UK Broadband Internet Service Provider News: 2006/01

UK broadband Internet service provider news and the latest broadband company press releases. Access the latest new broadband deals and broadband service updates, including broadband news from BT, AOL, Tiscali, Eclipse, Orange, Utility Warehouse, TalkTalk, Virgin & Telewest.

Monday, January 30, 2006

Bulldog puts customers first with lightning fast ADSL2+ trial

Bulldog Communications, the UK market innovator in broadband and telephony services and pioneer of LLU (Local Loop Unbundling), today announced that it is conducting a national ADSL2+ broadband technology trials.

Bulldog is committed to delivering a high quality service and to this end has been testing ADSL2+ technology since September 2005 with a representative selection of the Bulldog customer base. The aim of the extensive trial is to ensure the stability of the connection at higher speeds and to gain maximum performance under different line conditions. Ultimately, this stability is crucial to ensure customer satisfaction and provide a platform on which additional services could eventually be launched.

The trial is providing an opportunity for Bulldog to understand how its customers will use the faster access speeds, and establish if there are any issues with the equipment customers need to connect to the service. ADSL2+ represents a confluence of technologies and standards, and operates over existing copper lines, and Bulldog has worked to iron out any possible kinks prior to launching a commercial service.

Once all the data is evaluated, Bulldog’s next generation high-speed service will offer substantially greater bandwidth and shorter download times for customers.

Bulldog is the first ISP to publicise such an extensive national ADSL2+ trials and is determined to deliver a superlative customer experience with the commercial launch of its product, both from a technical and customer experience perspective.

Following a full evaluation of the initial trials, Bulldog hopes to launch the ADSL2+ service commercially by the end of Q1 2006.

Bulldog chief architect, Gavin Young said, “As the web continues to evolve, we want to ensure that our broadband services meet the increasing needs of our customers. ADSL2+ represents the next evolution of broadband access, and this trial demonstrates our commitment to delivering a positive experience for customers looking to enhance their experience of the internet. ADSL2+ will also enable a new generation of internet services, and Bulldog will continue to innovate over 2006 to deliver these.”

Further bulldog broadband information

Labels: bulldog-broadband

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Go for gold with BT Broadband and Xbox Live

BT Broadband has partnered with Xbox® Live™ to offer a free 12-month Xbox Live Gold membership for new BT Broadband customers who sign up via www.bt.com/xboxlive, delivering the ultimate gaming experience on the Xbox 360™.

BT Broadband enables gamers to move up to a completely new level of online multi-player gaming - with high-speed upload and download speeds, allowing the game to react as quickly as the players. Gamers will be able to experience exceptional stability with any action delays reduced to an absolute minimum, incredibly smooth 'real time' game play and advanced online gaming features with Xbox Live.

Xbox Live Gold 12-month membership, worth an ERP (Estimated Retail Price) of 39.99 also enables the user to play over 2 million others online, communicate via voice and text chat and access to a world of exclusive game-related content and downloads via Xbox Live Marketplace. The partnership will be backed by advertising in online, print and key gaming media and the offer will be available through www.bt.com/xboxlive until September 30th 2006. BT Broadband 2Mb is available from £14.99 for the first three months*.

*£17.99 therafter. Cashback will be credited to your 1st or 2nd bill (£9 for Option 1, £6 for Options 2 and 3, £3 for Option 4 incl VAT). Offer ends 20.02.06. Activation required within 14 days of order. New customers only. Excludes upgrades/regrades. Other exclusions and terms and conditions apply. When you pay by Direct Debit or Monthly Payment Plan, otherwise add £1. Twelve-month contract applies. Excludes upgrades/regrades. Other exclusions apply. BT Broadband subject to availability and survey. BT or non-cable line required. Modem router free when ordered online, £25 with telephone orders. Usage guidelines apply. Terms and conditions apply.

BT Broadband

Monday, January 23, 2006

Brits coughing up over infected computers

Brits will spend up to a staggering £3 billion this year repairing and replacing virus-ridden PCs.

New research from cable company Telewest reveals that the average price of curing a computer virus now stands at £260 – significantly more than remedying a common cold. Moreover, a quarter of UK PC owners succumb to “virus rage” and admit to ditching their machine rather than calling someone in to fix it.

Despite high levels of anxiety over online security, more than one in ten (12%) aren't adequately protected against infection. And even though 73% of us regularly worry about our computer security - with a third stressing daily about being targeted by viruses, hackers or spyware – one in ten Brits still admit to opening emails from unrecognised sources.

