In reply to a post by cja:

If they have less data allowance than Extra, that seems at odds with FTTCs capabilities

Could you explain that please.

I'm on PAYG which is same priorities as Pro with a 15GB allowance which I never get near in spite of having a SamKnows box which uses a fair bit. I'd like to see higher speeds (particularly upload) but 30GB would be way over my needs. I'm sure there are many others who would like the speed, but don't downloads loads of music and films etc.

Hi guys,

Apologies for the lack of a response on this thread, things have been a bit hectic these last few days!

Here's some answers to the questions that have been asked:

In reply to a post by blueacid:

I'm noticing there's no mention of it being unlimited overnight.. I wonder what incentive their customers will have to move heavy usage to the wee small hours?

Overnight usage (between Midnight-8.00am) is still not counted towards your allowance.

In reply to a post by GeorgeLloyd:

I rather think what is more important is the traffic management. No good having super high speed connection if they are throttled to death as they are now.

There will be rate limits in place (like those we currently have in place), however they will be relaxed for customers opting for Fibre

BTW, there /will/ be options for those who are adverse to the rate limiting. You'll need to watch this space for further details regarding that...

In reply to a post by mikej:

What are the usage limits for Pro + fibre ?

As above.

In reply to a post by billford:

Can't see any mention of the upload speed either, or have I missed something?

It will be 2Mb/s across the board at launch. Trialists will retain whatever upload speeds they're receiving at the moment.

In reply to a post by cja:

The coyness would seem to suggest 2 Mb/s which renders those products unsuitable for me, and I am a current Plusnet customer.

We haven't ruled out a 10Mb/s upload option, but it's not something we're planning to make available for launch on the 19th.

In reply to a post by ConorMK:

Seeing as I am already on the FTTC trial, what are the chances of me getting the 120GB limit as opposed to the 60GB I currently have?

AUIU, we'll automatically move those who are paying to take part in the trial. If you're not paying for the privilege then you're welcome to move across but you'll have to pay the increased subscription costs.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

I would have thought Value would have 2Mbps and Extra 10Mbps. Pro, qui sa?

One thing you have to bear in mind here are the increased wholesale rental costs associated the the 10Mb/s upload option. There's also a significant cost involved to regrade a customer's circuit between the two variants.

Hope that lot helps clear a few things up.

We're working on an FAQ for launch that will be more in depth, so by all means keep the questions coming...

Edited by deleted (Fri 01-Apr-11 10:51:17)

In reply to a post by bpullen:

In reply to a post by cja:

The coyness would seem to suggest 2 Mb/s which renders those products unsuitable for me, and I am a current Plusnet customer.

We haven't ruled out a 10Mb/s upload option, but it's not something we're planning to make available for launch on the 19th.

In reply to a post by billford:

Can't see any mention of the upload speed either, or have I missed something?

It will be 2Mb/s across the board at launch. Trialists will retain whatever upload speeds they're receiving at the moment.

In reply to a post by ConorMK:

We're working on an FAQ for launch that will be more in depth, so by all means keep the questions coming...

Thanks Bob, no more questions from me.

In reply to a post by bpullen:

We're working on an FAQ for launch that will be more in depth, so by all means keep the questions coming...

Another first for Plusnet in the world of ISPs?

FAQs which actually are frequently asked questions, not imaginary ones framed by a marketing department to handle simple ones and give obfuscatory answers to awkward ones?

In reply to a post by bpullen:

We're working on an FAQ for launch that will be more in depth, so by all means keep the questions coming...

What other add-on features will the fibre packages have? Such as domains, webspace, e-mail accounts etc. Anything new?

Would you consider charging an extra amount per month for a 10mbit upload?

Will there be any way at all to obtain a 12 month contract?

In reply to a post by bpullen:

In reply to a post by ConorMK:

Seeing as I am already on the FTTC trial, what are the chances of me getting the 120GB limit as opposed to the 60GB I currently have?

AUIU, we'll automatically move those who are paying to take part in the trial. If you're not paying for the privilege then you're welcome to move across but you'll have to pay the increased subscription costs.

Well seeing as I am already (somehow) paying more for the 60GB than the 120, I would hope not to have to pay any more!

Ok here is my thinking.

If you look at http://www.kitz.co.uk/isp/plusnet_shaping.htm the traffic shaping doesn't effect media streaming.

I believe once the local loop moves from an average of 4 Mb/s to say 24 Mb/s with FTTC, then streaming explodes. You can't traffic manage a media stream down to a few K/s (you could P2P), so traffic management is much less effective and I think that will be the big growth area for FTTC. Couple this to YouView, Internet PVRs and TVs, and you have a vastly different challenge.

What will buyers want... they want it to work with streaming, its fast enough or it doesn't work and faster doesn't help (a lot) and then need enough of a data allowance. I think the data allowance be the more important buying criteria than traffic management for most, far more so than the current model.

Therefore Pro having less data allowance but improved traffic management, doesn't see to be a winner.

But ultimately I think the ISPs will need to re-design their traffic management, cost models and packages as I believe we will see a massive shift in usage patterns thanks to the TVs, etc and the faster local loop.

I'm on an older package too, but I do want the streaming and media, but not P2P and like you the upload is also key. BT's product looks better in every respect, unless Plusnet have something more to give.

I wish you hadn't said that - I have managed to get my IP profile up to 4Mbps and watching BBC iPlayer HD maxes it out -1.8GB per hour (my entire usage allowance in just over 5 hours as I am on Value)

Can you use the iplayer downloader? Set it going at midnight then enjoy stuff tomorrow?