They don’t want to admit the fact that millions of people in the uk use p2p sharing services, so they specify in the fair use clause, that only a tiny percentage of their customers use them, and therefore will be shaped. How exactly do they know how many people use p2p services?? They are using wishful thinking as far as i can see, they think if they ignore the ‘problem’, it will just go away and they wont have to invest in their bandwidth.

And yes, most uk isps currently try and max out their customer subscription base, then worry about bandwidth years down the line. Unfortunately, that leaves it’s customers in a rather precarious position. Usually, this means slow speeds, regular outages, and diabolical customer services (if you can actually talk to someone at all). Not to mention the dreaded 12/24 month contract lock-in.

I can see there will be a revolt at some point. A new service will come along and knock the current self-proclaimed market leaders off their positions, and they wont know what hit them. All the years of substandard service and traffic shaping will be rewarded with bankruptcy.

I’m hoping it will be the new power line broadband (if it ever comes). That would completely eliminate the need to use bt/secondary provider. It also makes sense because every home in the uk already has a power line infrastructure, removing the need to install bt telephone lines.

- Ben

The announcement of the new rules was a puff piece designed to get into the press to show they are doing something. The media then moves onto the next story and Ofcom forgets it made the announcement and nothing changes for the customers.

Rincewind.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6407925.stm

Well done OFCOM!