MSE News: 260,000 without cheap phone and broadband access

Former_MSE_Guy · 9 August 2010 at 1:49PM

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Hull residents won't have access to services from BT and other telecoms giants, leaving only local firm KC ..."

Read the full story:
260,000 without cheap phone and broadband access

wobblywizard · 9 August 2010 at 2:48PM

Currently paying £30 a month for my internet, to get a 100GB limit (unlimited on a night) with Karoo, and about £15 per month for phone. Not too brilliant really, Hull has its perks but Karoo isn't one of them!!

The_MoneySavingKid · 9 August 2010 at 3:29PM

This immediately reminded me of this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8619388.stm

I wonder if the residents of Hull could do that, on a much larger scale I know, but the advantage would be they would actually own a share of the network in some way. A way of getting around that local firm too.

andyinyorkshire · 9 August 2010 at 3:53PM

Why would BT want to move into Hull when it could just buy up more and more of the KC shares and enjoy the percentage of 'loyal customers' / prisoners trapped into the monopoly of either you can have KC internet or nothing.

Ofcom or whatever they have since changed their name to "Speed Cameras" > "Traffic enforcement" are laughed at by this profit making company.

Postcomm or whatever their name is changing to is 2nd laughed at for their minimal attempts to get public opinion (after 10+ years) to get the monopoly that is the Postal service to change the postal area of "North Humberside" to where it actually is located to now for historical centuries back in Yorkshire! (if only I could get cheap email instead of having to use cheaper snail mail here!)

foreverautumn · 9 August 2010 at 7:13PM

I am a K.C customer and would have no hesitation at swapping to a different provider. These companies do not know their customers if they think that us Hull people would remain with K.C. I have not come accross anyone who would not move in a heart beat. Prices are a disgrace. We have all been waiting for the last ten years for things to change for the better, and they never do. We very rarely use our landline, only call parents, doctors etc on it. Cost is about 50pound a quarter. Broadband is 31pound a month and just been informed that this is too increase by another 2.50. All in all that is approximately min of 50pound per month. Now that does not create any kind of loyalty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paulgonnabedebtfree · 10 August 2010 at 7:16AM

I'm very surprised to read that other providers will not go into Hull as I'm sure they would get a decent market share due to KC's prices.
Quite a turnaround really from some years ago. Back in the days of dial-up internet only, many of us cast a jealous eye at Hull subscribers as they were the only ones in the country (AFAIK) who could get free local calls - the calls that were used for dial-up internet before most of the ISPs went over to 0845 numbers. It sounds like they have more than paid for that now though and ought to have the same choices as everyone else IMO.

chubster · 10 August 2010 at 5:40PM

It's not just the residents of Hull who are paying over the odds. I live in rural Cornwall and cannot access cheap deals as the exchange I am on has not been unbundled. It seems very unfair that only a few miles away friends are paying half what I pay and getting 3x the broadband speed. Market forces don't always work and I think that legislation should be introduced to force telecoms companies to offer the same deals regardless of the customers location.

davkt · 11 August 2010 at 2:21AM

Like chubster says the article is talking total rubbish making out the rest of the UK can get deals that only those in Hull can't get. Much of the UK outside major urban areas has still not been unbundled so we are stuck with paying a price set by BT Wholesale, almost impossible to get broadband (8 meg max) for under £20 a month and phone line rental and calls on top of that. Maybe the reporter needs a geography lesson but an awful lot of the UK falls outside the big towns! Sloppy reporting to say the least!

andyinyorkshire · 11 August 2010 at 4:59PM

chubster & davkt isn't the story about residents in a big city who pay high prices to a telecom company with a monopoly?

LLU bundling is another story worth writing about with BT holding onto what it still can but to have no choice in a city is well worth writing and complaining about even after this long time, it is disgraceful in my eyes.

andyinyorkshire · 16 December 2010 at 2:19PM

Just checked prices after Oftel,OfCom,that useless company agreed Kingston communications could bundle the phones&internet...

Speeds in rural village usually poor and expensive.
Speeds in Hull faster ADSL2 but capped download limits and... wait for it at least twice the cost!

Argh!

andyinyorkshire · 24 January 2011 at 7:14PM

Oftel "We make sure that people in the UK get the best from their communications services and are protected from scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive." :rotfl:

What is the point of Oftel? Surely they have one, are they toothless?
Perhaps they should do a survey of Hulls residents?

MSE News: 260,000 without cheap phone and broadband access

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free