Topic: BBC will alert users if ISPs throttle iPlayer

[Rik]

Which is a cost which would have to be passed on to customers.

[sam]

still though, if they offer x speed to all customers, then at any given moment they should be able to supply x speed to all customers - doesn't matter if its cause everyone is watching online tv or not.

[Rik]

All ISPs, though, work on an average figure, Sam. They can't afford to price their network to cope with peak demand from all users simultaneously. They can do it, of course, but people wouldn't want to pay the price.

[sam]

I understand that, but a contract is a contract. I just think the ISPs should stop moaning at the BBC etc and actually provide to their customers what they say they can deliver.

Of course they could offer, on renewals additions such as, for £5 a month you get unlimited, unthrottled access to the BBC iplayer on top of their normally monthly tariff. I dunno if that would work / adds etc complications - like they are making money off BBC content etc.

I also, highly feel that the ISPs really are false advertisers.

[Rik]

The problem is, Sam, that Brits want a pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap service. It's hard for ISPs like IDNet to compete now, when they provide about an 80-90% service at full load.

[sam]

I understand, but I don't think forcing the BBC to pay is the solution, or even acceptable. I really love the iplayer, not that I've used it in a while, and wouldn't want to see if go but it really should be the people who use it pay. I'd be against increasing the licence fee to cover it cause online is the only place I used the bbc (/will do when I move home). I hardly ever put the television on. I think it has to come down to the ISPs simply saying if you want this then you pay for it. There are ISPs that are open about the service you get, but that doesn't cover the big companies.

The real problem is the infrastructure just hasn't been expanded while the use of online services has blown up exponentially. Maybe that's a government issue though?

[Simon]

I don't know how difficult it would be for an ISP to allow some users access to services like iPlayer, and some not, but it doesn't seem fair that customers who don't use iPlayer, suffer internet slowdowns during big events, because those that do use it are hammering the bandwidth.  Other than an iPlayer surcharge to customers, which wouldn't be popular, I don't know what the solution could be.

[Rik]

Higher monthly fees.

[Simon]

Indeed. 

[Rik]

I really do believe that an iPlayer (and all other VOD sources) sub is the answer, it's fairer on those of us who don't want to use it. Of course, those who do use it would have a different view.

[Simon]

I guess the view is that if someone pays an ISP for up to xGb allowance per month, they should be able to use that allowance how they wish to, and if they go over, they pay the additional charges.  Perhaps another, albeit unpopular, move might be to actually reduce the allowable bandwidth in packages, so people incur the 'overdraft' charges earlier? 

[Rik]

Yes, that should go down like a lead balloon.

[sam]

Of course we will have a different opinion.

I personally believe that no matter what the traffic is you have paid for it and I won't budge on this - and don't feel that an additional cost for specifics services is fair. Simply - you pay more for iplayer, ok I'll just pirate iplayer through some third party source. The only way to deal with this in a fair way that will work is to have people pay more for more downloading and the ISPs being able to cope with their bandwidth expectations at any given moment. If I pay for a 10mbit/s (stupid units, no one works in bits) connection then I should be able to get that speed. If I'm watching online TV I still should get 10mbit/s - if I'm browsing text pages again the same. If the company I'm with offers unlimited data per month then great... if not then you pay per 1GB, but I think per gigabyte is stupid personally - especially given the rates companies quote for this.

I just don't think there is a solution, but lets be honest this needs to be addressed as the vast majority of internet users use online video and this will only grow and grow.

[Rik]

Especially as fibre becomes more widespread, Sam. It's not practical on my line right now, but with fibre it would be.

[Simon]

Perhaps the solution is PAYG Internet?