(no subject)
Oct. 20th, 2008 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kingandyFurther to recent entry re broadband: I am considering the relative merits of the services offered by my mobile phone provider.
It seems to get a good price on ADSL you have to go with a lengthy minimum term contract, and in all honesty we're not planning to stay in the flat for more than 6 months or a year. And even those contracts must be considered in the context of the BT line rental (about a tenner on top of whatever prices). The T-Mobile dongle allows a me to take a long-term contract (cause I can take it with me when I move), and doesn't require line rental. On the longest contract it's £10/month (for three months - then £15/month - still cheaper than most landline bands).
Downsides: I'm not wholly convinced I want to take a 2-year contract, and though I rarely use a landline it would be occasionally useful for 0800 numbers or incoming calls. (Certainly some places still don't take mobile phones as contact numbers.) Also I'd miss out on the wireless connection (though the dongle could be passed around and I could possibly do something with bluetooth for the PDA).
Plus.net do seem pretty good for a monthly contract. Ooh and it's unmetered overnight so we could still use the iPlayer without worrying ... nifty.
EDITED TO ADD: Hoom, I guess most broadband people allow you to move house within the minimum term as long as you take them with you. Weirdly, BT also seems to have a minimum term - despite advertising the Unlimited Weekend Plan as "No minimum term", the signup page suggests otherwise ("If you order a new phone line or switch your phone line to BT from another provider, a 12 month minimum term applies to line rental for all Calling Plans above"). I feel slightly betrayed. Also I have no idea if we do need a new phone line. There's a phone socket which I can only assume is a BT line rather than cable or something, but there's currently no signal on it. Does "new phone line" include "reconnection"?
It seems to get a good price on ADSL you have to go with a lengthy minimum term contract, and in all honesty we're not planning to stay in the flat for more than 6 months or a year. And even those contracts must be considered in the context of the BT line rental (about a tenner on top of whatever prices). The T-Mobile dongle allows a me to take a long-term contract (cause I can take it with me when I move), and doesn't require line rental. On the longest contract it's £10/month (for three months - then £15/month - still cheaper than most landline bands).
Downsides: I'm not wholly convinced I want to take a 2-year contract, and though I rarely use a landline it would be occasionally useful for 0800 numbers or incoming calls. (Certainly some places still don't take mobile phones as contact numbers.) Also I'd miss out on the wireless connection (though the dongle could be passed around and I could possibly do something with bluetooth for the PDA).
Plus.net do seem pretty good for a monthly contract. Ooh and it's unmetered overnight so we could still use the iPlayer without worrying ... nifty.
EDITED TO ADD: Hoom, I guess most broadband people allow you to move house within the minimum term as long as you take them with you. Weirdly, BT also seems to have a minimum term - despite advertising the Unlimited Weekend Plan as "No minimum term", the signup page suggests otherwise ("If you order a new phone line or switch your phone line to BT from another provider, a 12 month minimum term applies to line rental for all Calling Plans above"). I feel slightly betrayed. Also I have no idea if we do need a new phone line. There's a phone socket which I can only assume is a BT line rather than cable or something, but there's currently no signal on it. Does "new phone line" include "reconnection"?
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no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 12:12 pm (UTC)Also I doubt any mobile provider is going to have an 'unlimited' download policy, they'll all have a Fair Use Policy and throttle what you download. Search around and see what experiences people have had with it.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 01:03 pm (UTC)T-Mobile's 'fair use' policy actually seems pretty fair. They don't throttle you or charge you extra; instead if you go over the limit they write you an advisory letter, and if you do it again they have a brief chat about maybe we can tempt you to our higher price plan sir hmmm?
no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 01:34 pm (UTC)PornTube.no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 01:40 pm (UTC)I suspect the iPlayer - if we continue to use it - will be relegated to Download Only or Low Res mode...
no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 01:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 12:34 pm (UTC)You'll need to give BT a ring 0800 800 150 and get them to tell you what would need to doing for that address. The fact it doesn't have a ring tone however suggests you'll need to pay to get it reconnected.
It'll either be no charge if it's just been put on hold or you'll need to pay to get a new line fitted. However I know BT Retail does sometimes give discounts (£50 or so) on the charges that BT wholesale charge everyone for this (the reasons for this are complicated and slightly mad so don't go there). A final point is that having a BT Line lets you choose from a number of different Broadband providers and switch at will, going with a LLU provider (when BT doesn't own the line and exchange equipment) makes for a lot more hassle if you switch but usually gives you cheaper calls and the like.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 12:44 pm (UTC)I'm thinking "no."
If it was indeed replaced with a cable connection (that is still active) we will certainly consider going with them, otherwise it'll be the mobile for us.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 04:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 05:50 pm (UTC)Though I am now.