Ian Morris
Ian Morris loves televisions so much he's been banned from wedding chapels in Las Vegas for trying to marry them. When he's not romancing technology, he can be found watching American TV. Ian likes roast potatoes, but he doesn't like digital rights management.
Tuesday 18 March 2008, 12:51pm
Unlimited broadband isn't dead
For a years now, ISPs have advertised their Internet offerings as 'unlimited', even if what they mean is, "We'll watch you like a hawk, and the first time you download some video we'll send you a letter and then cut you off." Well, apparently the time will soon come when no ISP calls their offering unlimited, and we all pay for what we use.
Of course, as someone who downloads plenty of content, I'm opposed to the idea of getting an allowance each month of a few dozen gigabytes. I'm also doubtful that the consumer will understand usage limits. It's not like using a phone, where you can easily track the amount of minutes you're using. No one knows how much a streaming video uses, because the site doesn't generally tell you, or it's open-ended.
All of this has come about because of the way Internet access works in the UK. Basically, whether you buy your access from PlusNet, BT or most other ISPs, you're generally using BT's network to transmit and receive data. BT invested in the infrastructure in the first place, so it charges others a decent sum of money to use it.
The answer for people who want to download more than a few lolcats has to be LLU providers, who don't rely on the BT network. I recently asked Be how it was capable of offering unlimited access and it responded, "[Our customers] can surf as much as they like and make the most of bandwidth-heavy services like the BBC iPlayer without worrying about being charged more. Services like iPlayer are what we planned for right from the start. With an actively managed core ring and continually improved redundancy in the network, we can give our members the sort of service others struggle to provide."
So, we can have unlimited usage, we just have to make sure we get it from an ISP with an actively managed core ring. Phew.
Articles by Ian Morris
Sharp Aquos LC-32XL8E: Slimline 32-inch 1080p LCD
Crave If you simply must have a 1080p TV, and only have space for a 32-incher, why not consider the Sharp LC-32XL8? It's compact but still capable of producing a full HD picture
Philips Cineos 42PFL9703
Review The Philips Cineos 42PFL9703 is the 42-inch version of the next generation of Ambilight LCD TVs, with more rear-mounted lights than ever before to enhance your movie-watching experience. With four HDMI inputs, full 1080p and cleverly designed speakers, this is a high-end TV worthy of the name
Sony RDR-HXD995: Jack of all trades, master of set-top boxes
Crave If your living room is sweltering from the combined heat output of dozens of boxes, check out a Sony DVD player that'll upscale to 1080p and record Freeview to a hard drive
Panasonic Viera TX-32LXD80: 720p LCD TV bargain
Crave If you're looking to enjoy glorious HD content, the Panasonic Viera TX-32LXD80 promises to delight those with no interest in selling a kidney to finance a new TV purchase
LG DP391B: A work of art that happens to play DVDs
Crave We think LG has cracked the portable DVD player with its newest baby, the DP391B, which crams amazing features into a sleek and funky looking box
Jamo A 402 HCS: 5.1 speakers with bonus marital harmony
Crave Speaker systems cause at least 40 per cent of all divorces. Probably. So why not prevent a costly breakup by simply buying some speakers that aren't as ugly as a shaved cat
Panasonic DMR-EX88
Review The Panasonic DMR-EX88 comes with a high-end price tag, but its features are certainly up to scratch. A Freeview recorder PVR with a massive 400GB hard drive and a DVD recorder built in, it will also play Xvid and DivX files and upscale your DVDs. That should clear out some space under the TV
Philips 42PFL9703: 1080p LCD TV with multiple glowing bits
Crave If you want to be immersed in your on-screen entertainment, you'll no doubt be keen to hear about Philips' new Ambilight TVs, which have a three-sided glowy goodness
