I have had a quick look at the broadband article in the july magazine and I am disappointed that only one cable company is represented.
Why hasn't ntlworld's service been included. I know that many people who have the service have had problems but I have been using ntl for a number of years now and I am very pleased with the service (2MB free upgrade from 750kb). I know there is a 30GB/month cap but that is more than enough for my usage.

I have to admit I find the state of broadband in the UK archaic. I live in France, and unless Tim Nott has told you, you may not know that over here, for around 30 EUR (that's little more than £20) per month, you can get an uncapped 24 Mbps ADSL2+ connection (more realistically 18 Mbps) and a hundred or so TV channels if you live in an ungrouped connection zone (most important cities) and unlimited free telephone calls to Metropolitain France.

If you live in a grouped connection zone, you can still obtain an uncapped 10 Mbps ADSL connection and unlimited free telephone calls to Metropolitain France (for the same price).

Is there a reason for which the UK is so late in joining the broadband game? I would think it is lack of competitivity; after all, the only reason that there are such high bandwidth connections at such low prices in France is the appearance of an innovative company (called Free) which caused a stir, and subsequently a revolution, in the broadband ISP business. Without them, we would also still be paying ridiculously high prices for ludicrously low bandwidth connections too (though Wanadoo still has a few customers who do this).

I find it so infuriating, living in a large, populated buit-up area, within half a mile of the centre of Chesterfield Derbyshire, that broadband speed offered by BT is a weak and pathetic 1Mbps.

Even with the 2Mbps which many home users hope to achieve, this equally is pathetic when compared to our european cousins.

In a recent communication with BT, when I told them I would chop my service to a competitor that offers 4Mbps, I was flatly informed "no matter who you sign up to, you won't get any better than 1Mpbs and we have no plans to increase the line capacity either".
BT are practically holding my line to ransom, not allowing their competitors a fair crack at wishing to change providers.

I read at the begining of the year that BT Braoadband Basic subscribers would get same price upgrade from 576 to 1gb speed in Feb 2005.As yet I have not received said upgrade.Am I being naieve,or is there a reason.

EPC are BT Indirect Partners
BT are now offering 2Meg ADSL at £29.99 which includes free connection and modem. Packages start from under £20 per month and can be ordered online. You don't even need to talk to anyone.

www.epcservices-uk.com

I ordered broadband from BT in early Feb05 they having told me my exchange was being uprated on 27 April05.
I asked them if having a DACs box on the line would preclude my getting broadband but was told unlikely as they would remove the box.
No such luck - having shipped me the kit for the great day, 6 May, the engineer reported on the 5th May that there was "shortage of lines and nothing would happen for a few days. A 'phone call followed 5 days later when I was told it was not economic to connect me! In other words my line having been split it was too dear to put in another line. As a result residents in the road cannot get broadband but those fortunate to live some 2 hundred yards away are OK.
Your correspondents complaining of lack of broadband speed are more fortunate than some who have to receive MS Critical Updates at 28Kbs on a shared line !!

I found the July article on broadband disappointingly shallow.

I want to move from a landline connection to full internet based communication that includes VOIP. That entails ditching the BT landline.

Questions remaining unanswered: which providers offer support for SIP / VOIP. Does BT allow me to unbundle the local loop: LLU? What hardware should I use? What about cables? Do I need a SIP based connection or can I use Skype instead? If I use Skype, do I need to leave my PC on all day?

PCW could make a better effort in disclosing the info that most providers, for some reason, keep hidden.

Martien,

If you wish to drop your landline then you'll need a broadband connection from a cable modem, wireless provider or other type of connectivity.

The article wasn't about VoIP but SIP and Skype will work on any ISP but only those offerring VoIP services will offer support for them.

Skype is PC based so needs the PC to be on, whereas with SIP you can use hardware phones and adaptors to connect a normal phone to ethernet.

