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View Full Version : ISPs to offer clarity on net slowing



bassethound
15-03-11, 13:43
The UK's biggest internet service providers have agreed to a new traffic management transparency code, aimed at giving consumers more clarity about how ISPs manage broadband speeds to maintain network performance.

Sky, BT, O2, TalkTalk, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone have signed up to the new voluntary commitment to "provide better and more easily comparable information to consumers about traffic management". When combined, these ISPs account for 90% of all fixed-line broadband consumers and 60% of all mobile customers in the UK.

The new code, drawn up by the Broadband Stakeholders Group (BSG), is designed to help consumers understand why ISPs sometimes need to slow down connection speeds on their networks.

However, critics claim that the practice of traffic management will ultimately lead to a "two-tier" internet, in which companies pay to secure faster access to their sites.

Antony Walker, chief executive of the BSG, said: "There has been more heat than light in the debate about traffic management over recent years. This commitment to provide clear and comparable information in a common format is very important.

"It will not only help to ensure consumers are better informed about the services they buy and use, but will also provide a clearer picture for policy makers of the way in which traffic management is actually used in the UK market."

The code comes at the time when UK and European regulators and policy makers are calling on ISPs to be more transparent about their traffic management policies.

In the event of a "managed" internet emerging that prioritises certain websites, the BSG said that the new code will help consumers and policy makers get access to clear and comparable information about the services ISPs are offering.

All signatory providers must release information about what traffic management techniques they use, as well as publish a Key Facts Indicator (KFI) table summarising the practices used for each of their broadband products. The KFI table must be made available on participating ISP websites by end of June.

Walker said: "Consumers need to be able to make informed choices about the services they buy and policy makers need to be able to make informed decisions about the policy and regulatory framework they set. This new commitment provides an essential building block for getting both of these things right."

Michael Phillips, product director at the Ofcom-accredited comparison site Broadbandchoices.co.uk, added: "It's important to tackle the confusion surrounding fair usage policies. The proposed KFI throws light on the facts by providing a rich bank of information on traffic management and download limits, ensuring households are in a stronger position to choose the right provider and package.

"We believe this will be an important tool to enhance consumer understanding of broadband packages, such as what fair usage policies mean in practice."

The code will be piloted in 2011 by the signatory ISPs, with a full implementation pencilled in for early 2012. Interested parties will be invited to give feedback during the pilot phase.

Stanman
15-03-11, 19:13
I thought Sly didn't traffic shape on their LLU product?

AM with a truly unlimited ISP and very happy

punisher
15-03-11, 19:43
Im with an ISP that has never given me any problems whatsoever

Sicilian
16-03-11, 17:40
Im with an ISP that has never given me any problems whatsoever

You lucky lol!

I'm with Virginmedia, got a 50mb line. Last few weeks have been a nightmare with constant disconnections and now theres an issue at some hub and am only getting half the speed i should be getting. Its not expected to be fixed until around March 25th!

punisher
16-03-11, 17:47
Im same as u, but sounds like a capacity issue. Where u live? Ubrs prolly need resegmenting due to too many people on them lol

pooface
16-03-11, 18:35
lmao :p

Am with talktalk myself, and dare I say it, had hardly any problems. Only lost connection twice, and that was exchange problems, and fixed with a few hours both times... Only other problems have been fixed online and by myself :p Please don't let talktalk do a vm to me now :p hehe

punisher
16-03-11, 18:39
I dnt think i could live without 50/100mg bb and downgrade if i ever had to move lol id make sure id move to somewhere thats cabled :p

pooface
16-03-11, 23:49
Wtf?! I wouldn't say no to faster speeds, but 20mb is fine for me :p. Better than the 2mb I have at work :p

Sent from my HTC Desire Z

punisher
16-03-11, 23:52
I gt so used to downloadin at 50mb and uploading at 5mb, a drop no matter how big or small would be agonising :( lol imma speed freak, those days of 56k are long gone lol

judge
16-03-11, 23:52
120MB here, will kill me if I ever have to move...
once you go fast you can't go back.

pooface
17-03-11, 10:49
120MB here, will kill me if I ever have to move...
once you go fast you can't go back.

Wow, who's that with???

