Posts Tagged broadband
Why broadband advertising campaigns can’t always be trusted
Posted by Luke in Broadband Guides on May 17, 2012
We’re more than aware of the tricks advertisers use to market products and services and over time consumers have learned to take the information they are given by advertising campaigns with a pinch of salt. But although by now we may be familiar with some techniques, knowing to look out for asterisks and small print before buying, some things still catch us out.
As a comparatively new concept to consumers compared to other marketing campaigns, internet connection deals still seem to be getting away with using advertising pitfalls and traps. Arming themselves with advertising tricks up their sleeve, providers are managing to hide their services’ shortcomings in a veil of jargon. As Mbps is thrown around as a unit of measurement and promises of ‘infinity’ are made, it can all get very confusing.
News stories are rich with tales of large service providers receiving a slap on the wrist for engaging in misleading advertising campaigns. A common tool the services have been using to entice customers in is by stating ‘up to’ speeds that are very rarely reached. Stories tell of communications regulator Ofcom recently instructing service providers to give an estimated time of the actual speed a customer will receive, whatever that figure may be, as opposed to the misleading ‘up to’ quotas.
Ofcom’s research and the release of data proves just how much the campaigns are getting away with as some results are quite a lot more extreme than was expected. The data is pretty useful for users to see the clear information they want without it being jaded by clever marketing tricks.
One particular observation has been noted of a package offering speeds of ‘up to’ 24Mbps was actually handing out and average sluggish speed of 6.2Mbps- a significant difference.
The providers have effectively shot themselves in the foot in some circumstances where they continue to produce exaggerated speed predictions they cause controversy even when national speeds are genuinely improving.
Internet services providers, or ‘ISP’s, don’t always take the blame straight away when confronted about the service they are providing. Some ISP’s have retaliated by suggesting that the source of the problem may be to do with the customer’s router and setup rather than a fault in their part. While this seems like an excuse every aspect should be checked before fingers are pointed and to really achieve the potential of a service.
Away from the advertisements, customers can find help deciding which service is right for what they are looking for, from router comparisons to deals and packages, to Orange and
Sky broadband reviews, among other services. Help can be found for customers hoping to get a great broadband deal without being lured in by a misleading campaign.
BT sees profits rise, despite a fall in overall sales
Posted by Hollie in Latest Broadband News on May 12, 2012
BT has announced a rise in their first quarter profits, despite a fall in actual overall sales. The company saw a significant boost to their earnings back in March of last year, which saw them able to reach a deal allowing them to pay off a substantial portion of their staff pension deficit fund far earlier than was initially expected.
In paying off £2 billion of the £4.1 billion deficit (one of the largest single pension payments made by a company), they were able to alleviate a great concern, which had worried investors for some time.
Ian Livingstone, chief executive had this to say: “In what remains a challenging environment we have delivered another year of growth in profits and free cash flow.” BT stated that they have now been able to roll out fibre optic broadband to an estimated 10 million homes and businesses across Britain, and this has all been achieved many months ahead of schedule.
Unsurprisingly the profit generated from landline calls fell, as people increasingly come to rely upon their smartphones and the free service Skype. However, there has been a strong demand for their fastest broadband to date, BT Infinity, with a reported 131,000 customers having signed up to the service in the last quarter of 2011 (Infinity broadband reviews have been overwhelmingly positive thus far). This, along with their global services divisions, which is finding growing success in Asia and Latin America, has caused analysts to speculate whether this would allow the company to significantly increase its dividend over the coming months.
Due to BT being able to pay off a significant portion of their pension fund – which saw them reap gains through interest – combined with a large tax credit, the telecom company not only saw profits rise, they were also able to make far larger payouts to their shareholders. These one-off gains were estimated at a staggering £166 million.
These lucrative earnings have restored much confidence in the company from its major investors and shareholders, who had been understandably somewhat perturbed by the warnings back in 2008/2009, incited by reports that BT was fumbling its management of its aforementioned global services division.
Twenty Seven UK cities apply for £50 million broadband boost
Posted by Luke in Latest Broadband News on May 6, 2012
Many of the headlines regarding broadband tell of rural areas missing out on what’s on offer while the city rejoices in luxury super-speed connection. It is assumed, with reason that large cities are receiving the best of what broadband services can provide. This may not be the case- some of the wealthiest areas in the UK have joined forces to apply for a significant amount of government cash in order to develop their internet speed.
The areas, twenty seven cities across the UK including Cambridge, Oxford and Aberdeen have applied to be part of the development that was mentioned in the budget, dishing out money towards service providers to get the ball rolling.
Of the twenty seven applying cities, only ten will receive a share of the £50 million that has been set aside in the budget for the development according to the government plan .
The cities had to meet certain criteria to apply, such as having a Royal Charter granted to them by the monarchy and they had to have a sum of more than 45,000 homes and businesses to be eligible for the development that will potentially provide these major cities with some of the highest internet speeds in the world.
The competitive speeds the cities will ideally be receiving are being implemented with specific goals in mind; to bring opportunities of growth amongst other positive outcomes such as the development of high tech industries and hopefully transforming public services.
By addressing these positive outcomes as a potential result of broadband speed development, the scheme has highlighted internet usage capacity as a relevant asset to modern city life and a responsible use of government money.
As headlines of rural areas missing out fade away and are replaced by major cities aiming to develop their speeds for positive outcomes, broadband remains a vital instrument of development and productivity despite its technology rapidly changing.
As the Government takes responsibility for enhancing internet connection across the country, individuals search for services and deals on things like broadband phone & digital TV and routers to assure they get the most out of what has become an essential service in the twenty first century.