Web video popularity may increase broadband costs
August 27, 2007 at 3:03 pm
One of the greatest benefits of using broadband, for many people, is the chance to watch videos online. Not only has there recently been a flood of hugely popular new video sites, such as YouTube, on the web which contain thousands of free videos, but even TV channels have now started to offer viewers the chance to watch their favourite television programmes online. Channel 4, for example, have recently introduced a service called Channel 4 On Demand. Because of this increase in video viewing online, many broadband firms have started to suggest that this could increase the cost of broadband for their customers.
Watching ‘On Demand’ services in particular will congest the network as the programmes are longer and have a higher picture quality. One example of such a high-quality service which is worrying Internet Service Providers (ISPs) is BBC’s iPlayer], which, though currently in its beta stage, is coming towards the end of its trial month and will soon be released officially across Britain. Using Iplayer, viewers from all over the country will be able to see episodes of TV shows from the last seven days.
Tiscali says that due to such services they may have no choice but to limit services or increase the costs of their broadband packages. If they choose the former, they may use an option known as “traffic shaping” whereby information sent across the network is delayed till the congestion subsides. This means downloads will undoubtedly become slower at peak times, especially for those who like using peer-to-peer services such as Limewire or Skype.
As Tiscali explains, “Our position is that high bandwidth content services like iPlayer are being launched without proper attention to the cost of delivery. As these services become more popular they will undoubtedly cause congestion. It is only broadband operators that can increase bandwidth and this comes at a cost.”
What is most worrying about iPlayer is that because it is a free service, the response will probably be tremendous: the BBC itself is incredibly popular as it is the largest broadcasting service in the world in terms of audience members, and so it is patently true that many, if not most, of these audience members would be thrilled to watch limitless BBC programmes on their own computers.
According to researchers at the global media intelligence company ScreenDigest, there is currently a huge explosion in the number of people who view videos online, and this number is growing by the day. It is predicted that by 2011, around the time video content such as that from the BBC becomes fully available online, the number of videos viewed online will dramatically increase from 520.2 million to 2.3 billion. It is thus clear that ISPs will have to adapt their services and costs towards the changing interests and internet habits of their customers. For now, Tiscali is calling for further discussion about the topic “before it becomes an issue.”
Is it OK to tap into a neighbour’s wireless broadband?
August 24, 2007 at 11:40 am
With a large number of computers now having wireless capabilities (there are over a million wi-fi users in the UK alone), a serious issue is emerging – freeloading off other people’s connections. Freeloading is, in effect, hijacking an unsuspecting person’s connection – you surf, they pay.
It is a tempting thing to do, with high broadband fees or problems with your own connection. In any case, however, it must be remembered that hijacking wi-fi without consent is illegal, and you can potentially be fined if you are discovered doing it.
Indeed, obtaining free internet access without permission is an offence under the Communications Act 2003 which states that a “person who (a) dishonestly obtains an electronic communications service, and (b) does so with intent to avoid payment of a charge applicable to the provision of that service, is guilty of an offence.”
You might think that it would be difficult to get caught, and this may be true in many cases. However, in recent news a man was arrested for wi-fi theft in London when he was found sitting outside a house with his laptop. This isn’t the first case of its kind either – in 2005, a man was fined £500 and had his laptop confiscated for hijacking a connection.
As concerns grow, police are becoming more tough in the fight against freeloaders. As Simon James, a former head of the Computer Crime Unit, explains, “Gaining unauthorised access to someone else’s network is an offence and people have to take responsibility for their actions. Some people might argue that taking a joy-ride in someone else’s car is not an offence either.”
For many people, there is no moral problem in using someone else’s connection – a “What they don’t know won’t hurt them” belief. However, there are other reasons why the issue of wi-fi hijacking is taken so seriously. For example, often criminals have used sfreeloading as a way of covering their tracks and shifting the blame to those whose connection they are using. For example, there have been a number of incidences where paedophiles have searched for unauthorised content through neighbours’ wi-fi, or alternatively, have left their wi-fi open so they can say someone else must have tapped in illegally if they are caught. At any rate, whatever the moral reasons for and against, what ultimately matters is that it is illegal and is a punishable crime.
Of course, it is only illegal to freeload off wi-fi networks if it is done using dishonest means. So, there’s nothing to worry about if you have gotten consent from a neighbour. Often, they won’t mind as long as it doesn’t put them at any kind of loss. You must seek permission before ever attempting to use another’s wireless connection.
To prevent others from hijacking your connection it is very important to remember to secure your own network with a password to prevent others from tapping into it.
TalkTalk teams up with Setanta Sports Guide
August 8, 2007 at 11:05 am
TalkTalk customers can now benefit from an exclusive deal, after the telephone company teamed up with Setanta Sports. This is good news for football fans, who can enjoy exclusive live coverage of 46 Barclays Premier League games, as well as 60 Clydesdale Bank Premier League fixtures. Setanta’s top quality sporting action also extends to rugby and PGA golf.
Customers signing up for TalkTalk broadband during August are eligible for the offer. The deal comprises a free Freeview box and two months free subscription to Setanta Sports. The catch is that you must sign a contract for 18 months. At £5.89 a month, the Talk2 International Call Plan, which includes free broadband, is a competitive package. But add on £9.99 per month for the Setanta Sports subscription once your two free months have expired, and you might find yourself paying over the odds. Football fans should bear in mind that they will still be paying for the package during next summer’s off-season!
