The Unlimited Con (aka Fair Usage Policy)

Question

I got one of the dreaded "you are nearing your download limit and we are going to slap you and put your speed down" messages today.
As ever it is from a "do not reply to this e-mail address" type address as obviously they couldn't deal with the amount of mails they got back.
In the mail they told me that they will throttle me back to 1Mb. I have written to them to congratulate them on this as this is faster than I get at many times during the day anyway and if they can do this I would be grateful.
I am really really mad with them as the service I get from BT is woeful. I have given up complaining about my download speeds over the last few years. What really sticks in my throat is that the exchange we have is in need of huge moderisation (as we can't access any other providers premium services) and the lines in my estate were put into the ground unconduited and are breaking down regularily. BT refuse to sort the problem properly. It is well know that when we have a problem with our phones in this area and when we contact BT a red Batphone style thing rings and all the local engineers dive under their desks.
My main problem is that I have the following connected to my network:
4 laptops
3 iPhones
1 Apple TV
1 iMac
1 PS3
2 Xboxes
1 iPad
Whilst I appreciate that not all of them are connected at the one time, having all the family in at the one time can be quite destructive on the bandwith.
What I would like answered is the following:
1. How can I make BT fix our local lines propely. I am paying as much as anybody else and their infrastructure is woeful.
2. Is calling the product that was sold to me as "Unlimited" not illegal. I am thinking about lodging a complaint with the ASA regarding it. It is NOT unlimited. It should be advertised as Unlimited but Limited. If BT advertised their product properly there would be no comeback. If there were no companies that delivered Unlimited services then it may be different but there are companies that are truly "Unlimited".
3. How can I get BT to update the local exchange so that I can access other providers? I am paying more due to their imcompetence.
4. Can someone guide me to the service (programmes or websites) where BT give you access to your bandwith totals (real time) so that you can monitor it.

Answer 1

hamish72 wrote:
You can still download as much as you can only a lot slower during peak times off peak will not be restricted.
Thanks for this explanation. I had taken it that it was at all times.
As I said in the first place it will be great if they throttle me to 1Mb at peak times as it will be better half the time than I am getting anyway!!!!!!!!!
hamish72 wrote:
Have you chased up why your line is so bad, long way from exchange and so on
Posting your router stats may get advice from someone
enter for homehub for other routers will differ
192.168.1.254 in browser click A to Z top right
then ADSL enter pas and click MORE DETAIL
POST RESULTS
Also post results of test at ( best done from master test socket)
http://speedtester.bt.com/
Connection Information
Line state
Connected
Connection time
6 days, 11:57:55
Downstream
5,760 Kbps
Upstream
448 Kbps
ADSL Settings
VPI/VCI
0/38
Type
PPPoA
Modulation
G.992.1 Annex A
Latency type
Interleaved
Noise margin (Down/Up)
5.7 dB / 21.0 dB
Line attenuation (Down/Up)
44.6 dB / 24.0 dB
Output power (Down/Up)
8.9 dBm / 1.6 dBm
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote)
0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote)
0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote)
0 / 0
FEC Errors (Down/Up)
25279 / 134
CRC Errors (Down/Up)
700 / 196
HEC Errors (Down/Up)
5427 / 142
Error Seconds (Local/Remote)
477 / 102