Just as we go to lengths to ward off colds and flu, Telewest is urging all PC owners to be more vigilant with potential online risks. Its PCguard service, available to its broadband internet customers, offers protection from a variety of online nasties. Customers now get a state-of-the-art firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, pop-up blocker and parental controls as part of their broadband service, providing peace of mind for net users.

Commenting on the findings, Philip Snalune, director of product management and marketing at Telewest, said: “The cost of leaving your PC open to infection is not to be sniffed at.

“People understandably worry about catching colds at this time of year, but the effects of a PC virus can potentially cost the average person around three times more to cure. PCguard offers protection, which means no costly remedy is required.”

Telewest Broadband

Friday, January 20, 2006

AOL to open up local telephone network in the UK to new competition

AOL today announced its decision to make a substantial investment in a new telecoms infrastructure in the UK, which will open up the local telephone network and related services to increased competition and innovation.

The investment will be made in 'Local Loop Unbundling' (LLU), which is the process that allows telecoms and Internet companies to replace BT as the provider of services over the telephone line from the local exchange to the phone socket in the home, known as the 'local loop'. This will enable AOL to deliver Internet, telephony and other broadband related services, such as Video on demand, television over broadband and advanced gaming services, directly to these consumers.

AOL's decision to invest in telecoms infrastructure in the UK follows Ofcom's recent mandates on LLU and the Strategic Review of Telecommunications, which has laid down the regulations and targets that BT must adhere to as it opens up its local telephone network to competitors.
Karen Thomson, Chief Executive and Chairman of AOL UK Limited, said: "We finally have the opportunity to bring large-scale competition into the UK's national telephone network. This will drive innovation and efficiency in the market, which I believe will result in consumers benefiting from greater choice, better value and new kinds of digital services."

The initial phase of the programme, costing around £50m, will take place in the first half of 2006 and reach up to 300 exchanges in the UK, equivalent to 20% of UK households. If successful, AOL may extend this rollout to up to 1,000 exchanges in the UK, based on an estimated additional investment of £70m, in order to be able to offer the possibility of 'unbundling' the telephone line for more than 50% of UK households. AOL's investment in the local telephone network in the UK is being funded by parent company Time Warner.
Thomson added: "The opportunity to compete on a level playing field with the incumbent will encourage substantial investment in digital services and content in the UK. This will allow the UK to catch up with leading European countries, where unbundling is already delivering higher value services to consumers. We look forward to working with Ofcom and BT to bring these benefits to British homes."

AOL has completed beta testing of the LLU process in two London exchanges, Battersea and Ealing and has created a team of more than 100 people in the UK to carry out a large-scale LLU rollout. AOL's unbundled services will be ADSL 2+ compatible, creating the potential for broadband services of more than 8Mbps in the future.

The AOL Internet service and AOL Talk are provided to UK subscribers by AOL Europe Services SARL, a company in the AOL group based in Luxembourg. AOL has more than 1.1m broadband subscribers out of a total of more than 2.3m members in the UK, as at November 2005. AOL members in the UK spent more than two billion hours connected to the Internet during 2005.

Further AOL information:
http://www.broadband-123.co.uk/aol.html

Labels: aol-broadband

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Force9 announces broadband 'surf and talk' special offer

Force9 has launched a promotional Broadband package, with 10GB of included data transfer and free phone calls to UK landlines at evenings and weekends.

At £19.99 per month, Force9's promotion is great value. Compared with BT Broadband's surf and talk products, it's £3 cheaper per month, offers higher speeds of up to 8Mb where available, more inclusive usage and lower daytime call rates.

Force9's Marketing Director, Neil Armstrong, said "This is an excellent opportunity for families and frequent surfers to get Force9's premium quality broadband services at the same time as saving money on their phone bills. BT Broadband customers could be getting a better deal with Force9."

Pay As You Go customers who want to use more than the inclusive 10GB can purchase additional bandwidth for £1 per GB. The offer is open to new and existing customers who order before the end of February.

Labels: force9-broadband

Monday, January 16, 2006

Groundbreaking broadband: Up to 24 meg for £14 per month with Be lite

Be, the record-breaking broadband ISP, today launches Be lite; an astonishingly fast broadband product that costs just £14 per month.

Be lite is aimed at light home users, but is not light on features. In addition to staggeringly fast download speeds of up to 24 megs, Be lite members will also benefit from 24/7 member support hotlines and a free Be Box wireless modem (worth in excess of £100).

Be lite offers members the benefits of Be's ludicrously fast broadband products - using the latest ADSL2+ technology - at a very low entry cost combined with the flexibility of pay-as-you-go Be broadband. When the initial usage allowance of 1 gig is exceeded, Be lite members' usage is automatically topped up at a very reasonable cost of £1 per gig (bought in 5 gig bundles).