Only thing that I really miss is faster upload! I get a measly ~100k/s upload. But, until cable is available in my area (unlikely for many a year!), I'm stuck with copper infrastructure ... unless I can get ftth :D But, we'll be one of the last areas to get it ... We haven't even got 1 date for 21cn!!! lol. Just doing a search though, and sky now have broadband llu in my area apparantly! Altho dunno whether would be worth moving over from the hassles I've heard about sky :p

punisher
17-03-11, 10:52
find out what the actual speed is to your property before you even attempt to move lol too many people have been givin false speed guidelines ... saying roughly 16mb and only getting 2 or 4mb lol dont want to be tied into a stupid contract

pooface
17-03-11, 10:54
find out what the actual speed is to your property before you even attempt to move lol too many people have been givin false speed guidelines ... saying roughly 16mb and only getting 2 or 4mb lol dont want to be tied into a stupid contract

Well I'm currently quite happy with TT at the mo, so no need to move... Would only think about it if ended up working out cheaper. Looks like it might work out about £3-4 a month cheaper, so not worth it. Don't even know whether I'd get international calls like I do with talktalk :p

Just had a look on their exchange checker, and it said I should achieve between 8-10mb. Funny, that's exactly what talktalk said, and I sync to them at 20mb :p lol

punisher
17-03-11, 10:55
lol u might aswell stick then if thats the case :p im waitin for 200mb nex year lol thas gonna be awsome and with a 10/20mb upload wo0ot wo0ot HD streaming is gonna be awsome lol

pooface
17-03-11, 10:59
lol u might aswell stick then if thats the case :p im waitin for 200mb nex year lol thas gonna be awsome and with a 10/20mb upload wo0ot wo0ot HD streaming is gonna be awsome lol

since you work for virgin, can you tell em to roll out cable to my area!!! I'm not too far from you (in Leics), so you could come and dig the street up and put in some cable for me :) Dunno why the didn't put it in when building the houses, buggers :p hehe

punisher
17-03-11, 11:02
pm me ur postcode or area ... the thing is if they can get enough people in an area that want it and they deem it financially viable then they will do it. they spendin a lot of money expanding over the nex few years ... hiring so many dam planners its unreal lol but they want to conquer uk, mainly new build areas and those not far out from their current cable areas

Stanman
18-03-11, 10:41
Poo, can you get o2 or better, same firm and good speeds

pooface
18-03-11, 13:09
Poo, can you get o2 or better, same firm and good speeds

Nope... That's who I first wanted to go with

Only talktalk available in my area for the past 3 years (apart from 8mb bt connection), and just recently sky must've installed their equipment at exchange, as wasn't there about 6 months ago :p

gord
18-03-11, 19:14
You guys don't know you're living!! Local exchange lock to 300Kb!! :((
Maybe one day we'll get BB out here in sticks....

Cheers
G....

Stanman
18-03-11, 19:33
The answer is simple move:D

Sicilian
19-03-11, 01:07
Poxy VM are really pissing me off now. Whatever is broken on their network is still not fixed. They're still saying around the 25th. Paying for a 50mb line and only getting this: -

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1209083724.png

punisher
19-03-11, 07:52
I think they are resegmenting the ubrs m8. Jus make sure cs knw so they refund ya. Thers not much that can b dun though. That date only an estimate so could be done before. Could be in prep for the 100mg too :p

Sicilian
19-03-11, 08:11
I think they are resegmenting the ubrs m8. Jus make sure cs knw so they refund ya. Thers not much that can b dun though. That date only an estimate so could be done before. Could be in prep for the 100mg too :p

This is the fault code F001523353, raised on 20thFeb, tbh I feel that this is now getting totally unacceptable from a customers point of view. I've just posted on their forums. Is there anywhere where a customer can check the status of a fault?

punisher
19-03-11, 08:17
Ill c if i can get any info today but im gatherin that what i mentioned above is more than likely the issue. Are u in a densly populated area?

Sicilian
19-03-11, 08:19
Ill c if i can get any info today but im gatherin that what i mentioned above is more than likely the issue. Are u in a densly populated area?

Started my own rant thread as I'm pissed off with the service this morning :mad:

http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?7259-Had-enough-of-Virginmedia-50mb-service!&p=54694#post54694

In North London.

pooface
19-03-11, 08:44
Wow, u were up late last nite sic :p

Sent from my HTC Desire Z