BT have bitten off more than they can chew. Their free 2MB upgrade offer is an attempt to kill off some of the competition. However, the uptake has been so huge that they are now posting errors everytime some areas try to upgrade. They are saying they are looking into it, but so far 3 months of inactivity have followed. All I get is the same standard, 'Sorry, but no progress.....' every couple of weeks. I have tried almost daily for 3 months to get the order placed. They are stalling in order to allow time for the roll out. Does anyone know of a better ISP who can provide 2MB ADSL instead of BT. I'm quite happy to shift the telephone calls over to the provider if necessary.

EPC are on the verge of signing a 2.6 billion dollar JV with BT to implement wireless Broadband services overseas. Further info to be released shortly.

Does anyone know of a Wireless Broadband ISP that requires no landline. www.plus.net do a no contract and pay as you go service but they need a landline.

I have just recently encountered a problem my broadband link (ISP: Demon). I have found both Demon, and BT les than helpful. It has been over 96 hours since I logged the call. No one has bothered to call me with any updates, and where updates have been supplied back to the help desk, tey have not been given to me. They wait for me to contact the help desk. I have heard that response time, not fix, can be 5 days. In the meantime I continue to pay for the pleasure of no service. Again attributed to BT for charging ISP for a service that is DOWN! They (ISPs) pass on that charge too. I am told all ISPs are in the boat, and it wouldn't matter if I changed to another ISP. No offers basic customer service, and show no initiate.

I used to have a phone sevice through BT & changed to another company. The BT line has not been physically altered in any way, we just pay another company for the calls and line rental. I want to get broadband, but all the ISP's state that you must have a BT line (which usually seems to mean paying at least line rental to BT). Does anyone know of an ISP who doesn't require this? (My village is not able to get cable).

Peter, your line IS a bt line. Call up the ISP and see for yourself...
also checkout ukonline for 22mbps ADSL+2 (29.99) and bethere for 24mbps ADSL+2 (£24)

Anyway, after three weeks without broadband from Demon, and BT dragging their feet. I waited, and then dumped the both of them. I pay line rental to different company, and get calls free. Plus broadband at £12.99 per month. So, Demon and BT, managed to lose my custom.

I have used my new ISP helpdesk, and it is in the UK, and I understand everything they say, and they understand me. Plus they resolved my problem immediately.

I have a BT broadband account im capped to 10 gb a month but BT have sent me a letter saying im using 30gb a month which isnt true, has anyone else had this problem, because when i tried to ask how they measure our usage i didnt get a proper answer from any of the 4 people i spoke to, i want them to prove it by showing me what i have downloaded

i have 1mb ntl broadband is there any way of speeding up my speed at max it usualy runs at 100kb/s plese help

BT Broadband service is the poorest service I have ever had in my life. I got this broadband on 12th july and I got the connection working for hardly a week since then. The customer service is pathetic and there is nobody to listen to your problem. All they want is there monthly payment without givng any service.

i have been trying to get broadband for 3 months from BT and only now are they admitting that i cant have it i only took the line to get broadband and they now tell me that they BT only supply phone lines and i will have to pay for the installation cost even thou its not any use to me, DITCH BT AT THE FIRST OPPURTUNITY BT deserve to go out of buisness, they have been worse than useless

I also signed up for a BT account, Option 3, with unlimited download allowance, and BT vision. Since having this service installed 5 months ago, we STILL cannot use our BT Vision on demand, as this needs a minimum of 2Mbps connection and because we have apparently downloaded upto 20GB in ONE MONTH!!! it hasn't the bandwidth it needs to function! We have contacted Ofcom, who say BT are mis-selling thier broadband and services! BEWARE OF BT.

Hi
I would like ANYONE who has been either been mis-sold or mis-informed by BT about thier services to mail me, so that I can approach BT with a list of unhappy customers, also Ofcom and WHICH. They say the more customers who register the same complaint, the more power this lends towards putting a stop to the problem!

Many thanks