'Be lite will allow even more people to have access to faster broadband, which we believe will make a real difference to members' lives' said Dana Pressman Managing Director of Be. 'With Be's products, members will be able to enjoy a world of online possibilities from Voice over IP to High Definition TV, to name but a few.'

Be are pushing the boundaries of broadband in the UK and leaving the rest of the market behind with aggressive plans to make ADSL2+ a mass market product. Following successful trials the team has increased the size of their customer support team and customer orders are on average delivered within ten working days.

To join the broadband revolution, customers simply need a BT telephone line that is connected to an exchange in which Be has installed their equipment. The Be lite broadband service costs just £14 per month, plus a £24 connection fee, and includes a free wireless Be Box modem. To order Be's incredible 24 meg broadband, and check availability, go to BeThere.co.uk

About Be

Be Un Limited ("Be") is the UK's first Internet service provider (ISP) to harness the latest ADSL2+ technology to maximise the potential of your BT phone line at a highly competitive price. The company is deploying its own network in the UK, utilising the Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) EU directive, which allows independent operators to lease incumbent's (British Telecom in the case of the UK market) last mile access infrastructure.

Be describes itself as 'life uninhibited' - a freedom to be how you want to be online, supported by a 24/7 service with free customer support, no capacity restrictions and a free top-of-the-range Be Box wireless modem.

Further information:
Be 24meg unlimited broadband

BT boosts small businesses with broadband calls

BT has cut the cost of calling for small businesses by launching an innovative “flat top” calls package that offers BT Business Broadband customers unlimited national and local phone calls (1) from £14.99 a month.

For the flat rate of £14.99 a month for the first three months (2), BT Business Broadband Voice customers will get unlimited local and national phone calls to 01 and 02 numbers. Calls to most UK mobiles will be capped (3) at 25p for up to an hour.

This extension of BT’s voice over internet service is available to both new and existing BT Business Broadband customers, enabling them to have cost effective second and third phone lines with separate phone numbers.

Even though calls are made over broadband, customers can use a standard telephone handset by plugging it into their BT Business Broadband router. And calls can be made and received even when the computer is switched off, unlike many computer-based phone services.

BT’s service includes a full set of business communication features at no extra cost, including advanced call forwarding, three-way calls and call barring, all of which can be managed by the customer online.

Prices for BT Business Broadband start at £19.99 a month (4) and include a free router and free connection (5). Customers who order Single, Share or Network products can also receive £30 cash back when they subscribe to IT Support Manager (6).

This means that customers are just a click away from BT’s popular business IT support service. Its highly trained IT experts are able to securely take control of a customer’s PC and work on it remotely to solve IT headaches. Practically all IT requirements can be covered, including the installation, configuration and repair of operating systems, networks and hardware. IT Support Manager brings to the smallest companies the breadth and depth of IT expertise that has been previously enjoyed only by large companies.

Bill Murphy, managing director, BT Business, said: “This is a tremendous offer that will cut the cost of calling for small businesses. BT Broadband Voice will allow companies to change the way they look at broadband and how they use the phone.

“At BT we are continually developing innovative products and offers to meet the needs of our business customers, but this is the first time we have offered flat rate tariffs on our business phone service.

“Using broadband to make calls means small businesses can make real cost savings and opens up a world of possibilities for collaboration and mobility.”

BT Broadband

Labels: bt-broadband

Monday, January 02, 2006

Revolutionising the cost of broadband: Be to launch pay-as-you-go

Be, the ultra fast broadband provider is finalising the launch plans and pricing for a new product out later this month. 'Be lite' will revolutionise the broadband market by offering up to 24 meg broadband for under £15 per month.

'Be lite' will include an initial usage allowance, which can be topped up as needed. Although 'Be lite' is aimed at light users, it is not light on features. It will still deliver staggeringly fast download speeds of up to 24 meg together with 24/7 member support hotlines and a free 'Be Box' wireless router worth over £100.

About Be

Be Un Limited ("Be") is the UK's first Internet service provider (ISP) to harness the latest ADSL2+ technology to maximise the potential of your BT phone line at a highly competitive price. The company is deploying its own network in the UK, utilising the Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) EU directive, which allows independent operators to lease incumbent's (British Telecom in the case of the UK market) last mile access infrastructure.

Be describes itself as 'life uninhibited' - a freedom to be how you want to be online, supported by a 24/7 service with free customer support, no capacity restrictions and a free top-of-the-range Be Box wireless modem.

Further information:
Be 24meg unlimited broadband

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