topic Re: 10GB Packages in Plusnet Feedback

10GB Packages

jockwav — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:36:16 GMT

Although i am fairly happy with PN at the moment,it would be great to have something in between the 10GB & the 60GB,i know you can pay extra if you go over the 10GB,but could you not have maybe a 15GB package as that would be a reasonable one for us.

Re: 10GB Packages

adamwalker — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:39:53 GMT

Thanks for the feedback jockwav.
IMO I think a 15gb could be a little redundant and would still leave a big gap between that and 60gb. As you may know we tend to review our products each April. Where as I can't confirm or deny that anything like this is on the way do you think perhaps 25 or 30gb might better suit some customers?
Adam

Re: 10GB Packages

jockwav — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:42:12 GMT

I can see your point about the gap & yes a 25GB might be good if the price is ok.

Re: 10GB Packages

JayG — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:19:13 GMT

I'd agree with Adam's logic about a small increase still leaving too big a gap to the next level.
As a moderator on a completely unrelated forum I spend a lot of time every day just plain web browsing and have never got anywhere near my 10GB limit, but having tried a few desktop i-player downloads I can appreciate that it would only need a small change in my habits to need at least double that monthly allowance.
A new band at around 25GB would no doubt suit many customers, but personally I would prefer to see more modest charges for going over one's allowance (the present charges look to me more like a fine than a fair charge for additional usage!)

Re: 10GB Packages

jockwav — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:45:14 GMT

10GB to 60GB is what i call a big gap,i have also been a mod on forums but i don,t see what that has to do with PN & big gaps that exist right now & not much in between.

Re: 10GB Packages

w23 — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:48:38 GMT

Probably much simpler to increase the allowances on all products as general usage increases in line with new technology, double is a nice round figure

Re: 10GB Packages

JayG — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:58:46 GMT

Jockwav: I took Adam's post as inviting opinions and feedback from "some customers" so I described my experience and usage as "a customer"!
I also agreed with the "big gap" between 10-60 so i'm not quite sure what point you are trying to make.

Re: 10GB Packages

Heloman — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:50:37 GMT

I think your point was well made JayG. Perhaps Jockwav didn't understand that you were explaining why you spend a lot of time on-line.
Up until now, 10GB has been more than enough for me. But I now have a new TV which is internet connectable, and has built in links to the BBC I-Player,
Demand 5 etc.
I have a feeling that something like 25-30GB will shortly be very welcome

Re: 10GB Packages

gswindale — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:49:06 GMT

Just to add that I would also possibly welcome a package somewhere around say the 25GB mark. It would of course depend on other restrictions as to whether I would find it suitable.

Re: 10GB Packages

pierre_pierre — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:05:10 GMT

PN do muck around with the GB fairly often.
Oldjim and I were on a 2G package not that long ago and they upped that to 10G, but you had to ask, we jumped. From a recent comment this week I think some people are still on 2G

Re: 10GB Packages

Oldjim — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:07:27 GMT

Usage now 10.09GB of the 10GB allowance - fortunately new month starts at midnight

Re: 10GB Packages

pierre_pierre — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:10:34 GMT

mines 7.8 and run out tomorrow night

Re: 10GB Packages

baldrick — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:41:12 GMT

Quote
do you think perhaps 25 or 30gb might better suit some customers?

Yes I do, providing the cost is acceptable - preferably close to £0.
As a victim of the great Market 1 price rip off why not look at that at the same time?

Re: 10GB Packages

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:12:22 GMT

[quote=baldrick]As a victim of the great Market 1 price rip off why not look at that at the same time?
The "Market 1" rip off is a double whammy, as not only do we get charged significantly more than the majority of other customers, but we are also likely to be stuck (in some cases seemingly indefinitely) on inferior 20CN ADSL1 so we receive a fraction of the national average broadband speeds as well !
Nearly double the cost for half the performance - how can that be fair ?
Isn't about time that those of us on doubly disadvantaged 20CN+"Market-1" packages got a discount ?

