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Thursday 27 November 2008

Yes, it really is as crap as we have been saying

Isn't it strange how we Brits work? The customers can complain all they want about the state of broadband in the UK, but it takes a report by the ONS for people to sit up and listen. All except the regulators, of course.

At what point will the true reality of the broadband situation in the UK finally be realised, and the telcos' lies, damned lies and moronic advertising campaigns be revealed to all and sundry? As well as ofcom, BSG, industry quangos, government think tanks, and all the rest's preposterous kerb crawling on this issue be stopped?

How hard can it be for actual speeds to be assessed on a national, customer level basis? After all, if we can run small apps on people's home computers to look for aliens (SETI@Home etc) then surely we can run a similar app to test people's actual speeds?

This country has lost itself in many ways, as we all know. I only really care about broadband, my business and my kids' education and future, but they are all intimately tied together for me as an Internet Marketer, reliant on my connection to work, progress and develop my company, and therefore run my home. (Which is of course why I started all this campaigning a very long 13 years ago).

The economic case for FTTH has long ago been proven, and the fact that so many people are dissatisfied with their connectivity has been apparent for a long time. Not just the speeds and quality of service, but ISPs customer service too. It is though now so hard to make a complaint about your broadband to _anyone_ that, judging by the number of calls I personally get to try and resolve problems in my village alone, everyone has given up trying the ISPs and Ofcom. When the BBC ran a quick survey on broadband, it turned out to be the most intensive, responded to article they have EVER run on their website.

Whoever gets FTTH in first, with decent customer service, preferably owned and managed by its users, will win this endgame. End of. We are all heartily sick of the telcos, of Ofcom failing to grasp or even clutch at the straws of reality, of Government pratting around bailing out banks and financial institutions with shedloads more of our money than would be required to FTTH even the most remote farmhouse, and all the rest of the wastage and idiocy going on.

In my letter going up the chimney, it clearly says, "Please, Santa, I have been very, very good this year (again). Please, please, please can I have broadband now? 100Mbps symmetrical. I will share it with others if I really have to, and I'm happy to dig for it. I really have waited more than long enough now and been incredibly patient. Please?"

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Sometimes i truly do feel like banging my head against a brick wall being british, We love to moan but fail to stand up and do anything about it god only knows how we once ruled the world.

Anyway i live in a semi rural area of shropsire, i am far enough out of the city to have my peace but im not miles away from people. Looking out my windows i can see about 200-300 house all of which i could hit with my gun so there not far away.

But i do live quite some km away from my exchange i believe my line is rated at 2mb but i only get about 1mb.

My hobbies include being a hardcore gamer and my job is web designer and developer but im still currently in college for the web stuff.

I have already started to look for places to try for jobs over seas in places like japan and korea as i honestly believe nothing will ever get any better here.

My job/ My hobbies all require a good solid and fast internet connection and right now this country does not offer it unless you live in london which i have done and TBH id rather cut off my own balls then live there again.


I just wish people in this country would wake up and see that FTTH would sort out 99% of all our Broadband problems but alas here we are taking it like good little lemmings.

I mean no offence by this but my friend lives in sweeden and i was over there a few months back, she lives well and truly in the middle of nowhere and her broadband is broadband i just dont get it.

Good luck to everyone out there and keep on fighting or blow the bt tower i dunno i personally have just had enough of waiting.