Broadband Weekly News Roundup (14th Mar 08)

By Neil Hawkins Staff Writer Friday, 14 March 2008

Featured Broadband Providers This Week Compare the broadband packages of: Redten Plusnet Related Broadbands News See our other recent related news stories: Plusnet's new gaming package gets mixed reception Broadband Your Way Pro – the new dedicated gaming broadband package from Plusnet – is receiving a mixed reception from gamers who believe the package may still need a few tweaks to really be first choice for online gaming. Broadband Weekly News Roundup (7th Mar 08) Neil Hawkins glances back at the week's broadband news and uncovers how Ofcom plans to make broadband providers fairer, AOL's new commitment free broadband package and why a simple mobile broadband dongle could make you go bankrupt! Broadband Weekly News Roundup (29th Feb 08) Neil Hawkins rounds up the news from the heady world of UK broadband on this February 29th special including news of O2 Broadband cracking the 100,000 customer mark, Virgin Media's new £10 broadband offer, privacy fears for BT, Virgin Media and Carphone Warehouse users, and how Pakistan may be good at cricket, but not so great at IP manipulation. Be versus Plusnet: Who Wins in the Battle of the Online Gamers? With the latest array of gaming consoles and PC games coming onto the market, the online gaming industry is booming. And with this rise comes the inevitable - lags, freezing and the need for more bandwidth to unleash your ultimate power online. But with so many choices of internet service providers, which one is right for you?

THIS week there has been a little known story developing about a smaller broadband provider, Redten Internet. It raises important questions about the way broadband providers forcefully migrate customers.

Redten deadten? What’s going on ten?

REDTEN Internet is in the news this week as its customers have been left without a broadband connection for 3 days.

Many customers initially feared the worst as Redten is an ISP which gives customers ‘free’ PCs or Laptops in return for lengthy 3 year contracts.

The contract is actually with a separate finance company which is why there is so much concern.

Essentially, if Redten went down the tubes, customers would be left without a connection whilst remaining liable to pay the contract.

So there was understandable panic on Monday when Redten customers were greeted with a screen which informed them that BT were no longer providing Redten with ADSL provision.

BT are giving users the option to either retrieve a MAC code and sign up with another broadband provider before 17th March or be disconnected from broadband, meaning a further fee to reconnect in the future.

Redten were giving zip-all information except for some flimsy info about being upgraded to a new 24Mbps backbone.

Still with me?!

It has emerged, literally in dribs and drabs that Redten is migrating every customer onto a different network run by a company called NJP Services (former Cable and Wireless network).

Redten users should not cancel their direct debits or payments to Clode Finance as this may leave them in breach of contract. If you have any queries then it’s advisable to contact Consumer Direct (www.consumerdirect.gov.uk) who can give you sound advice.

Essentially the way that Redten has handled this debacle has been appalling and the fact that no-one seems to know what is happening combined with the lack of information for customers is frankly unacceptable.

It should never get to the point where a dispute between BT and Redten leaves broadband users in such a vulnerable position, with disconnection threats hanging over them.

In fact the forced migration to another network is exactly what Pipex customers had to endure when being moved to Tiscali.

We have been following these developments very closely and will continue to bring you the latest developments!

Plusnet reduce prices and gives away money!

PLUSNET is a name you can rely on and it now has a new special offer too.

The Sheffield based broadband provider has reduced the price of its home phone packages for a limited time.

Plusnet’s Evening and Weekends package is now only £4.99 per month for the first three months, £9.99 thereafter and its Anytime package, £10 for the first six months, £15 thereafter.

Line rental is included in these prices which makes them amongst the most competitive.

Plusnet’s bundles are now cheaper too, Package 1 for example gives you evening and weekend phone calls and an 8Mb broadband connection with 1Gb peak usage and unlimited off-peak usage for £14.98 for three months, £19.98 thereafter.

Check out our Plusnet comparison page for more info on these packages.

Attention Gamers! Plusnet’s Broadband Your Way Pro package now gives new subscribers a free £40 voucher redeemable in GAME stores across the UK.

Not only do you get priority over other internet traffic but forty-quid! Can’t say fairer than that really!

German Voice-over-IP firm stops talking

FINALLY this week; the bosses at Redten must have been tempted to take a leaf out of this German company’s book.

The Register reported that snom, a firm who deal in VoIP telephony, had to tell customers not to call it as it had endured what sounded like a less than smooth office move.

Apparently snom had not had its phone lines connected.

It’s all well and good touting VoIP around but it’s clear who remains boss in the telecoms world.

Good old copper.

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