Plusnet Pro 20GB usage allowance too low

[#1]

Quote from: Barry

...but if you use all the bandwidth you should expect to pay more to 'refill the tank'.

I agree, but the Pro package IS the most expensive, so you could argue that we are paying more, but our tank isn't being refilled.
Another issue that I have with the 20Gb limit (personally) is that my line can only manage 1.6 megs on our "up-to-20-meg line". That was to be expected as we live out in the arse end of nowhere, but as I understand it, monthly caps like this are enforced so that people don't constantly hog the line and make the net unusable for other people. But just how much impact does a line that can only reach a speed of 1.6 megs have on everyone else? Some people get 10, 12, or even 16 or 17 megs on their line, so I don't suppose a measly speed of 1.6 megs is going to make much of a difference to them, even if it were downloading at 1.6 megs 24/7.
Which means that we have this monthly cap of 20Gb, enforced so that we don't hog the line, even though our line isn't physically capable of impacting greatly on anyone else because our bandwidth is so low anyway.
Obviously every case is different, and you probably DO get some people with 15 meg speeds hogging the line 24/7, but as we're not even physically capable of doing that, I don't see why should we should be capped. Or at least, why we should pay extra if we go over by a few hundred megs each month. Compared to some people, the potential for us to cause mahem on the lines just isn't there, so it's like we're being penalised for something we're not physically capable of.

[#2]

Quote from: Dom

I agree, but the Pro package IS the most expensive, so you could argue that we are paying more, but our tank isn't being refilled.

But when you pay more for a faster car you don't expect to get a couple of free refills thrown in with the price. You just expect it to go faster than other cars.

Quote from: Dom

Obviously every case is different, and you probably DO get some people with 15 meg speeds hogging the line 24/7, but as we're not even physically capable of doing that, I don't see why should we should be capped. Or at least, why we should pay extra if we go over by a few hundred megs each month. Compared to some people, the potential for us to cause mahem on the lines just isn't there, so it's like we're being penalised for something we're not physically capable of.

We charge for bandwidth because we're charged for it - 1Gb costs the same, whether it takes 1 hour or 4 hours to download it.

[#3]

Quote from: Matt

1Gb costs the same, whether it takes 1 hour or 4 hours to download it.

Exactly. It's the same price for you, so if a Pro user can use HTTP to download 20GB in, say, 2 days separately on-peak, and an Extra user can also do the same (HTTP isn't capped, or if it is capped a little change HTTP for a protocol that isn't on Extra), what's the difference on your end? There shouldn't be one, IMO
You can't use a car analogy to explain this - cars have that limitation because the fuel needs to be burned up faster - on these two packages, the 'fuel' can be burned up at the same rate on-peak on certain protocols, and the period of time between refills is one month, not whenever it takes your fancy (unless you like paying through the nose for what is unnecessarily low)
Matt said it there himself - it's the same price whether it's used in 1 hour or 4, so why do Pro users get less of it just because they can get it in one?
This isn't like refilling more, it's like the petrol station charging you far more because you've got a Porsche (up to the 60GB, when it's £5 more on both packages anyway)
The petrol price should be the same, why do they care if we use it quicker?

[#4]

I can't go into full details on how the price is worked out, but as you're aware it's line speed on pro at all times. Unfortunately usage doesn't work the same way - there are times when the network is busier, and as much as we might like it to be different there's a finite amount available at any one time. When it's quieter (overnight) this doesn't matter, which is why we offer overnight usage for free. During busier times though, Pro does get a larger share of the capacity available and that's what the extra cost (or lower usage amount during those times, which can equate to the same thing) is going on.
To risk stretching the analogy, I guess it's like you being able to use the bus lane in rush hour.

[#5]

Motorways are a good analogy.
The M25 and others have variable speed limits which operate when the motorway is busy; these reduce the speed to 60, 50 or even 40 depending on the traffic. This is like all the accounts apart from Pro (and the old PAYG account). When the road isn't busy all divers can go at full speed.
Pro is analogous to giving some motorists a license to travel at 70 for up to 20 miles at any time of the day, no matter how busy the road. The only way that can be done is by building extra lanes on the motorway to carry that traffic at peak times of the day. They could also bar other traffic from certain lanes but then that traffic would likely come to a complete halt and be unacceptable to the other users. Building extra lanes on a motorway as you are aware is very, very expensive and you end up with lanes which at 5am are significantly underused.
If you said that instead of being guaranteed that they could travel at 70 for up to 20 miles they could travel at up to 70 for 40 miles, the number of 'Pro' motorists wanting to simultaneously travel at the higher speed would increase and you'd be looking at increasing the capacity of the road or further restricting the speeds of all the other road users by cramming them in to fewer lanes.
Plusnet have to do a very complicated balancing act between a number of factors including the number users who sign up to Pro, the price they charge, the cost of the capacity to support them, and how much they can slow down all the other users. It's a technical, business and marketing decision that has resulted in them offering Pro with it's current price and allowance. Users don't have to take up the offer and if they are unhappy with it they can take their business elsewhere. The fact that we so few people saying they are doing that convinces me that Plusnet have got it about right.

[#6]

going on from that they have dedicated lanes on the M4 near Heathrow for buses and taxi (The Pro Lot) that  can go along at 60 while the erks are stuck at 20-30
The also on the M25 find with the variable speed it stops bunching and all traffic flows better

[#7]

Even better, they are introducing a "Fibre Optic" route for the London roads for the Olympic games http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10802107
Map http://www.london2012.com/documents/general/map3-tempgameslanesonorn.pdf

[#8]

Moderators Note
Can we try to keep this thread on topic please.

[#9]

Well said and about time...
Hey...anyone see corrie last night?
jim:quote

[#10]

Quote from: geofftswin

I seem to recall the PN Pro was introduced around the same time as BBYW. At that time, it had a better usage allowance and higher priorities than some of those packages.

And the peak-time allowance was 5GB lower than it is today (15GB as opposed to 20GB).

Quote from: spraxyt

Concerning the Peak Hours duration - Plusnet provide live traffic figures on their website here.

That graph is woefully inaccurate and is scheduled to be removed and replaced with something more worthwhile over the coming months.