Broadband News
O2 tightens up traffic management policy
Thursday, 09 September 2010
By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
O2 broadband (www.O2.co.uk) has introduced tougher traffic management policies on its three new broadband packages.
.Offending traffic will be slowed to as little as 50kb at peak times on O2’s The Basics package, which also has a 20GB monthly download allowance.
O2’s new traffic management policies will slow down to streamed content, such as the BBC iPlayer, on The Basics and The All Rounder packages - no matter what time of day you go online.
The Basics customers will see streamed video slowed to 800kb. The Basics package is ideal for running “one decent standard iPlayer session,” said O2.
The All Rounder customers, who enjoy “unlimited broadband”, subject to a fair usage policy, will have an 8Mb speed limit applied to any YouTube videos or online TV services. O2 said that The All Rounder package is “ideal for one to two higher quality iPlayer sessions running at once”.
No streaming restrictions are being applied to The Works package - though access to peer-to-peer content (P2P) will be throttled at peak times.
P2P content will face even tougher restrictions than streaming traffic, with peak time connections being slowed to as little as 50kb for The Basics customers.
The basics customers will be able to download P2P content at 100kb during off-peak hours - which run from midnight until 4pm during the week and midnight until midday at weekends.
The All Rounder package will see P2P traffic restricted to 100kb at peak times and 250kb during off-peak hours when less people are online.
Even customers signed-up to The Works package will have P2P content restricted during peak hours, with traffic slowed to 250kb between 4pm and midnight during the week and midday and midnight at weekends. Content will not be throttled at off-peak times though. According to O2, The Works package is “ideal for multiple, higher quality iPlayer sessions running at same time”.
Michael Phillips, Broadbandchoices.co.uk product director, said: “Although O2 has tightened up its traffic management policy, it still offers generous fair usage download allowances on The All Rounder and The Works packages.
“The provider offers some of the cheapest broadband and home phone bundles on the market - and its £5 monthly discount for existing mobile customers makes it a great value choice. It has also won the Broadbandchoices.co.uk customer satisfaction awards for the last two years running.
“It is also known for its high standards of customer service and free, UK-based call centres, which all add to O2’s appeal” added Phillips.
Compare broadband packages
| The Basics (O2 mobile customers only) | The Basics + Evening and Weekend calls (O2 mobile customers only) | The Works + Evening and Weekend calls (O2 mobile customers only) | The All Rounder + Evening and Weekend calls (O2 mobile customers only) | ||||
| Monthly charge | £8.50 | £8.50 | £10.50 for 12 months Half-price broadband Ends Soon | £6.25 for 12 months Half-price broadband Ends Soon | |||
| Speed (up to) | 16Mb | 16Mb | 16Mb | 16Mb | |||
| Usage limit | 20GB | 20GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||
| Contract length | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months | |||
Call O2 on 0800 954 1408 | Call O2 on 0800 954 1408 | Call O2 on 0800 954 1408 | Call O2 on 0800 954 1408 |
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