Sponsored Links

MAC keys

Should how MAC keys are distributed be changed?

  • Yes the present system is wrong

    Votes: 31 88.6%
  • No Present system is fine

    Votes: 3 8.6%
  • not interseted

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other please post in thread

    Votes: 1 2.9%

  • Total voters
    35
the whole system needs tougher rules. forget MAC's, line release etc. if it's all voluntary, then whatever system is used, ISP's can choose to ignore it if they so choose. as long as it's voluntary, people will have much more trouble leaving an ISP, than if there were rules that were enforced by law.
I think the days of it being voluntary will come to an end in the light of the problems which happens all to often these days.

I think one method as Mel said would be to pay to migrate or as read somewhere in the thread where they should make it compulsary with large fines if the ISP fails.

When customers have paid to an ISP and are out of contract if that ISP starts to fail like in Fast 24 and V21. Then the out of contract customers should be allowed to request MAC keys and pay a fee to aquire it from BT, openreach or OFCOM. As they are out of contract they are not officialy tied to the company.
 
BT's new cessation charge should toss a cat amonst the pigeons...

Although I can't quite see why it should cost £39.66 inc vat to cease adsl (about £1.30 less than the new activation cost) when it ought to be possible to do a cease remotely through software. :shrug:

I suspect some ISPs may just sneak this fee into their terms and conditions and hope no one notices, and others may suddenly become very keen on providing macs where before you could get none.

Mind you if I was a customer of an ISP that previously charged for, or refused to supply macs I'd wait until the changes come into force (keeping a close eye or script on the T&C's for changes) and cancel and refuse to accept a mac :laugh: (preferably just before I went off on holiday) - Plenty of ISPs offer free activation after all :D - A kind of poetic justice.



http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/Showarticle.cfm?ArticleID=01c91683-1e60-4ed3-9779-101b9b3b50d7
A cessation charge is also set to be introduced where service providers order the termination of service on an end user’s line. This charge of £33.75 (ex VAT) reflects the input costs from Openreach. The cessation charge will not apply when a consumer wants to move from one service provider to another and both service providers use the MAC process. BT’s aim is to encourage more service providers to participate in the MAC process, which is designed to make it simpler for consumers to move from one service provider to another. The cessation charge will also not apply where there are bulk migrations to LLU.
 
Last edited:
I have seen a few ideas that are quite good like the automated system to obtain a MAC, but for a system for that to work to make sure that you are not breaking the terms and conditions of your contract would be a hard thing for BT to control and may be against data protection laws the ISP telling BT how long your contract is for.

With most the problems that people are complaining about have 3 or 4 links in the chain to the people who provide the MAC's ( BTwholesale ) they give them to the people who are registered with the BT centrals (Netservices for example) but then there's a chain to the EU (customer), BTw->like NS->NS vISP-> yourself (some times theres a vISP of a vISP)

The problem is for the vISP to obtain a MAC from the Company with the BT centrals not the people with the BT centrals obtaining one from BT but again theres contracts data protection again that would stop BTwholesale from giving them out.

In my eye's theres only one way that to obtain a MAC would be through a 3rd party that goes through complaints who have the power to get the MACs from BTwholesale, I love the idea of being able to pay 40 quid to obtain a MAC but it could be abused which would push the prices up for everyone.

One thing that some one did touch on is LLU which is a complete grey area with migrations and BTw at the moment, but it is physically impossible to have a LLU provider and a ISP that is supplied by BTw on your line.
 
There are a few of the responces to the recent consultation here:-
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/migration/responses/

The handful I looked at were mostly quite uninteresting

However
This one is from Citizens Advice and has an account of they types of complaints they receive on the subject

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/migration/responses/Citizensadvice.pdf

And this one is apparently from a small service provider that can't obtain MACs from their wholesale provider.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/migration/responses/withheld2.pdf
 
I was quite interested in the CAB one, I was hoping they would have some good cases they have outlined. Some of them are very good examples but others are the worst examples i have ever seen!!!

I'm beginning to see a bigger picture that the governing bodies are being fed cr@p from places like the CAB that isnt helping the situation, the whole advanced communications technology is not under stood (DSL etc) by these people and they need educating!

I'm sure some one who knows a bit on the subject could of put together some better cases than that the CAB have put forward to Ofcom.
 
Some of the smaller ISPs should be able to explain the majority of problems...

This one makes for good reading....Maybe a couple of (v)ISPs could get together and do some shouting?

But after saying this....Is anybody actually listening?
 
Sponsored Links
Some of the smaller ISPs should be able to explain the majority of problems...

This one makes for good reading....Maybe a couple of (v)ISPs could get together and do some shouting?

But after saying this....Is anybody actually listening?

I agree that one is quite good but lacking in suggestions on how to make things better for people matter alone the ISP's, it does outline the problems quite well from the small ISP's point of view which is where the majority of people the customers are suffering.
 
I know what you mean....Until someone with some clout puts forward a few proposals on what realistically CAN be done then people are just going to complain.

We need someone who understands how the complete process works to come forward and give a few possibilities...
I know we all want things....But wanting isn't getting! :rolleyes:
 
Top
Cheap BIG ISPs for 100Mbps+
Community Fibre UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Virgin Media UK ISP Logo
Virgin Media £22.99
132Mbps
Gift: None
Vodafone UK ISP Logo
Vodafone £24.00 - 26.00
150Mbps
Gift: None
NOW UK ISP Logo
NOW £24.00
100Mbps
Gift: None
Plusnet UK ISP Logo
Plusnet £25.99
145Mbps
Gift: £50 Reward Card
Large Availability | View All
Cheapest ISPs for 100Mbps+
Gigaclear UK ISP Logo
Gigaclear £17.00
200Mbps
Gift: None
Community Fibre UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Virgin Media UK ISP Logo
Virgin Media £22.99
132Mbps
Gift: None
Hey! Broadband UK ISP Logo
150Mbps
Gift: None
Youfibre UK ISP Logo
Youfibre £23.99
150Mbps
Gift: None
Large Availability | View All
Sponsored Links
The Top 15 Category Tags
  1. FTTP (6026)
  2. BT (3639)
  3. Politics (2721)
  4. Business (2439)
  5. Openreach (2405)
  6. Building Digital UK (2330)
  7. Mobile Broadband (2146)
  8. FTTC (2083)
  9. Statistics (1901)
  10. 4G (1816)
  11. Virgin Media (1764)
  12. Ofcom Regulation (1582)
  13. Fibre Optic (1467)
  14. Wireless Internet (1462)
  15. 5G (1407)
Sponsored

Copyright © 1999 to Present - ISPreview.co.uk - All Rights Reserved - Terms  ,  Privacy and Cookie Policy  ,  Links  ,  Website Rules