TalkTalk may be banking on new season fooball fervour, but before you rush to sign up, have a think about the following:
- Why not go direct? Setanta offers one month packages at the same fee of £9.99 but without locking the consumer in to an 18 month contract. The TalkTalk deal ties you to both the broadband and the sports package for 18 months, with a £70 cancellation fee if you cancel with Setanta Sports within that period.
- Do you really need year-round access to Setanta Sports? The monthly package with Setanta might be better value if you only want to watch the Premiership. However, don’t forget that, as well as Setanta Sports, you’ll be able to watch over 40 other Freeview channels, including BBC, ITV and Channel 4 digital channels, news, children’s and music channels, as well as UKTV history.
- Do you already have a Freeview box, or other compatible digital set-top box? If you own a Freeview box with a viewing card slot, or an integrated digital TV including a CAM viewing card, the free box will be superfluous. In any case, remember that the box supplied, the Sagem Freeview ITD68, is available for under £50.
- Do you live in a Freeview area? If you aren’t sure, you can check coverage by entering your postcode on the Freeview website. At present, 15% of the UK population live outside a Freeview area.
- Have you got Sky? Setanta Sports is available on Sky, at the same rate of £9.99 per month. No need to worry about a set-top box if you already have a dish!
This may be the deal for you, but think carefully before you sign up, and be sure to check out our reviews page before you switch to TalkTalk!
O2 delays their eagerly awaited boadband service again
August 7, 2007 at 11:20 am
The highly anticipated launch of the UK’s biggest mobile network O2 into the treacherous world of the ISP market has been delayed further, but for no official reason. It is now likely to be launched for customers to sign up in October 2007, which is ten months later than planned.
There are numerous possible reasons for the delay, one of the principle ones being the very poor second quarter of the year that O2 have experienced, seeing their new customer rate vastly drop from 470,000 new customers this time last year to merely 34,000.
There have been problems for O2 in Germany in particular this year where they have dropped roughly 10% growth, due to the large number of competing networks there (around 40 in total). There have also been problems with the actual network coverage for O2’s broadband service in the UK and only half of the country is currently ready to receive the connection.
O2 have also launched their new ‘simplicity’ mobile tariff range this summer, which again, might have been a factor in the delay. The first of its kind, ‘simplicity’ blends pay-monthly and pay-as-you-go deals and is attracting new customers as the prices have been cut, due to you being able to keep with the same handset if you wish to and just receive a new contract through a new sim-card. This is also part of O2’s commitment to We’re in This Together, the environmentally friendly group that they are many other high-street business are part of as old mobiles requiring the correct disposal now ranks in their thousands.
The expected broadband service is being touted in all sorts of ways and there are rumours that it will be maximising connection speeds to new levels and reaching 24MBs and beyond. The Chief Executive of O2 Peter Erskine has defended the delay by saying “The one thing I will not do is launch something that isn’t ready. We have learned from the mistakes of some of our rivals”.
Indeed some of their rivals have drastically struggled for validation within the ISP market. Vodafone joined the market in 2006 and, although offer a fairly tempting all-in-one deal, many customers have been very unhappy with the service. As for Orange, another mobile network giant turned ISP wannabe, their performance is considered one of the very worst. So much so that a website called Orange Problems has been set-up for disgruntled customers to vent their anger. Only time will tell whether the wait has been worth it for O2.
BT to consider offering 50 MB broadband
August 1, 2007 at 3:01 am
In a recent development, BT head, Sir Christopher Bland, has indicated that his company hopes to be able to provide customers with broadband speeds of between 40 and 50MB per second in the not-too-distant future. His assertion came in a recent interview with the Financial Times. Whilst the telecoms giant has not taken a firm decision on the matter yet, Sir Christopher told the FT that it was a “likely development going forward.” With current broadband speeds often at a meagre 8MB/s, supporters of the scheme hope it will help to improve the poor nature of internet provision in the UK.
BT expects to be able to offer the service by improving current broadband provision systems. Fibre optic cables are to be installed between BT exchanges and so-called ‘street cabinets’ to which households are connected. In broadband jargon, this practice is known as VDSL2, or ‘very high-speed digital subscriber line 2′. In addition, faster broadband speeds will allow BT to gain a foothold within the high-definition television and internet television on-demand sector. BT would thereby provide competition to the likes of Virgin Media and Sky. However, according to one analyst, this would require BT to “make significant in-roads (into the market) in a short enough period of time.”
Despite BT’s proposals, broadband speeds are still likely to be lower compared to speeds abroad. Japanese, Finnish and Swedish consumers, for example, enjoy broadband speeds of up 100 MB as a result of high quality fibre optic networks. Another issue of concern is the potential cost of this program. Developing a viable fibre optics network is likely to be expensive – some have estimated the cost to be a whopping £4 billion. Additional costs will invariably be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.
Regardless of these misgivings, however, the need to improve Britain’s broadband infrastructure is essential. As a recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed, raising broadband speeds will provide long-term gains to telecom companies. Currently, the majority of British broadband subscribers are served via networks, constructed, in the main, from aging copper wires. Fibre optic cables will therefore serve to replace existing wires as well as helping to increase connection speeds. There will be added benefits for the consumer as well. At the moment, those homes or offices located a considerable distance away from BT exchanges face extremely slow connection speeds. Fibre optic cables, however, will allow all consumers to receive identical connection speeds regardless of their location. And, as for those consumers worried about the potential cost of the program, market insiders urge customers to bear in mind the fact that Britain’s broadband market is highly competitive. Services provided by one provider will quickly by copied by other companies, bringing prices down in the process.
The BT initiative is clearly a step in the right direction as broadband provision in the UK currently lags far behind other developed countries. However, unless the program remains cost effective, it is unlikely to receive significant support from consumers.
