UK Broadband Internet Service Provider News

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, September 10, 2007

AOL Broadband giving away 160,000 free laptops

AOL Broadband has recently announced an exciting Free Laptop Offer, where 160,000 Dell Laptop PC's will be given Free to 160,000 subscribers to AOL Wireless Broadband plus. Whilst this offer is limited to 160,000, AOL reported that 50,000 people registered for a free laptop before the official launch date at the beginning of September.

Whats included?

- Free Dell laptop (Intel Celeron 540 processor), 1GB memory, 80GB hard disk
- Built in Wi-Fi and Microsoft Vista Home
- Free Netgear Wireless router
- Wireless broadband connection up to 8Mbps
- 40GB download limit
- Free connection / migration
- 24 month contract
- £19.99 a month, subject to taking AOL Talk Pay As You Go subscription
- £10 surcharge for those not connected to an AOL broadband unbundled exchange
- Upgrades to laptop available
- Delivery charge of £14.99 on laptop
- Evenings and Weekends call package raises price to £22.49 a month
- Talk Unlimited gives a total of £24.99.
- Opt out of the compulsory calls bundle for £29.99

The obvious question that many are asking is - what's the catch? It is likely that AOL will cover the costs associated with this offer via telephone call revenue and it has been suggested that Dell are offering some subsidies in return for the anticipated PC upgrade fee's as subscribers opt for improved memory, upgraded processors etc.

AOL Wireless Broadband

Labels: aol-broadband, general-broadband-news, wireless-broadband

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

AOL launches new wireless broadband packages

AOL has recently updated it's broadband offerings, with the removal of the old Platinum and Silver packages in favour of their new Wireless Broadband and Wireless Broadband Plus.

AOL's new wireless broadband packages both offer speeds of up to 8Mb, a free wireless router, free connection and free security, along with inclusive weekend and evening talk options (at no extra cost). Another key change to AOL broadband has been the removal of their unlimited downloads feature in favour of download limits of 10Gb (Wireless) and 40Gb (Wireless plus). Both AOL Wireless and AOL Wireless Plus require customers to sign an 18 month contract.

AOL Wireless is priced at £14.99 per month, although customers who fall outside of AOL's LLU network will need to pay an extra £5 per month. Non AOL LLU customers subscribing to AOL Wireless Plus are required to pay a £10 subsidy.

For further information on the new AOL Wireless Broadband packages:
AOL Wireless Broadband

Labels: aol-broadband, general-broadband-news, wireless-broadband

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Broadband is cheaper than dial-up Internet access

According to analysis carried out by SimplySwitch.com (a price comparison service), broadband prices are now lower than those for dial-up Internet access. Dial-up Internet access has been effectively priced out of the market by the flood of Internet users taking up faster and more convenient broadband services. Currently over 40% of UK households connect to the Internet via broadband and it's no wonder, considering that 8Mb broadband access is 143 times faster than 56 Kbps dial-up, allowing users to download larger files, to watch streamed videos online and access a whole new Internet experience.

Based on a survey conducted by Google during March 2006, the average Briton now spends two and a half hours online each day. Based on this data, SimplySwitch.com calculated that if a user were paying for their Internet access via pay-per-minute dial-up, they would save money by switching to broadband. Similarly, for someone paying a flat rate for unlimited dial-up Internet access, in most cases a cheaper broadband alternative would be available, often with inclusive free telephone calls bundled with the broadband package. For example, a Tiscali dial-up customer paying £14.99 per month could save £33 per annum by transferring to the Tiscali 1Mb broadband service for £9.99 per month (first three months, then £12.99), along with free weekend calls. Savings were also shown with equivalent services from AOL and NTL / Telewest.

Karen Darby, founder of SimplySwitch.com, comments: "The advantages of switching from dial-up to broadband are obvious. With an 8Mb connection, broadband is 143 times faster than dial-up*. You can download far larger files, watch videos online, use a wireless connection and you’ll even save money as well. Anyone who ditches dial-up will see a vast improvement to their online experience.

"One of the major barriers to switching is that many people still believe broadband requires the installation of extra cables. This is not the case as 99.8% of UK households have ready access to broadband through their existing telephone landline**. Basically, if you currently have a home telephone, and don’t live in an isolated area, you should have access to broadband. Unlike when changing broadband suppliers, you won’t need a MAC (Migration Authority Code) to switch from dial-up to broadband and, if you use a service like SimplySwitch, the whole process is free and takes less than five minutes.”

