In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

In reply to a post by ian72:

Schools themselves buy the cheapest they can get away with and a lot have moved from good leased line services to ADSL and VDSL services to save money.

Schools tend to either buy fully managed services or are too large to be able to get away with anything other than leased lines.

Except if a typical choice is expensive symmetric 10 Mbps GEA over several pairs, vs. "cheap" 60/15 VDSL2 over a single pair, why shouldn't a school choose the VDSL service? Especially if elevated to business grade?

(a general reply to the thread)

Yesterday while looking up an address using the dsl checker I thought I'd try my own number again, as I'd noticed the web pages had been updated in design. To my surprise I noticed that FTTP on Demand appeared in the results.

This got me thinking that if I hadn't have been randomly checking my number I wouldn't have known that FTTP on Demand was now suddenly available to me.

This got me thinking about the near total lack of advertising when it comes to broadband services. The only exception in my experience is Virgin Media that it seems every time I look up my address on their site in the next couple of days an information pack arrives at my door advertising all their package offers available to me.

This seems to be totally lacking when it comes to dsl isp's. Granted I can't remember when I went to an isp's site to look up my address so I'm not 100% sure if they would auto send some information out (I will do an experiment later). But in my knowledge I don't see any dsl isp sending out 'personal' advertisements giving information about their packages.

The only advertising I see for dsl isp's are on television, and that seems to be always advertising FTTC technology, and usually only the upto 52MB package. Also anyone would think wifi was a broadband technology on its own, and not just part of the router, the way some adverts talk about it.

So I do wonder how much advertising plays a roll in people increasing their broadband packages. I know a few posts ago MrSaffron said one of the main reasons higher speeds are recorded on VM connections is probably due to them being paired up with the tv packages. I would say this is true. But also we have to remember that at least VM is advertising in some way, while other isp's arent.

For the average person they are never personally prompted to upgrade a package on a dsl platform. If someone moved here from another country they would only know about FTTC via tv advertising. They won't know what speeds they personally can get, or any personal offers at all, unless they went to the dsl checker.

So I think that is why only the people interested in new technology upgrade because we are the only ones to look in to it without being prompted.

The conspiracy part of me wonders if the broadband industry doesn't want to advance. They make zero effort to personalise advertising, and then spin out stats saying nobody is taking the higher level packages. How the heck are isp's gauging demand when they haven't asked anyone? We already know good broadband is becoming more of a priority when people move house.

VM are the only ones sending out personalised advertising. Their problem is they end up being too good and overselling high speed products. Isn't that itself showing there is a demand?

In reply to a post by bowdon:

For the average person they are never personally prompted to upgrade a package on a dsl platform. If someone moved here from another country they would only know about FTTC via tv advertising. They won't know what speeds they personally can get, or any personal offers at all, unless they went to the dsl checker.

Almost every ISP site I visit these days makes it hard to get past their landing page without the entry of either one's phone number or address, with a banner such as "So that we can tell you what is available to you, please supply your number or address".

On supplying that information they list in detail all the ADSLx and FTTx packages they can supply. Isn't that sufficient?

As for the appearance of FTTPoD on the BT Wholesale DSL checker, there are only a few ISPs offering that, as the prices are normally far beyond the retail user's budget. I don't think any of the main TV advertisers offer it at retail level, and only one of them at Business level, that being BT Business.

As for personalised advertising, and VM's carrying out of such, I just wish there was a way of stopping the monthly junk arriving through my letterbox from Virgin Media! Occasionally addressed to The Occupier" at my address, must normally addressed to myself.

I certainly don't want junk mail or email from my or any other supplier suggesting I upgrade to higher level packages.

In reply to a post by richi:

In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

In reply to a post by ian72:

Schools themselves buy the cheapest they can get away with and a lot have moved from good leased line services to ADSL and VDSL services to save money.

Schools tend to either buy fully managed services or are too large to be able to get away with anything other than leased lines.

Except if a typical choice is expensive symmetric 10 Mbps GEA over several pairs, vs. "cheap" 60/15 VDSL2 over a single pair, why shouldn't a school choose the VDSL service? Especially if elevated to business grade?

Hey, given institutions transferring partially or fully to broadband helps keep me employed I have no problem at all with their doing so

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Almost every ISP site I visit these days makes it hard to get past their landing page without the entry of either one's phone number or address, with a banner such as "So that we can tell you what is available to you, please supply your number or address".

On supplying that information they list in detail all the ADSLx and FTTx packages they can supply. Isn't that sufficient?

I guess it depends how much they want the business. VM does more proactive advertising to potential customers and this i think is why people tend to go for the higher speed packages imho.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

As for personalised advertising, and VM's carrying out of such, I just wish there was a way of stopping the monthly junk arriving through my letterbox from Virgin Media! Occasionally addressed to The Occupier" at my address, must normally addressed to myself.

I certainly don't want junk mail or email from my or any other supplier suggesting I upgrade to higher level packages.

I agree. I didn't say I liked being bombarded by it lol

I just think there are some vested interests by companies to not want to build these new future networks, as it will cost a lot at the start before they start making money back. So pushing the line "there isnt a demand for it" is in their interests.

I would have more faith in that opinion if people were actually asked, instead of basing it on stats of why people opt to buy a low speed package when they can buy a higher speed package.

Because the flip side of that position is when it comes to VM, the question could be, why are people buying any package over 50MB ? according to the "there isnt a demand for it" lobby people should be buying the lowest speed package.