Broadband News

New packages from Eclipse

Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk

Three new packages have been launched by Eclipse broadband, replacing its old Home and Evolution broadband packages (12-05-08).

The new packages from Eclipse (www.Eclipse.net.uk) - which won the Best Consumer ISP award at the 2008 ISPA awards - are Home Lite, Home Select and Home Pro.

A new feature on Eclipse’s home broadband is a “Traffic Controller” that allows you to personalise your broadband connection to prioritise access to different types of internet traffic such as email, web browsing, peer-to-peer networks or online gaming.

The new tool allows you to improve your broadband performance using a simple, easy to use online control panel to balance your household’s broadband needs.

Mark Thomas, head of sales and marketing at Eclipse, said: “We believe these services will provide our customers with an unparalleled online experience. For the first time, broadband users will be able to customise their service to suit their usage - so home workers can optimise their broadband to achieve the best possible connection to their company VPN, for example, while online gamers can prioritise gaming over other applications.”

Home Lite costs £9.95 a month for the first three months, £13.95 thereafter and comes with a 1GB download allowance and speeds of up to 8Mb. However, hardware isn’t free and it has an 18 month minimum contract.

Home Select costs £17.95 a month with speeds of up to 8Mb, a 10GB monthly download allowance, and the option of either a rolling month by month contract or a 12 month contract. Customers who sign up for 12 months will get a free router.

Home Pro costs £29.95 a month but comes with a whopping 50GB download allowance, up to 8Mb connection speed and the choice of a one or 12 month contract. Those willing to sign a 12 month contract will get a free wireless router.

Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “Eclipse’s new ‘Traffic Controller’ tool is great for anyone who is sick of having their peer-to-peer or online gaming throttled by their ISP.

“The increasing popularity of programs like the BBC iPlayer - which uses a legal peer-to-peer file sharing network - means that more and more people will be looking for an ISP that gives them the best possible service, and although these packages are more expensive than some competitor’s, it doesn’t get much better than broadband that you can control and shape to your personal needs.”

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