I have Broadband

I finally have a broadband connection in my flat, however I just have to say up to 16m/b my arse.

Speed test results

Speed Down 3616.98 Kbps ( 3.5 Mbps )
Speed Up 644.99 Kbps ( 0.6 Mbps )

I knew it wouldn't be 16Mbps even though that technically what I'm paying for. I just wish that BT would get they're finger out of they're arses and install fibre optics in the UK so we can catch up with some of Europe.

(Edit:Byrn) Long link was making the site look untidy at my window width. Probably not a problem for anyone else, but I can fix it, so I have :P

Comments

Good to hear you're back online.

Installing fibre throughout would cost an absolute fortune mate. Even if the funding was there today, it would take years...

Doesn't mean they shouldn't start of course :P

byrn's picture

Ah, I hate to stand up for BT on this one but they're not allowed to install fibre optics up to the house. They wanted to do this in the 80s but OffCom stopped them from doing it. They wanted to make it fibre in the 'local loop', which is the bit of wire that goes from your house to the exchange. They were stopped because it would have killed the cable industry dead. Since they were privatised, they've been stopped from upgrading those local exchanges a hundred times over by Offcom. I have a particularly reliable inside source on this matter.

I do think that this is a general problem across the UK. Providers appear to offer high bandwidth but it's just not feasible in many locations.

brainwipe's picture

Whilst I'm not an uninformed consumer on the matter the fact that I'm paying for an up to 16Mbps and getting in effect a 1/4 of the service isn't exactly positive, also bear in mind that I live in a brand new flat. Though this is the level of service I was expecting as its what I was getting before.

Yes everytime I hear the word OffCom I feel like they're some kind of organisation against the foward movement of technology. I find the regulation of some areas of the telephone business necessary but this whole anti monopoly stuff is shite.

Dwain's picture

You're paying for "up to" 16Mbps. What you're getting falls within that description. Its not exactly unusual in marketing... how many times have you been told you can save "up to" a certain amount? :P

byrn's picture

Yes however my current connection also fits within they're product description for they're up to 8Mbps service and they're up to 4Mbps service. Its not unusally for marketing claims to be out but by 400% is wayout I think you'll agree.

Dwain's picture

So why are you paying for their 16mb if they offer services that are more like the speed your line can support?

For marketing? nah.

byrn's picture

Its not unusally for marketing claims to be out but by 400% is wayout I think you'll agree.
You get away with whatever you can get away with. Flights from £1! Save upto £10! Speeds upto 16mb/s!

For as long as people fall for it, and its mostly legal, marketing departments will use it. As Byrnie says, the service you are recieving falls within the bounds of the advertised service. Of course if you were getting that speed, and used it for any appreciable length of time, you would almost certainly fall foul of the fair use policy sitting within the T&C's you put a tick box next to.

I'm pathetically grateful I can even get 8mb/s out in the sticks where I am, and its far more than I actually need.

babychaos's picture

Cos I get a faster upload speed which for VOIP is important if your trying to play a game at the same time. I also get "Unlimted usage" as opossed to a capped service.

On another matter the Sky modem/router came already setup, which for an adsl connection seems a little over the top. It also means I can't access the modem/router which for me isn't a problem but for someone wanting to do more complicated routing through the network might be an issue you have been warned.

Dwain's picture

Who is your service provider?

I can pretty much gaurentee that there is a "Fair Use Policy" on your contract. I'm on an "unlimited" service too, but they do reserve the right to throttle heavy users...

VOIP...I've done Guild Wars with Byrnie, Matt and Aggro with VOIP on a wifi connection with no issues (other than getting mobbed by those bloody mesmer dwarves, but I can't really blame that on the connection...). As I said, you don't need 16mb/s...

babychaos's picture

True enough. Teamspeak was entirely usable over GW and I get about 400k up...

"As I said, you don't need 16mb/s..."

Which is lucky, 'cos he's getting nothing near that ;)

byrn's picture

The broadband is from the good chaps at Sky, its £10 a month.

Oh yes theres a fair use policy hence the "Unlimted". You're right I don't need 16mb/s I do however appricate more bandwith up when I'm running two Eve accounts and VOIP.

Dwain's picture

Is running two Eve accounts allowed?

brainwipe's picture

Most MMORPGs will happily take twice the money to let you do so ;)

byrn's picture

I'm sure BT would happily install a second line as well, if 1 is not enough for you :-D

babychaos's picture

Yes, running two MMORG accounts is pretty standard. Eve even on occasion do a special offer for second accounts like 6 months for the price of 3.

I do know a chap that has about 6 accounts and I've know him to play on 4 of them in space at the same time. One acting as a scout, three in the main fleet.

It maybe more difficult now for me to run 2 accounts as they've just updated the graphics so I'm not sure my laptop will keep up with all the alt tabing.

Dwain's picture

Massively single player eh :P

6 accounts at, what, $12.99 a month, would be $78 a month? hope he really enjoys it :S

byrn's picture

So when you're playing 2 accounts, and you're on VOIP, do you put on different voices when you're playing different accounts? Is one a high falsetto, and one a deep, grumbling bass tone?

Please say you do...please....

babychaos's picture

Are there any women here????

baron's picture

It's people like that which simulatenously given MMORPGs a bad name and keep the companies going.

I do love the idea of there only being several user pertaining to thousands of accounts. It would be an online haven for people suffering from multple personality disorder.

brainwipe's picture

One of the accounts is female, and no I don't do different voices.

Dwain's picture

Do your characters have sex. Are you allowed to watch?

brainwipe's picture

Has your female character ever given your male character a lapdance?

babychaos's picture

Characters in Eve can't have sex, the closest they can get is docked in a ship in a space station. Eve is all about spaceships they're are no bars or meeting places and your character doesn't even have a 3d avatar, well till next year when they let you walk around inside the space stations.

Dwain's picture

Has your female character ever asked your male character to eat an apple? Ah go on...

brainwipe's picture

tell her to watch out for the evil trouser snake

baron's picture

To get a little bit back on topic; two game connections and VOIP doesn't need 1Mbps, never mind 16.

As for Ofcom, if they spent more time cracking down on the blatantly dishonest advertising in broadband, and less time stopping BT being one of the best telcos in the world, so that incompetent muppets can compete with them, I think we'd all be better off.

AggroBoy's picture

Well said Aggroboy! BT has long since gone to the dogs, unfortunately. While it stild enjoyed government funding and support, it was truly splendid. It should never have been privatised. Like the rail network.

brainwipe's picture