ISP's "Unlimited Broadband"

[knosher65]

I don't know about you, but I signed up for unlimited downloads and 8mbps broadband. At the moment I download the latest episodes of Lost and Bones untill virgin get Sky 1 back. But my ISP slows my speed down under the "fair usage policy". If these companys advertise fast and unlimited downloads, they should stick by it, or state exactly what their "fair use " policy is.
I have provided a link to an article and the chance to sign a petition to try and force the ISP's to play fair.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=8725
Have a read and if you want to, sign the petition.: multi :

 

[magistral]

I agree with you (and the petition). They should not be allowed to advertise their service as "unlimited" and then hide limitations in the small print. However, if the petition has any effect it will only alter the way they advertise the service and not change the way they operate.

The reason is that they all over subscribe their available bandwidth on the basis that not everyone will use all their allotted bandwidth at the same time. They can not afford to provision their network to cater for all their customers to be guaranteed 8Mbps. They class this as a business service and charge accordingly.

What they do is a valid service but only if they come clean and advertise as such. They will come unstuck when watching high bit rate video over broadband takes off as it surely will. Customers won't put up with stuttering video particularly if they are paying to view the content.

Mike
:FRIGHT: