Changes Coming to MultiplayDSL

[Wizzo]

Note: This is a heads up to a full announcement coming shortly. Please be patient for more details which will be posted tomorrow once we have finished working out the way forward...

Today we have stopped allowing online ordering of our ADSL to stem the flow of people jumping from ISPs previously offered unmetered access. This combined with a notification on Monday from our BT Central provider that our billing was changing is prompting us to have a rethink on the details of our serivce. Yes we made a promise about never introducing caps, but unfortunately you cannot account for your costs being hiked by your provider by 4 times with a months notice.

Yes we're going to look a bit stupid. Yes we're going to have a bit of lost faith in the community, but I for one prefer to be totally honest with people about the situation and take the flak when situations like this arise.

Whilst we have oodles of capacity on our own network, it is the cost of getting traffic over BTs ATM network that is strangling the provision of high-bandwidth services with a decent cap/no cap in the UK. For example, the cost per Mbps on a BT Central pipe is over 10 times the average cost of international transit!

We never intended MultiplayDSL to be a service to attract the non-gamer very-high-download users, but with hindsight I suppose we were silly not to expect it. MultiplayDSL is intended to be a service to offer high-performance connectivity to our network for gamers with a package appropriate to gamers tastes. No download caps was something we were able to offer under our pricing, but with a sizeable proportion of high-bandwidth users and the new pricing our provider has announced, this is totally unsustainable.

We're now having to seriously rethink in order to provide the service we originally intended, but that also deters the really high usage non-gamer customers from piling in and ruining it for everyone else. After all, gamers don't actually need vast bandwidth caps each month. Take a look at the %age of our users and their monthly downloads:

<10 GB - 24%
<20 GB - 49%
<30 GB - 64%
<40 GB - 68%
<50 GB - 76%

This actually makes sense, as gaming whilst demanding a high performance connection does not actually consume that much bandwidth, and you generally aren't whoring your connection when playing games.

We'll be making an announcement tomorrow as to how we intend to proceed on a new set of packages that will have to include bandwidth caps (currently looking to be set at around 50GB). We're hoping to give our existing customers some leeway on the introduction of the caps, but will confirm that once we have finished working things out. We can at the very least keep things as they are until 6th June when the new pricing scheme comes in from our supplier.

Not a nice situation to be in at all only 3 weeks after launch, but you can expect us to be totally up front with all our customers about this. We do take our reputation for being a trustworthy and honest company very seriously.

Stand by for more info.

[Wizzo]

A quick update on this one. We're still working on updating the website with the new packages and will have this ready to go early next week. Many thanks for all your patience and understanding on this. We will post full statements on the way forward just as soon as we can.

In the meantime, existing customers (including those who are in the process of migrating/activating) should note that you will be shielded from any price changes for 3 months. However, it is apparent now that bandwidth caps will have to come in for everyone on or after the 6th June. We won't impose any caps until we have the systems in place for you to keep track of your usage through our website.

Have a good weekend everyone!

[chrisjenx2001]

I was talking to someone about this a while ago when you first launched at i27.

Mpuk will be able to uphold there download caps but whether Bt can handle it is another question.

as you where saying you have loads of bandwidth at your end. it just seem bt is useless and allways seem to be limiting broad band in the uk.
As its bt and alot of ISP's that are thinking that people dont need much upload and limiting users.

Its just anoying and feels like bt seem to control broadband in the uk.

[Xilly]

they do..

[Freelance]

just wondering, is there a site somewhere that explains how broadband/"the internet" works in the uk?

[MajorPart]

In regards to the BT charge changes/service change.. I have no issue with sensible caps, it's just the traffic shaping i have an issue with. As long as thre isn't i'm staying if there is i'm outta here and most likly so will alot of others.


In regard to question above: Because it uses a BT telephone line and BT exchange to connect to your ISP's network (Multiplay in this case). BT call the shots.

There are LLU's etc (when an ISP puts it's equipment in your exchange) but still it generally uses a BT line so they still sort of call the shots.

The aim of BT at the moment isn't really speed or huge downloads (not yet anyways) but maximum reach. They are starting to think in terms of large usage as viop, streamed hollywood movies and Even streamed HD are not that far off in the furture. That is probably why ISP's are getting charged heaps if thier users are particularly bandwidth intensive.

