BE 24mb to cost £24 month + they may launch a cheap VOIP service

Interesting article in The Observer today

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1577512,00.html

Looks like they will also be offering a VOIP service as well.

Hopefully BE will really shake up both the ISP and telecoms markets and drive prices down in both. :T


I'm expecting to receive an email with my activation date in the next couple of days and to actually have a live service in shortly afterwards. I'll post my experiences here...
:beer:
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Comments

  • Forgot to mention that today is the last day of the trial offer of "£20 per month for life".

    So if you register today you save £4 per month + there is a generous "one free month offer" available on the referral forum ;) + free connection + wireless modem for as long as you subscribe to the service
  • mhendo
    mhendo Posts: 525 Forumite
    Same here. My exchange is ready, but still waiting for the activation date.

    The confirmation of £24pm is good - should certainly help competition. I look forward to seeing what their VoIP service charges will be.

    Currently using call18866 & VoipBuster, just for international calls - at just 2ppm. and free on Voipbuster, I wonder how they can possibly match it, let alone beat it.
  • BE claim that their VOIP service will be priced lower than any other service, hopefully this means they will undercut the new FreeTalk service being launched by Dixons at £6.99 per month + £20 for an adaptor :
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/23/dixons_voip/

    I assume that with the BE modem/router there is no need for an adaptor as you can plug your phone directly into the BE Box?

    Let's hope that the core broadband service is fast and stable, otherwise the VOIP service and any video/TV services BE have mentioned will just be academic.
  • mhendo
    mhendo Posts: 525 Forumite
    I wouldn't be interested in a VoIP service with line rental (especially at £6.99pm).

    My calls to Spain don't reach nearly that amount using a combination of two providers (one VoIP, one analogue). If using VoIP alone, most UK customers, which use their phone for UK calls could have a free service (Voipbuster, and others offer free calls with no rental).

    I don't see how Dixons can hope to charge £6.99pm.

    Yes, the "Be* Box" allows for handsets to be plugged directly into the modem/router.
  • alanrowell
    alanrowell Posts: 5,365
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    More on Freetalk

    From what I can work out there's an initial charge (£80?) but the first year of UK landline calls is free. The advantage of it over Skype seems to be that you don't need your computer running to be able to use the service & y6ou can use your normal handset
  • is there a download limit on it because if its like bulldog 1gb a month
    i could download that a day

    how do we find out what martin thinks of it
    is there a email address for him ???
    because i would like some advice as to if its a bargain or a con :confused:
  • DesG
    DesG Posts: 1,288
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    I don't think Martin will want you to be emailing him over every decision you have to make ;)

    If you checked out the website you would see there is no download limit (subject to fair use)

    It is a bargain, and not a con.

    There will be other adsl2+ providers soon if you are in no hurry, you can then compare like for like.

    Cheers, Des.
  • Rex_Mundi
    Rex_Mundi Posts: 6,315
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    The only possible catchs with this company I've found are about their cancellation policies. If you cancel from this company, it will cost you £50 unless you give 3 months notice, and if you forget to post back the modem they supply, they charge you £100 for it.

    They are offering a good deal. It remains to be seen what the service is like. Their first trials in London recently found their first user averaging around 18Mbps. This is good speeds, but don't forget. This is just the first of many companies offering this kind of service. By this time next year, we will be spoilt for choice with companies offering these speeds.
    How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb?
    ...
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    Fish
  • Darksun
    Darksun Posts: 1,931 Forumite
    Yeah, Blueyonder announced they will be trialling a new service in London at the end of 2006 offering speeds of up to 100Mbps :eek:
  • DesG
    DesG Posts: 1,288
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    Rex_Mundi wrote:
    The only possible catchs with this company I've found are about their cancellation policies. If you cancel from this company, it will cost you £50 unless you give 3 months notice, and if you forget to post back the modem they supply, they charge you £100 for it.

    Another possible issue is migration in and out. Some people may have an issue with paying for 3 months in advance also.

    I think the £100 for not sending your modem/router back is fair, it is not a cheap bit of kit after all.

    I ordered a few weeks ago even tho my exchange isn't enabled until Feb 06 :)

    Cheers, Des.
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