http://www.ispreview.co.uk/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?id=EEVAuFpkklxaphRjGU

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PlusNet has introduced a questionable new practice aimed at speeding up the process of upgrading customers onto its newer 8Mbps (Max) platform. The ISP's 11 week long backlog can be circumvented for a fee of

A fiver is not much in the grand scheme of things.

Of course it's not, but when you are a diehard Plusnet hater it is just one more thing to have a moan about

How long before we get the "in the interests of honest and open communication are you going to announce this in an email to all Plusnet customers" post ?

" A fiver is not much in the grand scheme of things. "

It is when others have queue jumped for free.

Plusnet seem do be on an " anti customer " scheme again.

This will almost inevitably mean that customers already waiting will have to wait longer, whatever Plusnet spin is attached to things.

I'm curious as to how the paid customers 'jump' the queue.

Are resources otherwise used for the unpaid customers reduced? If two systems can run in tandem, why not have two tandem unpaid queues and speed up everything?

That would mean PN wouldn't get the Fivers from those willing to pay.
Plusnet, "Pay now, or wait longer".

I appreciate that, and don't like it, but I wonder how it's all achieved. Is it passed on to BT, so do users pay BT to jump the queue?

There's a bulk upgrade program that BT do. They're managing the upgrade of thousands (millions?) of circuits, and they have a schedule for this that will take months. Some people don't want to wait, so they can pay a fiver and get it done ASAP. See?

Yes they are paying BT the fee. In fact I think they actually pay BT

Edited by ScaryMonkey (Thu 28-Sep-06 12:42:20)

Yep, the wholesale cost is

They are slowing downt he amount of upgrades they are doing (well the free ones) because the high number they originally put through caused massive problems with support. I guess as long as the number of faults stays low then they might increase the amount of upgrades they do at a time.

Ah, good plan, good plan. It's just I remember a while ago PN claimed that BT were limiting SPs to x amount of regrades a day (I don't know where they got that from), and I remember reading them post that shortly after I'd submitted x*3 for regrading.

AHh, wanted to make sure. Thought I remembered something about that from a wee while ago.

If I remember correctly BT limited the number whilst the bulk regrade tool was offline. This has since been reinstated so the BT imposed daily limits shouldn't be imposed now......within reason of course...it would be mad to submit 200k regrades in one day - neither BT (with other ISPs doing their regrades as well) nor PN would be able to cope with that quantity.

I never did find the ceiling on it. =)

I think it was posted but can't remember. I doubt it was much different to the current self imposed limit Plusnet are working too though.

No, I don't mean the official ceiling, but rather the one that triggers BT to call you up asking what the hell you're up to. It's fun to do that because you can put them on hold for 20 minutes and then transfer them to the fictitious departments.

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BTW this is what many were asking for originally, and now it is here people are complaining still.

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So true.

But, there always is , it must mean that this is indeed a reversal of policy and PN's statement that it isn't is therefore contradictory and untrue. Secondly, the announcement that this will run in parallel to the free upgrades and will not cause a delay to those users doesn't seem to be true either. Since PN can/will only submit a limited number of requests per day it is natural the free ones will get further delayed. Thirdly, PN haven't announced AFAIK whether all those customers that were paying extra for months have now all been upgraded. Many were certainly not upgraded before the rest, that much is clear, and they have not been automatically refunded either except for cases where they meet the strict criteria that PN have retrospectively laid out.

One other unavoidable problem from the method PN, as well as other ISPs, have chosen permits new customers get a free instant upgrade whereas long standing customers are left behind - not very loyal from the existing customer's perspective.

Personally I would have advised PN to stop all upgrades until such time that support was working to within their target level and reduced calls and tickets. This will no doubt create an even bigger burden not only because of genuine problems with Max but also people writing in and complaining that they haven't seen their speed increase as expected etc. This new option is a loose-loose situation that PN have created IMO but it is only a personal opinion.

edit second para and spelling

Edited by rsharma (Thu 28-Sep-06 13:11:52)

[evil mode on] Lol would be a fun one to test out [/evil mode off]

You can't expect Plusnet or any ISP to sell a 512, 2024 or 2048 package when other ISPs will be selling an up to 8 Meg one. New customers are being sold the upto 8 Meg, and all ISPs have to if they are to compete effectively.

I'd prefer that existing customers get there first, but unless you can prevent all ISPs from selling 8 Meg products to new customers, it's not realisitic.

I'd like to know about the tandem thing. Do non-paying customers get pushed back down the line due to max daily submissions, or is there a tandem system at BT? Certainly BT seems to be getting the good of it.

Wholesale price lists shows that Max regrades for Home 1000 and Home 2000 users are free.

Andrew

So anyone on those contracts and paying the

At least one ISP is selling an up to 8Mbps service and connecting people at fixed speeds still.

Andrew

Ah yes, so it does, I stand corrected. PN hit the jackpot then. =)

If you can call

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Ah yes, so it does, I stand corrected. PN hit the jackpot then. =)

If you can call

This is exactly the kind of desperate act you see from companies rapidly heading towards the abyss.

It's not a desperate act, just reaction to the UK market, which inevitably will shrink in providors.

In a few years time there will be a "big 5" or something like it as with banks.

The UK is following in the lines of the US in that the "best" prices are for all inclusive packages that will include bb/cable/telephone (or equivalent)..

Be thankful you are not in the USA, your choices would be drastically limited (unless in a major city). My cable company offers me (as a home user) 5Mb max which I refuse to pay for so we have to stay on 3Mb (I was happy with the 1Mb service - not an option now). ADSL I could get upto 6Mb (reality 2Mb), for the same price, but thier"add-ons" are worse in total than the cable companies......

What's this choice, what's cable? None for miles here.

UK the incumbent provider i.e. BT offers a wholesale service that 100+ ISP's offer, so you get a choice of packages, support methods, traffic shaping systems, caps, speeds.

The US is generally the DSL provider is the telephone provider, i.e. no large choice of who provides the service.

Interesting to see that the us still has firms buying advertising space for satellite broadband (Hughes) and PeoplePC.com for dial-up.

Andrew