One of the reasons for ADSL Max came about was to allow the use of products like Skype and the like (better upload speed) and for the basic VOD services that are appearing (faster download)

Try here for a simple as i could find explanation of how ADSL works in the UK

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/equip.htm

[Joey[kins]]

My view on it is that BT (and indeed the other telcos) need some sort of charge levied against "usage" of their network. The main charge which we're used to is the duration of your phone call * some multiplier depending on the prefix of the phone number in relation to your location. BT know that this is about to go down the tubes with VoIP, and consequently have to build another pay-for-use system.

Never mind that the current unrealistic charges are shameless profiteering and the secondary consequences are what's holding back broadband development and further uses of the internet... but it's great news for BT shareholders!

[Yorkie0362]

Hi Everyone,

Having just migrated in, during these little tweaks to the service, I initially was a little disappointed having left Zen's now defunct "unlimited" service. After some consideration and thought, hell, I can live with a 50gig cap. Especially since it has been so openly and honestly introduced. What I object to on other services are the underhand methods of restriction, when I say underhand I mean, advertising an unlimited connection then disclaiming it with "fair use policy applies", or using some badly implemented traffic shaping policy.

I salute Multiplay for being open and honest with it's customer base and look forward to using them as my ISP, I hope however that the climate does change and BT rethinks its strategies on wholesale pricing, so the "little man" has a chance to profit. My own personal view is that the internet should be fast, uncapped and unshaped, BT are making this impossible, perhaps we should start petitioning them as the ISP's are.

On a different note, I have had cause to use Multiplay's support during this migration and on each occasion the people I spoke to were courteous, knowledgeable and most importantly un-scripted. In fact they came across as proper techies.

Rgds

Chris

[MajorPart]

Originally posted by Yorkie0362
Hi Everyone,

Having just migrated in, during these little tweaks to the service, I initially was a little disappointed having left Zen's now defunct "unlimited" service. After some consideration and thought, hell, I can live with a 50gig cap. Especially since it has been so openly and honestly introduced. What I object to on other services are the underhand methods of restriction, when I say underhand I mean, advertising an unlimited connection then disclaiming it with "fair use policy applies", or using some badly implemented traffic shaping policy.

I salute Multiplay for being open and honest with it's customer base and look forward to using them as my ISP, I hope however that the climate does change and BT rethinks its strategies on wholesale pricing, so the "little man" has a chance to profit. My own personal view is that the internet should be fast, uncapped and unshaped, BT are making this impossible, perhaps we should start petitioning them as the ISP's are.

On a different note, I have had cause to use Multiplay's support during this migration and on each occasion the people I spoke to were courteous, knowledgeable and most importantly un-scripted. In fact they came across as proper techies.

Rgds

Chris

Apart from not having used MP's support yet.. I totally agree with what you have said and i couldn't have said it any better. Finding MP DSL great so far.

[bvark]

Originally posted by Joey[kins]
My view on it is that BT (and indeed the other telcos) need some sort of charge levied against "usage" of their network.

This is chiefly because the economics of most pieces of telecoms equipment are driven by usage.

Originally posted by Joey[kins]
Never mind that the current unrealistic charges are shameless profiteering and the secondary consequences are what's holding back broadband development and further uses of the internet... but it's great news for BT shareholders!

BT's prices for IPStream are regulated by Ofcom to prevent them using their dominant power to destroy the economics of LLU, and to provide them with a regulated return on capital.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/rwlam/bbr/ has details.

The current prices for IPStream were formed when IP Transit was £100/Mbit, but all this stuff about "holding back broadband development" and "great news for BT shareholders" ignore large numbers of facts.

The truth is the bulk of smaller IPStream ISPs are building their businesses around shaky economics and a limited view of how service changes like IPMax will affect them, and the cost of building a competitive local loop infrastructure is not so low compared to what BT are charging that they are making a serious monopoly profit.

The UK doesn't have a significantly different cost of DSL Wholesale (either for loop unbundling or non-geographic resale) than any of the other major European countries where the government has not directly intervened to subsidise broadband.