Re: 10GB Packages

jkerr82508 — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:17:54 GMT

The "Market 1 rip-off" is the inevitable result of the so-called free market in broadband provision. The theory being that in the absence of competition, BT would be able to charge what they consider to be an "economic" price for provision of service in small exchanges - a price that could be several multiples of the regulated price. (The fact that in many such exchanges broadband provision has been subsidised by the taxpayers seems to be ignored.)
This effect can be seen in that private package carriers routinely charge much higher rates (or simply refuse to provide service) to "remote" areas. This will no doubt also be the situation after the full de-regulation of postal services, which some politicians seem to be intent upon.
Jim

Re: 10GB Packages

Laser — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:59:16 GMT

Quote from: jkerr82508
The theory being that in the absence of competition, BT would be able to charge what they consider to be an "economic" price for provision of service in small exchanges - a price that could be several multiples of the regulated price

Actually it is my understanding that in Market 1 areas OFCOM deny BT the ability to lower the prices (whether they actually would or not) to make it more lucrative for a 3rd party to set up shop as competition. As the 3rd parties have no interest in doing so you effectively have this silly situation where the lowest service has the highest price.
I'm on a deregulated exchange so get a good price, but I do sympathise with you as this was not the case until relatively recently. I feel the price differential between markets than PN choose to apply is excessive. Prior to my own price and performance change (which is now very attractive) I was seriously considering moving away from PN.

Re: 10GB Packages

jkerr82508 — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:29:34 GMT

Quote from: Laser

Actually it is my understanding that in Market 1 areas OFCOM deny BT the ability to lower the prices (whether they actually would or not) to make it more lucrative for a 3rd party to set up shop as competition.

You are probably correct. It was foolish of me to think that the purpose of regulation was to protect the consumer. Furthering an idealogical objective (expanding the "free market") is much more likely to be what our masters care about.
(I'm no longer affected by this price control, but I know people who are.)
Jim

Re: 10GB Packages

baldrick — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:53:40 GMT

So let me get this right:
Living in a semi rural area (we have just over 800 lines on our local exchange) I have to put up with half the speed for twice the proce in order to encourage a LLU operator to set up in competition. But as soon as LLU operators come the price will immediately drop because there is now competition, so the LLU operator can never charge the higher price - only BT. Oh, and OFCOM have come up with this to protect my interests.
Is it me or can any-one else see a slight flaw in this logic?

Re: 10GB Packages

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:02:39 GMT

No, your logic is spot on

Re: 10GB Packages

WWWombat — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:52:34 GMT

I won't attempt to work out that logic, because (flawed or not) it is old logic.
Ofcom introduced new price controls in market 1 exchanges in the summer, under a report labelled Better Value Rural Broadband.
Broadly, those controls make the cost of broadband limited to "RPI - 12%" each year (ie a price cut at the moment), and apply to 20CN only, explicitly excluding ADSL2+. Those are wholsale prices, so control what BTW can charge ISPs. They don't force ISPs to pass on the cut.
Ofcom's conclusion is that this could improve speeds in 2 ways:
(1) - it encourages BTW to convert more market 1 exchanges to 21CN, by changing the balance of the income-cost equation. A cynical person might believe that, while it might make 21CN cost-effective at some exchanges, it would encourage BT to not supply broadband at all from other exchanges, so surely this only works if there is a universal service obligation in place. The BDUK funding has a target minimum of 2Mbps for everyone, but it isn't setting this as a USO on BT, instead putting the USO onto local councils, and letting them choose the suppliers to turn this into reality, focussing on non-BT solutions for the hardest places. I suspect that, if BT get a significant portion of the BDUK funding, they'll be given an "almost-universal" obligation - say 2Mbps to 98% or somesuch - or will be imposed a proper USO on a county-by-county basis.
(2) - by lowering costs to ISPs, it encourages the ISPs to buy more bandwidth capacity. Obviously this shows that Ofcom don't expect ISPs to pass on the saving to consumers, but to spend the money in different ways. However, I don't see how it encourages more speed for rural users - unless they are limited by congestion on the backhaul, rather than low speeds due to long lines.