Contentious issue

[#1]

First let me thank tech support tonight for at last explaining why we were only getting between 512k to 1.3m broadband on a business line that was supposed to be delivering us around 2.2 to 2.4 mb Broadband at its lowest speed.
He explained about contention applied to the lines. I then researched the web and in fact you also had an article on Contention. I now know there is Contion applied by BT and possibly by Plusnet also. resulting in a regular drop of the line speed down to the lower figures at evening peak times.
Now despite my insistence on this being a form of throttling, your tech assist tried to explain how it wasnt and that it is applied all over the BT network. Now I am not blaming Plusnet even though you are a subsidary of BT and it is BT with its antiquated systems that is causing this throttling effect, and yes I am aware that many other parts of the world do the same thing, but I am not concerned with other parts of the world only with what happens in my own country.
We left BT because they sold us a package that was supposed to be unlimited. It isnt, and really no ISP in the country should be allowed to claim their packages are unlimited, Because whether it is called mapping , traffic controlling, fair use policy or Contention, on a user that is constantly downloading Data for the new 3Dworld programs like Second Life, any reduction in download speed will result in packet loss of data. Which of course means some didnt get to us through the restriction on the line by whatever means was applied. This means the data was limited by one means or another. As such claims of unlimited usage are false claims and should not be made. Perhaps one day Offcom wil develop enough guts to tell those who make these claims to pack it in on pain of prosecution.
Now to deal with these increasing numbers of 3d virtual worlds, where users are going to want the rich feature filled virtual world experience, companies like BT and the ISP's who use their steam driven equipment are going to need to move up from 1960 to 2010.
ISP's like Plusnet and the myriad of other ISP's need to put pressure on BT to move up their latest trials of faster equipment much more quickly. It would be horrendously expensive to cable all of the UK but it should be a way we should be going as the far more extensive graphic related programs swallow existing poor bandwidth supplies. As for cost to the user, lets not even go there unless we should reconsider renationalising BT which was sold far too cheaply anyway and benefited many large business corporations far more than the little guy on the street, and we have all seen the almost and not so almost criminal activity taking place in the last month in the financial markets and big corporations due often to greed and incompetency.
Sorry I got off the subject there but I really do get fed up of being told one thing when I want to buy something and then being sadly let down when the package whatever it is, is delivered. Perhaps a return to the age of honesty to the customer is in order.

[#2]

It may sound like a harsh response, and its honsetly not supposed to be as harsh as it will read!
Did you research the product you bought before signing up?
Plusnet have always seemed very clear to me when it comes to describing how they provide their service, and what limitations will apply.

[#3]

What does your exchange status say?

[#4]

Our download speed is never going to be brilliant as we live a few miles from the old fashioned exchange..in all fairness Plusnets advisors were clear about the 'up to' factor and contention when I sign up.
I have always found their advisors clear and honest and in a different league to my last ISP (ok..coming from Orange I know thats not really saying much is it!!)
But i'm now getting a little concened
Reading the threads I have found out that Plusnet are part of the dreaded BT, I always thought they were independant...and I have also found quite a few forum threads where people are ''very clear''  about what they think of plusnet and the service they had received...
I know no company will ever escape citicism of some sorts..some justified, some not...I just hope Plusnet are going to go down the hole and be victims of their own success, because to date the service has been faultless.

[#5]

Plusnet is indeed owned by BT, but it is run as a separate and fairly independent company within the BT group. With any company it is natural that you will hear more complaints than plaudits. Plusnet are not perfect, but their open and honest attitude marks them out amongst other ISPs. Where other ISPs don't admit to any problems PN will be honest about an issue and say "yes, something went wrong, but this is what we are doing to fix it". To some extent this can work against them, because it might look like there are more problems, so you should take that into account. If you watch these forums long enough you will see that the staff do make every effort they reasonably can to solve problems.
@Kaela - you're right, no ISP can offer a genuinely unlimited service. Even though they are owned by BT they have to deal with BT Wholesale in exactly the same way as any other ISP and are reselling a BT Wholesale product. The current system of trying to force high bandwidth signals down ancient copper wires is flawed, and there is a big ongoing debate about how it can be fixed. Updating the system will cost billions, and somebody will have to pay for it. 

[#6]

Totally agree with you Denzil. PN are second to none for honesty. And they are particularly clear that there is no such thing as "unlimited":
http://www.plus.net/unlimited_broadband/
This business of PN being owned by BT seems to appear in every thread about every problem nowadays! Since it was first acquired by BT I have not seen any evidence whatsoever that PN is not still being run independently
As for the suggestion about nationalising BT . Is Kaela really suggesting that we taxpayers fund the enormous cost of replacing the copper networks with fibre just so that people can play 3D World Second Life (whatever that might be) ?

Quote from: Kaela

First let me thank tech support tonight for at last explaining why we were only getting between 512k to 1.3m broadband on a business line that was supposed to be delivering us around 2.2 to 2.4 mb Broadband at its lowest speed. He explained about contention applied to the lines. I then researched the web and in fact you also had an article on Contention. I now know there is Contion applied by BT and possibly by Plusnet also. resulting in a regular drop of the line speed down to the lower figures at evening peak times. Now despite my insistence on this being a form of throttling, your tech assist tried to explain how it wasnt and that it is applied all over the BT network.  I

1. The Business product specification states that "It is likely that speeds no greater than 2Mb will be achieved at peak usage "
2. Contention is not throttling. Turn on one tap in your house and you get a full flow of water. Turn on all the taps in your house and you get a much reduced flow, that is contention. It is not applied over the BT network. It applies over the BT network. Big difference.......

[#7]

Quote from: Denzil

Plusnet is indeed owned by BT, but it is run as a separate and fairly independent company within the BT group. With any company it is natural that you will hear more complaints than plaudits. Plusnet are not perfect, but their open and honest attitude marks them out amongst other ISPs. Where other ISPs don't admit to any problems PN will be honest about an issue and say "yes, something went wrong, but this is what we are doing to fix it". To some extent this can work against them, because it might look like there are more problems, so you should take that into account. If you watch these forums long enough you will see that the staff do make every effort they reasonably can to solve problems. @Kaela - you're right, no ISP can offer a genuinely unlimited service. Even though they are owned by BT they have to deal with BT Wholesale in exactly the same way as any other ISP and are reselling a BT Wholesale product. The current system of trying to force high bandwidth signals down ancient copper wires is flawed, and there is a big ongoing debate about how it can be fixed. Updating the system will cost billions, and somebody will have to pay for it.

Cheers Denzil..thats reassuring.
As I said, to date Plusnets support has been flawless..im well pleased with it so far..just dont move your call centre abroad!! lol

[#8]

PN is the most honest and frankly the most pleasant ISP to deal with I've come across not to mention the best performing in terms of network speed.
I wish I'd transferred sooner

[#9]

Ditto that...and they speak English!

[#10]

Quote from: The

As I said, to date Plusnets support has been flawless..im well pleased with it so far..just dont move your call centre abroad!! lol

Too late - they've already half-done it!
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