Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Re: Broadband or not to Broadband?

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 09:11:55 -0400

This will no doubt confuse the poor purchaser/user, even further, when it
comes to broadband.
When the major players can't even make up their mind as to which devices
are broadband and
which are not , then who wants to shell out £££ on devices.

Apparently, OFTEL, the UK Regulator, adopts different views depending about
broadband:

"Users of the 128Kbps/150Kbps product have been counted as broadband users
by Oftel when
assessing the overall take-up of high-speed Internet services, but not when
the regulator is assessing
market dominance..."

Well, my 56Kbps modem isn't so bad afterall and the copper pair still
functions. Could be even telex 80-0-80
may still have promise.

Chaars !

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
*NTL slams broadband 'dirty tricks' and infighting

Cable firm NTL is accusing its rivals of indulging in dirty tricks as the
government gets lambasted for its failure to agree on a clear definition of
broadband.  The ongoing controversy over which types of Internet products
should be called broadband resurfaced as NTL slammed operators who have
complained that its entry-level product isn't worthy of the description. 

Alex Blowers, director of regulatory affairs at NTL, claimed in a speech at
a Westminster Media Forum event in London that this infighting over
definitions was damaging for the whole industry, and deterring some users
from upgrading to broadband.  Blowers also suggested that some of the
companies who were most keen to rubbish NTL's 128Kbps service (which was
recently increased to 150Kbps) were acting largely out of self-interest,
and just wanted to have the base point for broadband set "at the speed of
their own entry-level product."  "If you don't like the fact that we're
taking customers away from you with our 128Kbps and now our 150Kbps
services, then you should start providing your own services at these
speeds," Blowers told the audience, which included representatives from
most of the major UK ISPs. 

"We need to stop this dirty war," Blowers insisted. 

NTL's 128Kbps/150Kbps product has been a subject of contention for months,
amid claims from other broadband providers that it is too slow to provide a
true "broadband experience".  The cable company also fell foul of the
Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which ruled last month that that NTL
was wrong to use the word broadband, without qualification, to describe the
128Kbps product.  According to the ASA, most consumers would think that
broadband means a service of 500Kbps or faster. 

Users of the 128Kbps/150Kbps product have been counted as broadband users
by Oftel when assessing the overall take-up of high-speed Internet
services, but not when the regulator is assessing market dominance, a
position that was also criticised on Tuesday.  "Without a clear definition
of what broadband is, it simply isn't possible to tell who is monopolising
the market," claimed a representative from Tiscali, pointing out that while
ADSL and cable each have roughly half of the broadband market under today's
government figures, the position is much less balanced if you subtract
NTL's 128Kbps/150Kbps users. 

It has been reported that there are around 380,000 users of NTL's
128Kbps/150Kbps service, out of a total of roughly two million broadband
customers overall.  E-commerce minister Stephen Timms came under fire from
one delegate over this issue, who claimed that there were at least six
different and conflicting definitions of broadband. Timms, though, insisted
there is no problem with this.  "As long as it is clear what is being
offered to consumers, I don't think it matters that the term broadband is
being used to describe several different services," Timms said.

Dated: 23/05/03
Source: INTERNET:[email-masked]

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/Lj3uPC/Me7FAA/uetFAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/