New UTV Broadband prices

Malcolm

Originally posted by bk
I expect that they where waiting to see what Esat/IOL was going to do. You can see that IOL have released their new products over on the Broadband forum, so I'd expect some news fro mUTV in the next day or two.

Press release has been issued and new site will be live within the hour.

€29.99 - first sub €30 broadband in Ireland.

Malcolm Thompson
Operations Manager

eth0_

Originally posted by Malcolm
Press release has been issued and new site will be live within the hour.

€29.99 - first sub €30 broadband in Ireland.

Malcolm Thompson
Operations Manager

Sweet
Any cap/contention changes...and is that price ex-vat?

Eurorunner

I think its apt that UTV should be the ones to go sub €30 - the benchmark that we all considered would provide mass market appeal.

Well done UTV.

PiE

Nice.

But will you be doing the same as eircom and keeping the higher priced deal with lower contention/highercap/lower pings(hah) etc?

The Insider

Details here, nice 8 gb cap....

http://www.utvclicksilver.com/

bk

Originally posted by Malcolm
Press release has been issued and new site will be live within the hour.

€29.99 - first sub €30 broadband in Ireland.

Malcolm Thompson
Operations Manager

Hi Malcolm, thanks, I'll update the details on the IrelandOffLine site later today.

BTW Congratulations on introducing two excellent products, in particular the EUR30 product is a great breakthrough.

dahamsta

Heh, nice PR guys. Well, nasty, but I respect nasty.

I don't see any mention of contention ratios on the site, or paths for existing customers. Care to clarify?

adam

Malcolm

Originally posted by dahamsta
Heh, nice PR guys. Well, nasty, but I respect nasty.

I don't see any mention of contention ratios on the site, or paths for existing customers. Care to clarify?

adam

Contention Ratios are detailed in the Clicksilver site at http://www.utvclicksilver.com/clicksilver.asp

We will be sending an e-mail to all our existing customers later today or tomorrow giving them the option of choosing either of the new services. The migration options for each product will be by a simple selection in their private account sections. Existing customers will have until a specified date in March to make their choice, with the effective date 1st April.

We have worked to ensure that the migration process for existing customers is as easy and seamless as possible.

Malcolm Thompson
Operations Manager

MDR

Well done Malcolm et al,
another rabbit out of the hat !

MDR

Oh BTW,

I don't mean to critise or anything,
but the ads comparing Pears really great on me,
could you not have something along the lines of,
here is our great broadband product,
its 25% cheaper than Eircom ...
pears just confuse the whole thing ...

BendiBus

Any upload cap a la Eircom?

Are there any additional charges with CPS (such as a minimum call amount)?

machalla

Great news for all of us. One thing regarding signing up for Utv BB though is that the availability checker still requires an Eircom account number. I thought this had been done away with in the last cuple of months? Only a small thing.

parsi

eircom really take the biscuit:

go to website to do line check, get back message saying number of accesses by a particular indivdual (my IP address I imagine) has exceeded 120 and to contact 1901.

Ring 1901 spend a while on hold and told to go ring another number.. ring this one and get told that their system i sdown and try again in 2 hours...what a shower...

dahamsta

Originally posted by Malcolm
Contention Ratios are detailed in the Clicksilver site at http://www.utvclicksilver.com/clicksilver.asp

Umm, I'm not trying to be difficult, but where? I had already looked around the site, and another examination isn't popping anything up on my radar. Perhaps I'm going blind?

adam

tomk

You're right, Adam - they're not there. The only place I can see them is if you go through the migration process by signing into your account and clicking "New Services". The brief descriptions of the two services given there specify 48:1 for €30 and 24:1 for €45.

They should be on the website though - at the moment, only existing customers are getting this information.

I've just upgraded myself to the Plus service - totally painless, as long as you're prepared to accept a new 12 month contract.

mickger

Well done Malcolm and all at UTV. I'm sure these new offers will attract more people to your service than any other.
Will the people on the higher capped service have a better contention ratio than those on the lower capped service? I'm sure this will become an issue with more and more people signing up for broadband.

