Archive for category Broadband Reviews
Is it too early for super fast success in Yorkshire?
Posted by Jeremy in Broadband Reviews, Latest Broadband News on July 27, 2011
The Yorkshire Post has poured cold water on the suggestion that the country is set to embrace the new super fast broadband technology that is being rolled out across the country, with the rather surprising news that low take up of fibre optic broadband where available means that the final 17% of the proposed rollout is now not going to go ahead.
At this stage it is very difficult to be able to tell whether or not the reluctance to change is based on a lack of affordability or simply whether it is a case of people just not feeling like they need such a large increase in the browsing speeds.
Another indication though is that there is no one big company that has signed up to offer the service, meaning that people have to choose a lesser known internet provider, and there may be trust issues. it has also been noted that in the region it is not uncommon to find a broadband speed of between 5 and 8Mbps, which is right at the the national average and in some cases slightly above average. /it could just be that the region is already enjoying adequate browsing capabilities for their needs.
It has also been suggested in some quarters that the information about the rollout of super fast broadband is not reaching everyone, and wit can be quite an effort to find the information online.
It may well be that consumers are awaiting the availability of super fast broadband from more recognised suppliers, and with services like BT Infinity deals being available in the area in the near future, it is no wonder why. People will always prefer to sign up with a company that they know, and can find information about very easily.
Time will tell whether uptake increases, but we might have to wait until some of the internet provider heavy weights hit the scene.
BBC research current mobile coverage
Posted by Jeremy in Broadband Reviews, Latest Broadband News on July 27, 2011
The BBC have decided to conduct some research into the quality of mobile internet coverage, and over the next four weeks will be asking users to download their special app designed to record the availability and presence of both 2G and 3G services in their area.
BBC are running this survey in collaboration with a company called Epitiro who are behind the app which will be available for android users on smart phones. Signal quality will not be tested, but the focus will purely be on strength of signal:
“Coverage is the number one issue for consumers. Our coverage app will provide the information consumers need to see if 3G services are available and from which mobile operator. As mobile broadband is important to many of us, we hope people volunteer and make the project a success”.
Many companies have been hoping for a standardised way to measure mobile browsing speeds, and this venture by the BBC and Epitiro may go some way towards offering this service. there has been criticism of Vodafone and O2 in the past of using the 2G network for their 3G services. The reason for this is that 3G operates at a frequency which is liable to reduce in signal strength depending on location in relation to walls and solid objects.
It is hoped that this survey will shed some light on just which companies are performing well in terms of their mobile internet facilities, and it may be the heralding of a new dawn in terms of mobile internet performance if we can discover what is working well. We are some way off taking on the LTE browsing experience currently enjoyed by some countries, so it is hoped that we find a way to catch up i the mean time.
Virgin Media increase profits, but will they lose customers?
Posted by Jeremy in Broadband Reviews, Latest Broadband News on July 27, 2011
Virgin Media have always liked to do things differently, and they have now taken the novel approach of losing customers in order to turn a larger profit!
During the past three months, Virgin Media has lost around 36,000 cable customers as consumers find it hard to keep up with the costs of some of their services in these difficult economic times. Virgin offers phone, broadband and television services have indicated that around 90% of the decline in customers was made up of the lower spending clients and that they have increased their focus on value rather than volume. Granted, this sounds somewhat like hyperbole, but when you consider that their profits are up, it is hard not to take them at their word.
It is hard to argue with such a successful company, and an interesting statistic from their results is that revenue is actually up in their cable business, despite their loss of numbers. the company puts this down to a new breed of consumer, who is prepared to pay for high quality digital services, and this is what Neil Berkett, Virgin Media Chief Executive felt about the subject:
“There is a growing and increasingly broad-based population of people who are becoming dependent on next generation digital technology and are prepared to pay for quality services”.
It is clear that this is the market that Virgin are targeting, and with their increasingly fast broadband connections they are sure to pick up web savvy individuals over the coming months.
The one thing that is clear though as a consumer, is that you have to match the company to yourself, no matter who you choose. what is right for one consumer, is wrong for another. you have to use the review sites to make sure you are going to get what you want from your supplier. if you like the look of an Orange contract, make sure you look at the Orange broadband reviews, and of course this applies to whichever provider you take a shine to. Just make sure you research before you end up with the wrong fit in terms of finding your perfect broadband partner.