[mDm]

fair enough with the introduction on caps on the service, i can understand that and the cost justification, but would there also be any traffic shaping introduced?

This is my major problem with my current isp. Whats the point in an 8meg service is it all gets shaped away from what i wish to dl. And those wow updates are massive ;)

[spraduke]

I can live with a download cap of 50gb but what kind of price increase are we looking at?

[dirtyginge]

Well for those that dont know, Evolution DSL has finally turned up toes. As of 6th June, they are shutting down their ADSL operation, leaving possibly thousands out in the cold.....

http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=otherisp&Number=2472334

the prospect of Cheap unlimited broadband seems to be a complete myth, companies that are offering it, are either lying, shaping the hell out of the line, or going to go bust very shortly. I learned this dearly with recent experiences with problematic broadband, leaving me without connection for nearly 2 months, which coincidentally i was able to sort out once i upgraded to max......

Although like everyone else, im awaiting news on the new packages, i believe very much in "fair pay for a fair days play", looking at competitors offers is a false economy, as its mostly lies...it was do-able when the balance of file sharers and low users was well balanced, but as a computer admin, i can tell you the balance seems far out of kilter now, with more and more kids believing that mp3's and movies are now "free" ( yes a lot really do, they dont understand at all that its theft !!!!).p.s. id happily pay to download movies and mp3's, but we all know that wont happen for a while in any fair form...greed :(

If you want 8mb max low ping broadband, the days of the £19.99 offers are over

Salutes again to multiplay, who have become my new superheroes....technical superiority on this network is very evident .....

[BinarySlave]

Well for those that dont know, Evolution DSL has finally turned up toes. As of 6th June, they are shutting down their ADSL operation, leaving possibly thousands out in the cold.....

http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=otherisp&Number=2472334

the prospect of Cheap unlimited broadband seems to be a complete myth, companies that are offering it, are either lying, shaping the hell out of the line, or going to go bust very shortly. I learned this dearly with recent experiences with problematic broadband, leaving me without connection for nearly 2 months, which coincidentally i was able to sort out once i upgraded to max......

Although like everyone else, im awaiting news on the new packages, i believe very much in "fair pay for a fair days play", looking at competitors offers is a false economy, as its mostly lies...it was do-able when the balance of file sharers and low users was well balanced, but as a computer admin, i can tell you the balance seems far out of kilter now, with more and more kids believing that mp3's and movies are now "free" ( yes a lot really do, they dont understand at all that its theft !!!!).p.s. id happily pay to download movies and mp3's, but we all know that wont happen for a while in any fair form...greed :(

If you want 8mb max low ping broadband, the days of the £19.99 offers are over

Salutes again to multiplay, who have become my new superheroes....technical superiority on this network is very evident .....

I totally agree :)

I hope my case with Trading Standards against Evolution doesn't get abandoned though ...haven't been able to get hold of them today to find out. I still want my refund!

[BinarySlave]

any news on the new packages? has been a few weeks now and all has gone quiet.

[rick_2k]

how can blueyonder/ntl still offer unlimited.. i know people who whore there connection 24/7 and never even had a phonecall... somewhere down the line we must connect to BT or something? or am i wrong?

[RocketKnight]

No, that's cable not ADSL.

[rick_2k]

Yeah i know that but no where down the line does it connect to adsl/BT lines? sorry for the noob question

[Chicane]

cablle and adsl are 2 completely independant connections, BT doesnt interfere with NTL and vice versa.

eventually WAY down the line all connections inter-mingle thus the internet.

[Nightfly]

I have just moved to multiplay and i totally respect the decision to impose limits regardless of what BT is doing. I think people downloading some stuff that they really want is one thing but at the moment people are downloading stuff just for the sake of it. Download limits are a good thing if they make the internet slick for gamers again. If you want tv programs pay for sky.. If you want to watch films.. make some friends and go to the cinema. People who download as much as possible are like those fat chavs at an all you can eat buffet, with a mountain of food. Do you really want to be that person?!? In conclusion choosing a gaming a service for gaming is sensible. It's like going to a nice restaurant and only having 3 courses, tops. Choosing multiplay to download as much as you can for as little as possible is like being that tight-fisted charver at a buffet.. Rant over.. :P