Broadband News
Football fans warned over broadband download limits
Friday, 11 June 2010
By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
The World Cup is upon us but footie fans looking to watch games online have been warned to watch their download limits if they want to avoid excess charges and speed throttling.
Fans can now watch the action at home, at work, even outside if they have a mobile broadband connection - and ITV has even launched an app to allow iPhone and iPad customers to watch games live on their phones.
| A significant number of people are now more likely to be tuning in through their broadband connection |
But many viewers may be unaware they are at risk of breaching the download limit or fair usage policy of their broadband provider and landing themselves with speed throttling or a hefty fine, warned Broadbandchoices.co.uk today.
“The convenience of internet TV coupled with the immense popularity of the World Cup games means a significant number of people are now more likely to be tuning in through their broadband connection, said Michael Phillips, Broadbandchoices.co.uk product director.
“Unfortunately this also raises concerns over download limits and fair usage policies. Streaming just one world cup match in HD alone will use up around 2.4GB, but with over 50 games scheduled to be broadcast in June, online football fans could easily breach the terms of their contract.
“Any football fan who experiences speed throttling will find it seriously impairs their viewing experience,” he added. “Furthermore, those who breach the terms of their broadband download limit may find themselves paying anything up to £1 per additional GB downloaded - with over 60 games to watch in total, this will mount up very quickly.
“We strongly urge any World Cup viewers planning to watch through their broadband connection to check with their broadband provider before downloading any content. Even if they have an ‘unlimited’ package there are still likely to be rules in place they must adhere to.”
Install our free Broadband Download Monitor to track your usage and make sure that you never exceed your limit.
“Some providers like BE (www.Bethere.co.uk) or O2 (www.O2.co.uk) are designed with heavy downloaders in mind. Although their ‘unlimited’ packages come with fair usage policies attached, both ISPs are more generous with their allowances than most.
“The top packages from Sky (www.Sky.com) and Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) have no download limits or traffic management policies attached. Ultimately, you need to compare what is available in your area using an Ofcom-accredited comparison calculator to find the best deal for you,” concluded Phillips.
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