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

mhendo

Rex_Mundi wrote:

...By this time next year, we will be spoilt for choice with companies offering these speeds.

I dunno about being spoilt for choice. Afterall, there are only a few LLU companies out there at the moment (Bulldog, Homechoice, UKOnline, f2s & Be*). Unless more ISP's start either rolling out their own equipment to exchanges (which I can't really see happening), or if existing IPStream ISP's start reselling LLU products like UKOnline & f2s do via EasyNet's network, then I can't see there being much extra competition out there. But I expect with just 5 companies offering these services, its enough to drive the price down, and the techonology forward.

The launch of ADSL2+ is really showing how far behind BTw are with their IPStream services. I mean, they are still running their trial's for 8Mbps & MaxDSL which is rumoured not to be launched in the mainstream until April 2006. So, you can imagine how much longer it'll be until they're geared up for ADSL2+!!!

Rex_Mundi

When you consider that Be* were only just heard of in the UK 3 months ago. Then it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that in the next 12 months, we are going to see a lot more new (and existing) companies offering LLU with ADSL2.

In your list of LLUs, you omitted Easynet,Trilogy Telecom and Node4. Tiscali are soon to start rolling out LLU services. Wanadoo have already started LLU trials. Plusnet are looking for an LLU partner.

It's only been in recent months that BT dropped the price for companies using their own equipment. We are now seeing just the start of the next generation of companies that will take broadband to the next level. In the next 12 months, the choice is going to explode for us all. You can guarantee that if these first companies offering faster speeds prove successful, a LOT of other companies will be jumping on the bandwagon very quickly.

Rex_Mundi

I've just come accross a news item on ADSLGuide that may point out another (big) drawback with this service.

Quote.........

The service activation is £24 and is offered via a shared LLU line, meaning your existing BT telephone line remains unaltered, but Be will unbundle the DSL part of the line to connect it to their own hardware at the exchange. The LLU element will mean the service is limited in availability to those exchanges where Be has installed its own kit. The maximum speeds quoted are actually the ATM speeds of the line, so maximum TCP/IP throughput on a perfect line would be around 21.5Mbps downstream and 1.1Mbps upstream. Also it is worth bearing in mind that ADSL2+ is very distance dependent, i.e. that speeds approaching the maximum are only likely on a line less than 1km long. If your line can manage 2Mbps under existing BT limits, then switching to ADSL2+ is likely to give a significant speed boost. For those only getting 1Mbps and 0.5Mbps, the biggest difference is likely to be the upstream speed.
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/newsarchive.asp?item=2396

It looks like anyone that can only get 512Kbps, or 1 Mbps broadband on their line at the moment, may not notice much benefit from these new ADSL2 services.

Browntoa

mhendo wrote:

I dunno about being spoilt for choice. Afterall, there are only a few LLU companies out there at the moment (Bulldog, Homechoice, UKOnline, f2s & Be*). Unless more ISP's start either rolling out their own equipment to exchanges (which I can't really see happening), or if existing IPStream ISP's start reselling LLU products like UKOnline & f2s do via EasyNet's network, then I can't see there being much extra competition out there. But I expect with just 5 companies offering these services, its enough to drive the price down, and the techonology forward.

The launch of ADSL2+ is really showing how far behind BTw are with their IPStream services. I mean, they are still running their trial's for 8Mbps & MaxDSL which is rumoured not to be launched in the mainstream until April 2006. So, you can imagine how much longer it'll be until they're geared up for ADSL2+!!!

BT are not going to use adsl 2 they are going straight to 21CN

21CN at a glance

What is it? What does it offer?

• A single IP-based network for homes and businesses
• Converged multimedia communications
  • Voice
  • Data
  • Internet services

What are the benefits?

• Improved customer control and more choice
• Accessibility from anywhere
• Increased flexibility
• Impressive reliability
• Superior security

When will it be here?

• UK tests, trials and procurement begin 2004
• Worldwide deployment starts 2005
• Mass migration to 21CN in the UK from 2006
• Access complete in Europe mid-2008
• Over 50% of all migrations complete by 2009

dov

21CN is an upgrade to the BT backbone not the local loop. It is quite likely that BT will move to ADSL2+ towards end of 2006 after they release the ADSL Max services in early 2006. There are some fiber trials going on currently with FTTH and FTTC but I think there will be no mass migration in the next few years. Have a look at www.adslguide.org for more details.

pricefighter

alanrowell wrote:

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

If you have a usb adsl modem,which a lot of people have, you do have to leave your pc running to use it.

DesG

Rex_Mundi wrote:

I've just come accross a news item on ADSLGuide that may point out another (big) drawback with this service.

Quote.........Also it is worth bearing in mind that ADSL2+ is very distance dependent, i.e. that speeds approaching the maximum are only likely on a line less than 1km long. If your line can manage 2Mbps under existing BT limits, then switching to ADSL2+ is likely to give a significant speed boost. For those only getting 1Mbps and 0.5Mbps, the biggest difference is likely to be the upstream speed.


It looks like anyone that can only get 512Kbps, or 1 Mbps broadband on their line at the moment, may not notice much benefit from these new ADSL2 services.

Just fyi, I checked my work line on Be, and they say I am to far from the exchange to get service, and I have a 2meg line at the moment.

So it is not a drawback as such, just a some are lucky, some are unlucky.

My home line is less than 1km from the exchange, so I can't wait to see what speed I get ( In Feb06).

Cheers, Des.