Check out the UK's best broadband deals

Labels: aol-broadband, general-broadband-news, tiscali-broadband

Monday, October 23, 2006

AOL launches digital photography competition

AOL has launched a photo competition in the UK to capture the essence of what it means to share. The AOL Pictures digital photography competition celebrates the way the internet can be used to share experiences with other people through photo albums. So, whether it is sharing a joke, a secret or even a piece of cake, photographers are invited to enter their pictures at http://info.aol.co.uk/pictures/competition/

The competition, which runs until 12 November 2006, is open to UK residents aged over 18 who subscribe to AOL or have a free AOL Webmail account. The winner will receive a three-night trip to New York, £500 spending money, and a top of the range SLR camera, and two runners up will each receive £150 of AOL Pictures vouchers. The results will be announced on 17 November 2006 and entries will be published in an AOL Pictures gallery.

An online marketing campaign to encourage internet users to enter the competition will include paid search and display advertising, as well as promotion on the AOL subscription service and the AOL portal.

David Gilbey, Vice President of Online Customer Experience at AOL UK, says: "We know from our regular 'Photo Of The Month' contests for AOL subscribers that there are some very talented photographers out there. Now, with AOL Pictures available on the Web too, any internet user can enter this competition easily and quickly and show the world their flair for taking photos. We're looking forward to seeing how people capture the concept of 'sharing' in a photograph."

AOL Pictures is a comprehensive digital photo service for consumers who want an easy way to store, organise, share, print and protect their images online. It is available free in the UK to AOL subscribers and registered users of AOL Webmail. With the recent addition of public galleries, AOL Pictures now integrates the benefits of sharing digital photos privately through email or sharing them with anyone on the Web, conveniently from one place. AOL Pictures can be found at http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk or AOL Keyword: Photos.

Labels: aol-broadband

Friday, July 07, 2006

AOL opens door to Wonderful Wireless World

AOL UK has launched a new, low-cost broadband offer and free wireless router access, to encourage new customers to explore the benefits of wireless working.

At £14.99 per month, 1MB AOL Silver broadband is now cheaper than AOL Anytime dial up, offers free setup and is unlimited, with no monthly usage caps and one month free when ordered online.

As with all AOL broadband services, AOL Silver offers access to AOL's 20 channels of online content, email services and AOL's Safety & Security Centre with anti-virus scanning on emails, spam filters, spyware protection, Parental Controls and McAfee(r) Personal Firewall(tm) Plus.

Each of AOL's broadband packages - Silver, Gold and Platinum - now also offers a free wireless router, worth £57.00, extending the benefits of wireless working to all new customers.

The new offer is available now, aimed at those thinking about broadband for the first time and those looking to upgrade existing dial up internet connections. It will be supported by TV and print advertising through July and August.

AOL Broadband

About AOL

AOL is a leading provider of digital communications and content to UK consumers. AOL offers dial-up, broadband, voice and portal services and has more than 2.3 million subscribers in the UK, including more than one million on broadband.

AOL subscribers in the UK spend more than two hours a day on average connected to the internet. The AOL service and portal deliver a range of market-leading online content, including music, film, sport, news, shopping and community, as well as email, instant messenger, VOIP, safety and security features. AOL is also one of the leading online destinations for advertisers in the UK.

The AOL branded services are supplied to UK subscribers by AOL Europe Services SARL, a company in the AOL group based in Luxembourg. AOL (UK) Limited provides marketing and other support services. Both companies are part of AOL Europe, a business unit of AOL LLC, which operates a leading network of Web brands and is a majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.

Labels: aol-broadband

Friday, February 10, 2006

'AOL Film Downloads' Service Launches for UK Internet users

AOL has launched an online film rental service for Internet users in the UK, with a range of films including leading Warner Bros. Pictures movies available to download.

'AOL Film Downloads' is provided by LOVEFiLM and launches with a varied catalogue of full-length feature films and short films to choose from, including well known popular titles from Warner Bros. Pictures such as 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', 'Free Willy', 'Batman' and 'Poltergeist', through to more specialist and niche titles. New titles will continue to be added to the service regularly.

'AOL Film Downloads' is available to both AOL members and general Internet users. Members can access the library of films via the dedicated film channel on the AOL service itself, while non-members can find 'AOL Film Downloads' at www.filmdownloads.aol.co.uk . Once registered, consumers can start to download films to their PC, with prices starting at £2.99 for a full-length feature film.

Karen Thomson, Chief Executive and Chairman of AOL UK, said: "AOL Film Downloads gives broadband users an on-demand option for their home entertainment, delivering the latest films directly into their home for a reasonable price."

