Free broadband - tenuous Sky link?

[bitofatit]

Looks like there maybe somthing worth checking out here? Carphone Warehouse competing with Sky's possible offer re: broadband connections

see link
Free Broadband??

[Starburst]

Well you have to consider that the cost of Broadband is really so small that a very basic service should be free especially when the offering is being tied to another PAY service.
Broadband is only considered expensive because that is the way it is being marketed and traditionally controlled (at least xDSL) by BT wholesale. LLU will blow the market wide open and make broadband as common as a phone line.

[bitofatit]

How come I pay £14 per month for BB now and I'm a Carphone warehouse customer - I must be missing something. I'm hoping that as I get my fixed line, rental, calls package and BB from CPW that I may be in line for some kind of price reduction.
Incidentally what's LLU?

[neilmcl]

Originally Posted by bitofatit

How come I pay £14 per month for BB now and I'm a Carphone warehouse customer - I must be missing something. I'm hoping that as I get my fixed line, rental, calls package and BB from CPW that I may be in line for some kind of price reduction.
Incidentally what's LLU?

All you need to know about ADSL, LLU etc. http://www.adslguide.org.uk/

[bitofatit]

Neil u tease - whilst the context of LLU is mentioned it doesn't give the game away - LLU = ?

[bitofatit]

Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) well that explains that but as too what it actually means ,,

[Starburst]

Basically BT have had control of all the phone exchanges in the country and the main phone network which in turn means the ADSL product.

LLU forces BT to open up these exchanges and allow other companies to house hardware and take advantage of the local lines to the customers, this combined with these new companies having their own national backbones/networks means more choice.

In terms of internet use a company like Easynet/Be/Bulldog can now sell xDSL direct to the consumer without buying capacity from BT wholesale and the savings are passed onto the customer along with higher speeds and reduce limits in some cases. Phone services as well are likely to be offered free from BT's sticky fingers and of course IPTV is the big cherry on the cake.

[bitofatit]

It appears this is a genuine offer see link - worth thinking about? I think I'll call CPW today.

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/talktalk/s...STATIC.TESTHUB

[neilmcl]

If I were you I'd read up on Talk Talk as a broadband provider from the message boards on www.adslguide.org.uk before making a decision. They're up there with the likes of Tiscali as being one of the worst.

[bitofatit]

I am already a talk talk customer and if its cost that is the main motivation and your happy with the service I think it looks like a good deal. As an existing custome I don't have to pay the joining fee so win-win really. I have to agree that like most call centre if you phone you need to be prepared to wait 10-20 minutes to get through - but thats fairly normal - try 'phoneing Sky! once your set up generally you din't need to speak to them again anyway.
If your point is related to the price further down your link - that states (paraphrasing) best keep paying big business otherwise they will not invest in newer technology - that argument doesn't wash with me. I'll take a lower price for the right amount of quality anyday.
As to price comparisons with the BIG Boy i.e. BT - CPW have a price promise and will refund £1,000 (obviously lots of qualifications) and their analysis shows, at this time, that they are cheapest. Might be worth someone trying -maybe you Neil? go on see if you can lever £1k out of CPW - it will need someone with special talents, I've a feeling you could do it - give it a go.

[neilmcl]

Maybe this could be moved to a different forum, having said that I'm also a Talk Talk phone customer and whilst generally I'm more than happy with them there's a big difference between them running a phone service and them providing a broadband service. Going on what's been said their BB service currently stinks, who's to say it won't improve though. I wasn't referring to the article in that link, I hadn't even seen it myself at the time, I was asking you to take a look at the message board within the TalkTalk forum, all will be revealed.

BTW who says as an existing customer you won't have to pay a fee, according to their website the £30 connection fee applies to all. Also to bear in mind, currently I don't pay anything to CPW, just the calls I make which are few. To get this deal I'll have to pay a £30 connection fee plus £21 pm for a poor BB service plus free UK calls. Also if you're not in their proposed LLU area then you'll have to pay an additional £10 pm for the BB itself. Not such a good deal, not for me anyway.

[bitofatit]

Speak as you find I always say. I take TT's broadband service - absolutely no problems - suits me fine. However, I must say if they intend to charge me a joining fee as an existing customer I'll wait and see. Luckily when I put in my post code it came back with a Yes your in that part of the country covered - lucky me!