In reply to a post by billford:

I doubt it... in terms of numbers of broadband users, I suspect most are on 12 month contracts already,

Which other ISPs offer 18mth contracts?

BT, Plusnet, AOL, Orange, TalkTalk

With the exception of BT - The others are in decline from what I understand, and are losing more customers than they sign up. If there was a free Laptop etc as a bribe or an incentive to sign up to an 18 month contract, yes, people could be tempted.

Only those in a 12 month contract currently, and signed up within the last 12 months are in contract at the moment. However those over 12 months at Plusnet that wish to take advantage of the better deals would now get locked into a new 18 month contract. Which if you read the community forums, is something they don't want to do. I have never seen so many negative comments or signatures on there about this issue. Even the PUGGERS for once appear to be annoyed with PN instead of backing them to the hilt.

18 months is a long time to stay with any company at the moment, and to sign up for 18 months to an ISP who could, lets face it, deploy Phorm, (yes I know PN have said there are no plans) is a grave mistake. Remember BT are calling the shots here.

and as for Phorm... if you conducted a nationwide poll as to whether it was a good thing, at least 99% of BB users would probably say "Who?"

That's because Phorm has not been deployed yet. Wait until it does. Then there will be an awful lot of more inphormed people. BT will lose many a customer once it actually does. Mark my words.

Which if you read the community forums, is something they don't want to do. I have never seen so many negative comments or signatures on there about this issue. Even the PUGGERS for once appear to be annoyed with PN instead of backing them to the hilt.

I think you're missing my point- I'm not talking about those with enough interest in BB to contribute to the community forums or even this one, but the ordinary BB user.

According to seb's last figure in TTTS somewhere, this bbs has less than 100,000 registered members, I'd guess less than 2,000 regular posters. According to this news item there are more than 17,000,000 BB connections, so probably more than 25,000,000 users.

Look at the numbers and draw your own conclusions...

I'm not missing any point.

So what if this forum has 100k of members or not? 2k regulars or 20k of regulars it don't matter.

There is more than this forum on the internet, with more and less than 100k members. Bad news travels fast, do you not discuss issues in the pub with mates?

One person on here may be a member of several forums, and if they post it on each of those forums that PN now offer 18 month contracts only, the word will soon spread.

Its called word of mouth, and absolutely no one that I could think of would I recommend them going to Plusnet, which is bad, as I was a PN member for about 5 or 6 years.

On Monday I switch our work telephone numbers from BT to another provider, 5 lines I was paying to BT over £175 a month in line rental and charges. Now, its a lot less than £100 a month with free calls included. Just because BT messed me around with their contracts. Their loss not mine. Oh and only a 12 month contract as well.

My point being, no service provider is worth being loyal to, and if they want to call the shots, hit them where it hurts. There's a lot of choice out there, and as the recession hits harder, people will eventually start at looking at ways to save themselves some money. And absolutely no service provider should assume that their customers would stay with them. PN have only done this to guarantee an income for the next 18 months.

The same would go for Phorm, believe me.

An accountant somewhere will have considered the cost of the fallout, and it they have not then they need to.

Phorm is about generating income some £80m a year potentially.

Its amazing that there is no big up-roar about everyones traffic being scanned by the Ellacoya, who knows what happens to the server logs. How about all those providers running transparent proxies...privacy has been an illusion for some years on the Internet

In reply to a post by soundsystem:

Which other ISPs offer 18mth contracts?

BT, Plusnet, AOL, Orange, TalkTalk

With the exception of BT - The others are in decline from what I understand, and are losing more customers than they sign up. If there was a free Laptop etc as a bribe or an incentive to sign up to an 18 month contract, yes, people could be tempted.

Nothing to do with contracts, most people know that these days they have to sign up to 12 month contracts on a lot of things.

The problem with AOL, Orange and Talk Talk is that they are rubbish, AOL was not too bad when they was AOL apart from the Customer service, but since it all goes though TT, it is a waste of time.

BT is not too bad, just maybe a little expensive, but then I do get unlimited.

That's because Phorm has not been deployed yet. Wait until it does. Then there will be an awful lot of more inphormed people. BT will lose many a customer once it actually does. Mark my words.

I don't think so, it is only people like us who is in the know about these things that are bothered. I been chatting to people and they have no idea what Phorm is and when I told them; most said so what.

I am not sure what I would do myself, would I leave Bt because of Phorm? not sure, on one hand I don't like the idea, but on the other at the moment I am happy with BT and if I move to another ISP I don't really want to go though another long contract. So plusnet would be out.

In reply to a post by Apprentice:

Phew!

That's what I was thinking - she sits 6 feet away from him.

I expect transparent proxies are mainly history now days, the only way I know of proxies been used now days is for IWF enforcement and they only get used on listed ip's. Ntl used to get a lot of stick when they ran transparent proxies.

Ellocoya's I expect most of BT's customer base probably dont know they even been shaped, they either dont notice or they assume its some form of generic throttle rather than traffic been analysed. Plusnets customer base appears to be more technical minded and there was an initial fuss remember.

As for phorm £80m to BT is pocket change but it seems they addicted to profit and will do everything for any profit now days.

Don't have the links to check, but do recall when I saw last BT Retail financials, adding £80m to the profit side of things would be very attractive.

I believe around 2.1billion for BT retail in 2007. So about 3.8%, not a big difference at all, they could very easily lose 3.8% in reputation damage,

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

In reply to a post by pr100:

BT is dropping phorm.

Simon

That would be good news if that was true, but Ihave not heard anything about it.

Now you have.

Simon