Hi,
I've been subscribed to PAYG for 5+ years and am currently paying £14.99 for a 2GB usage allowance plus an additional £1.50 for a further 2GB (i.e. £16.49 for 4GB). I typically exceed this limit twice a year incurring a penalty each time.
I've considered switching to cheaper packages (e.g. value or extra) but have always been deterred by the documented traffic management policies and in particular the tables showing download speed rate limiting.
According to the Broadband Product Archive "PAYG experience", rate limiting is not applied to PAYG (shown as NR in the corresponding table). This is the only reason that I have remained with this otherwise more expensive package.
I am now looking to stream iPlayer to my TV and 4GB is clearly insufficient. On reviewing Plusnet's current packages, I note that Plusnet Pro is quoted as providing line speed at all times and has a 20GB limit for exactly the same fee that I am currently paying for 4GB. Clearly this is a better deal, and had I switched to this package sooner it would at the very least have provided me with more download headroom and enabled me to avoid any penalties for exceeding my very modest 4GB allowance on PAYG. If however, Pro is in fact a superior service then it would appear that I have been misled by the website guidance and have been paying a premium price for a standard package for several years.
My questions are:
Are PAYG and Pro managed identically in terms of download speeds?
Aside from the higher 20GB limit does Pro confer any advantages over PAYG?
Assuming I switch online, when will this take effect, and will it affect my existing contract duration or incur any additional fee. (I do not require a modem and I don't currently have any contract.)
Thanks.