Mike

Malcolm

Originally posted by mickger
Well done Malcolm and all at UTV. I'm sure these new offers will attract more people to your service than any other.
Will the people on the higher capped service have a better contention ratio than those on the lower capped service? I'm sure this will become an issue with more and more people signing up for broadband.

Mike

My mistake.

They are on the site now against each product description.

To clarify the €29.99 product is at 48:1 and the €45 product is at 24:1.

Malcolm Thompson
UTV Internet

bk

Hi Malcolm,

I'm looking to update the broadband comparison chart on the IrelandOffLine website, but I need some details which aren't currently on your website. If you could answer these questions I'd be very grateful.

- How much does an engineer install cost?
- How much does an install on ISDN cost?
- Is the per MB charge still 1.5c for going over the cap?
- What type of modem is supllied with the two services (USB, USB/Ethernet or 4 port router)?

Thanks

MarVeL

One thought springs to mind. It appears that if you choose either option you commit to a new 12 month contract. What happens if you choose neither (which seems to be the only way to avoid a new contract) ?

hjr

Yeah, this is excellent news about UTV, worth waiting for. Unfortunately I live in sligo and I cant get it, but soon hopefully

LoBo

Originally posted by MarVeL
One thought springs to mind. It appears that if you choose either option you commit to a new 12 month contract. What happens if you choose neither (which seems to be the only way to avoid a new contract) ?

I imagine you keep paying your current €47.50 for the new €30 product (don't see any differences, are there any?).
The difference in price is enough that 7-8 months at 47.50 costs the same as 12 months at 30.00, so you probably might as well switch.

sceptre

I've split the pre-announcement stuff from this thread.

PcP

Malcolm could you please clarify if its required that people sign a new 12 month contract in order to take up either of the new services, and what happens with people who don't want a new contract.

I have 7 months left on my UTV contract. Where does this leave me?

Malcolm

Originally posted by PcP
Malcolm could you please clarify if its required that people sign a new 12 month contract in order to take up either of the new services, and what happens with people who don't want a new contract.

I have 7 months left on my UTV contract. Where does this leave me?

We are giving customers the option to select either of the new services and begin a new 12 month contract. If, for whatever reason customers do not wish to change their service and enter into a new tariff then they can remain on their existing contract at the €47.50 tariff per month.

Malcolm Thompson
UTV Internet

Mr. Fancypants

Dont see any mention of an upload cap on either of the products. Am i missing something? Or is there none?

PcP

Well in that case thanks but no thanks, I'll serve my time and be done with it.

mbroaders I dont know how relevant it is to the new offers but previously there was no upload cap on Clicksilver.

PiE

If we switch to ClickSilver Plus now, is it possible to switch to the regular ClickSilver service at a later time (if, for example, I see no improvement or advantages in the higher-priced service)?

Malcolm

Originally posted by PiE
If we switch to ClickSilver Plus now, is it possible to switch to the regular ClickSilver service at a later time (if, for example, I see no improvement or advantages in the higher-priced service)?

There is a downgrade charge for switching from the 24 to 1 service to the 48 to 1 service of €30.

Malcolm Thompson
UTV Internet

The Clown Man

Are these both 512k/128k connections? I don't see anywhere that specifies the speed...

mike65

Yipeeeeeeeeee!

As a humble surfer I really don't give a hoot about pings and ratios. I just want it all and I want it now! :eek:

Mike.

*now excuse me while I lie down* :ninja:

bk

Originally posted by The Clown Man
Are these both 512k/128k connections? I don't see anywhere that specifies the speed...

Yes, they are both RADSL 512k - 256k downstream and 128k upstream. This means that most people will get 512k, but if you are far from the exchange you it will drop to 256k, which is better then nothing.

In fact I've never heard of anyone only getting 256k, does anyone out there only get 256k?

