PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

[#1]

BT Wholesale don't differentiate between residential/business - that's up to the ISP.
Enhanced care/prioritised service are targeted for business customers. There are some niche ISPs that offer this to residential customers, but it comes at a cost.
Plusnet is a low cost broadband supplier. I would be shocked if you can find me more than 10 residential customers who would be willing to pay £10-15 extra a month for enhanced care - which only means BT Wholesale will aim to clear a fault (FTTC) within 20 hours rather than within the standard 40 hours. There is no extra compensation or any other benefit.
@ chrcoluk - I suggest you join AAISP.

[#2]

I stand corrected
There used to be a clear distinction between business and domestic whereby a business broadband product couldn't be provided domestic phone line
Is this still the case or is my memory failing again

[#3]

I don't think it's the case anymore.
BT Wholesale sell the broadband services as a whole - the ISPs can pick and chose what they want from that list. Here is the latest WBC (21CN) pricing - https://www.btwholesale.com/shared/document/Pricing_and_Contracts/SPPL/OFCOMM/WBC_Price_List_8_Septe...
There are many extras an ISP can add-on, like the enhanced care/prioritised service. But these cost as much as the broadband rental, so few ISPs offer it because there is practically no demand from residential customers. A few small ISPs will offer the prioritised service as standard, but you're paying £50+ a month for FTTC.
I have a feeling dave said that PN don't offer enhanced care/prioritised service for FTTC business.

[#4]

Enhanced Care and Prioritised Service are available on both ADSL and FTTC (Business Customers)
There are some details on this here http://www.plus.net/business/broadband-guide/

[#5]

@ Chris - Thanks, I stand corrected. Looking at dave's post, it was that the enhanced care/prioritised service are extra add-ons for business customers (£10.20 and £8.40 a month respectively).

[#6]

No worries!
That sounds about right in terms of pricing (exc. VAT) 

[#7]

I added the VAT on to those figures not to confuse people

[#8]

Quote from: AndyH

BT Wholesale don't differentiate between residential/business - that's up to the ISP. Enhanced care/prioritised service are targeted for business customers. There are some niche ISPs that offer this to residential customers, but it comes at a cost. Plusnet is a low cost broadband supplier. I would be shocked if you can find me more than 10 residential customers who would be willing to pay £10-15 extra a month for enhanced care - which only means BT Wholesale will aim to clear a fault (FTTC) within 20 hours rather than within the standard 40 hours. There is no extra compensation or any other benefit. @ chrcoluk - I suggest you join AAISP.

andy in what capacity do you represent plusnet?
also please stop repeating the claim there is no demand unless you have proof.

[#9]

The proof is what the staff have said, repeatedly over the years. There is no demand; one customer does not equal demand.
Do you really think someone paying £10-20 a month for very cheap, low cost broadband will want to pay £10-15 a month to get engineer visits in one day rather than 2 days?!
You say you'll pay it - so move to a PN Business contract or a different ISP. Your options are simple.

[#10]

Why has this thread gone so far off-topic? I suggest you two stop your bickering otherwise I am going to press the report to moderator button.
Going back to where things started to get out of hand -

Quote from: AndyH

I think the actual technical explanation of what happened is not going to be of benefit to end users. I am not sure exactly if it's the BT Wholesale BRAS/MSE that cannot handle large numbers of reconnection of the actual gateways at Plusnet's end.

I totally disagree with you and there are many other customers on this forum that would like a technical explanation and there are plenty who have sufficient knowledge that can explain any detail to those who are interested that don't have knowledge or expertise in a particular area or aspect. So perhaps it would be a good idea not to try and include such FMs in statements such as "99.999999999999999999999% of end users" which is clearly a ridiculous figure which you couldn't substantiate and even then that would include me and you don't speak for me on this matter. Plusnet are obviously not going to divulge detail of those parts that might be "commercially sensitive" (of which I doubt there is much) nor detail that could be advantageous to a potential attacker, nor would I expect them to.

[#11]

Quote from: Anotherone

I totally disagree with you and there are many other customers on this forum that would like a technical explanation and there are plenty who have sufficient knowledge that can explain any detail to those who are interested that don't have knowledge or expertise in a particular area or aspect.

I suspect the technical explanation will baffle people, including myself and yourself. There are a number of clear indicators of this:
- The fact that so many people have been involved in trying to resolve the issue;
- The time it has taken to resolve;
- The fact that this was a unforeseen issue;
- The belief that the impact risk of another drop had been minimised.
Kelly has already given a brief explanation:

Quote from: Kelly

The issue is to do with balancing how customers are connecting to the BNGs.  We are working with Juniper, the device vendors to stabilise things, but also BT because they have a lots of good people there and why turn down the help when it's available.   To be clear, it's not a number of customers per device issue.

[#12]

I simply don't agree with the basic premise that a technical explanation should not be provided.
The number of people involved, the time taken to resolve the problem, unforeseen or not, is irrelevant. Sometimes what seems to be a complex problem may have the simplest of solutions (wood for the trees and all that), not that I think that may be the case here.
Your assumption that those with Networking experience won't understand, frankly implies they aren't intelligent enough. Plusnet staff are also intelligent don't forget, so they are quite capable of making a reasonable decision on the depth of the technical explanation that doesn't breach any commercial in confidence or network security aspects. It's then upto FMs to ask questions as appropriate if needed or wished. Those without a technical interest can choose not to read or ask about the detail.
This is a Community Forum where we can and do all learn from each other. The underlying principle of your opinion on this would seem to go against that, and is something with which I whole-heartedly disagree.

[#13]

I expect Plusnet would like us to believe that the only possible explanation for something taking a long time to fix is that it's enormously difficult and complex, but after a while the credibility of this starts to stretch a bit thin. It's hardly as though this is the only time it's taken Plusnet a long time to fix something, although this issue is more serious than some of the other things Plusnet can't be bothered / don't have time / aren't a priority to fix.

[#14]

Quote from: AndyH

The proof is what the staff have said, repeatedly over the years. There is no demand; one customer does not equal demand. Do you really think someone paying £10-20 a month for very cheap, low cost broadband will want to pay £10-15 a month to get engineer visits in one day rather than 2 days?! You say you'll pay it - so move to a PN Business contract or a different ISP. Your options are simple.

only you are saying it.
The truth is probably they dont want it on residential customers because it then lowers revenue, as you said an isp would want me on their business product to get that service level as it makes more revenue, demand is there but they will maximise revenues from such users.
There is no way to accurately predict demand of something that doesnt exist.
The problem is I dont think its an option on plusnet business either.

[#15]

Yes it is http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/products/enhanced_care.shtml