage type.
Talk Talk Paper Bill Charge Increase from £1.25 to £1.45
This increase further highlights Talk Talk's support for offering a paper-free service. The online billing system is free and easy.
Talk Talk New Lines Connection Fee Increase
The new line connection fee is currently £59.99, however this will increase to £69.99 from 26th February. Even with the price increase, Talk Talk's new lines connection still represents great value and remains competitive in the market. The £69.99 connection fee is still a £55 saving compared to BT.
Removal of Free Local Calls for New Talk Talk customers
Feedback from customers suggested that the offer did not enhance the product enough and that the free calls from Talk Talk to Talk Talk customers remained a more useful feature. From 26th February free local calls will be removed for new Essentials customers.
As a result of these changes TalkTalk's packages will now look like this.
TalkTalk Essentials with Line Rental (£18.48 Per Month)
* up to 24Mbps Speed
* 40GB usage allowance
* Free connection
* Free Magic Desktop - (kids educational computer programme)
* Free wireless 'G' router
* Free technical and customer support
* Unlimited calls to UK landlines, on evening and weekends (including 0845/0870)
* Free voicemail
* Free Calling Circle - Choose from 16 mobile and international numbers and get a discount of 10% on those calls
* Free Privacy Features
* 30-day no-quibble trial
* 18 Month Contract
TalkTalk Pro with Line Rental (£26.48 Per Month)
* up to 24Mbps Speed
* Unlimited downloads
* No P2P traffic shaping
* Free connection
* Free Magic Desktop - (kids educational computer programme)
* Free wireless 'N' router
* Free technical and customer support
* Unlimited calls to UK landlines, anytime (including 0870/0845 numbers)
* Call UK mobiles for 7p/min flat rate + call connection
* Free voicemail
* Free Calling Circle - Choose from 16 mobile and international numbers and get a discount of 10% on those calls
* Free Privacy Features
* 30-day no-quibble trial
* 18 Month Contract
Generally speaking the changes are extremely positive and no doubt quite a few people will be pleased to see the P2P restrictions lifted, assuming it doesn’t result in an overall detriment to service performance.