Thomson added: "AOL Film Downloads is an integral part of the recently launched Play Legal campaign, which aims to inform UK consumers about online music, game and film downloading and encourage everyone to do it legally."

Josh Berger, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. Entertainment UK. Limited, said: "Warner Bros is happy to be in business with our sister company AOL for this new service with LOVEFiLM. The service will allow us to meet the on demand needs of our consumers and enable us to deliver downloadable movies in a convenient way to view when and how they want at a competitive price."

Mark Livingstone, CEO LOVEFiLM added, 'LOVEFiLM continues its objectives of offering the very best in filmed entertainment in a format that our customers want. This strategic alliance with AOL allows us to deliver more movies to more customers in a safe and secure manner, ensuring an enjoyable customer experience.

'AOL Film Downloads' is easy to use, with the ability to search the library for films in various categories such as 'New Arrivals', 'World Cinema', 'Editor's Choice', 'Highest Rated', 'Short Films', and 'Warner Bros.'. Once downloaded, the viewer can watch the film straight away or save it to view at a later date, usually for period of up to seven days. Once the person starts viewing the film they can watch it as many times as they wish during a 24 hour period, giving consumers the option to start/stop viewing and to return to a film at their leisure within the permitted viewing window. A number of quality short films are available for free so that users can sample the service before they decide to rent films.

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

Labels: aol-broadband

Thursday, February 02, 2006

AOL Pictures Launches in UK with Unlimited Digital Photo Storage

AOL today announced the launch in the UK of AOL Pictures, a free photo sharing Web site giving consumers unlimited online digital photo storage, tools that make it simple to create and share photo albums, and easy to use blogging tools.

AOL Pictures, formerly known as You've Got Pictures, is a popular online service, which has been enhanced to provide a comprehensive digital photo solution for consumers who want an easy way to view, share, store, print and protect all of their favourite images. The service, which currently has more than six million monthly visitors globally and stores nearly 300 million photos, is available free in the UK to AOL subscribers and users of the free AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) service, who can access it through the AOL.co.uk portal (http://www.aol.co.uk/pictures).

"AOL Pictures is open for business, offering unlimited storage of photos, free of charge to all AOL members, and users of AIM," said Hugh Macdermott, Product Development, AOL UK. "AOL Pictures provides consumers with the complete digital photo experience they crave, with easy photo blogging tools and album sharing features which make sharing photos with friends and family as easy as taking a family snap."

Features of the new AOL Pictures service include:

-- Free, unlimited photo storage lets consumers upload their digital photos where they can be viewed and shared with anyone on the Web, and users can also save photos they've received via AOL Pictures to their PC's hard drive in full/original resolution;

-- Enhanced web-based design offers access from anywhere and makes viewing images and photo sharing faster and easier, with drag and drop features for simple picture arranging and organisation. Also, for convenience, no special sign-in or registration is required for those who receive images or photo albums;

-- Improved image uploader tool with drag-and-drop functionality makes it easier for consumers to transfer images from their computer to AOL Pictures, and arrange and organise their photo albums;

-- Integrated photo sharing within popular communications features like AOL Mail, AOL Journals and the AOL Member Directory to enable consumers to seamlessly share individual photos and photo albums from e-mail, instant messages and blogs;

-- Convenient printing options and an online print store make it easy for consumers to print favourite photos using their own home printer or to order prints online for as little as six pence per print, usually delivered the following day (see 'Notes to editors' below). With partner Photobox, the AOL Pictures Print Store offers high-quality 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 and wallet-size prints as well as a variety of photo gifts including memory books, calendars, mugs, mouse pads, t-shirts, cushions and more;

-- Updated image editor gives consumers the flexibility to edit and enhance photos by adjusting brightness, correcting red eye, converting to sepia or black and white tones, cropping images and more;

-- Slideshow features include a one-click speed adjustment and ability to expand window to full screen slideshow.

About AOL

AOL is the leading online interactive services provider to the UK, with more than 2.3 million members, including more than one million on AOL Broadband. AOL offers a range of services in the UK, including dial-up, broadband and voice, as well as unrivalled content and community for all the family.Members spend more than one hour a day online on average, enjoying access to more than 20 channels of online content, from Entertainment and News to Parenting, Shopping and Money, as well as email and the Internet.

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

Labels: aol-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

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UK broadband service news

AOL Broadband giving away 160,000 free laptops

AOL launches new wireless broadband packages

Broadband is cheaper than dial-up Internet access

AOL launches digital photography competition

AOL opens door to Wonderful Wireless World

'AOL Film Downloads' Service Launches for UK Internet users

AOL Pictures Launches in UK with Unlimited Digital Photo Storage

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