Moriarty

It doesn't drop directly from 512kbit down to 256kbit, it scales to as much as the line will handle. Your connection will be somewhere between 256kbit and 512kbit, but wont necessarly be just one or the other. I'm unsure of the exact available stepping.

Cork

Is this broadband package available thru out the country?

Are there modem, installation costs etc?

must u take the UTV phone package with broadband?

rymus

Originally posted by Malcolm
There is a downgrade charge for switching from the 24 to 1 service to the 48 to 1 service of €30.

Is there a similar upgrade charge to go from the 48:1 to the 24:1?

sceptre

Originally posted by Cork
Is this broadband package available thru out the country?

Are there modem, installation costs etc?

must u take the UTV phone package with broadband?

All answered on the first page of the website linked to on page one of this thread.
www.utvclicksilver.com

The answers are "yes, if you can get broadband (checker available on the site)", "not for modem, yes for installation (€99, see the site)", "yes (see the site)"

This thread will be a lot more choherent than the FRIACO one (and we'll be more likely to get answers to the unusual questions from UTV) if people read the FAQ on the site first.

I'm interested in the answer to rymus's question myself as I've almost decided to just get this in.

Malcolm

Originally posted by sceptre
All answered on the first page of the website linked to on page one of this thread.
www.utvclicksilver.com

The answers are "yes, if you can get broadband (checker available on the site)", "not for modem, yes for installation (€99, see the site)", "yes (see the site)"

This thread will be a lot more choherent than the FRIACO one (and we'll be more likely to get answers to the unusual questions from UTV) if people read the FAQ on the site first.

I'm interested in the answer to rymus's question myself as I've almost decided to just get this in.

There is no charge to upgrade to the 24:1 package.

Malcolm Thompson
UTV Internet

Valentia

If, for whatever reason customers do not wish to change their service and enter into a new tariff then they can remain on their existing contract at the €47.50 tariff per month.

I think this is very unfair Malcolm. The €30 product is surely the same product made cheaper by the change in the wholesale drop. I have been a UTV customer from the start and have (had) no intention of moving but I feel very uncomfortable about this. I plan on going for the upgraded package so it wouldn't effect me anyway. Please rethink running the new deal concurrently with the old contract. It seems grossly unfair otherwise.

Kramer

Originally posted by Valentia
Please rethink running the new deal concurrently with the old contract. It seems grossly unfair otherwise.

Indeed it does

Basically being penalised for your past custom/loyalty. Curious also as to why this was delayed by a week, conveniently permitting UTV to charge the full existing rate until April 1st. I assume the wholesale rates are reduced from now & errorcon implimented their new charges from March 1st. The sceptic in me thinks the delay was deliberate. €17.50 x #X customers for March should add up to a tidy sum.

I've also been with UTV from the beginning, got Clicksilver the day the exchange was enabled last November & now am being asked to commit until April 2005.

More than happy to have DSL but very disappointed at the regular downtime, ongoing router issues (proxy anyone) & of late, poor customer service.

Looks like I'll be paying €17.50 over the odds for DSL till my contract expires - probably moving before the end of the year & can't commit till April 2005.

A disappointed Clicksilver user

dub45

Maybe this thread should be moved to RIP OFF IRELAND? :rolleyes:

Can you imagine the outcry on boards if Eircom tried a stunt like this?

P.S Valentia we have actually agreed on something at last:D

dahamsta

Gotta say I'm between a rock and a hard place meself with this. I'll be moving in the next few months and I'm already worried about having to argue with UTV about how much it'll cost to move my DSL connection. Pushing the contract out to a full 12 months at this stage is something I'd really like to avoid, yet it seems that the only other option available to me is to continue paying the higher price.

(I'd probably end up on the higher priced package anyway, but I would've preferred to avoid that until I moved. And isn't there a price differential anyway?)

All that being said, I still gotta say fair dues for the aggressive pricing. I hope you'll respond to feedback as you have in the past.

adam

jonski

Originally posted by Valentia
Please rethink running the new deal concurrently with the old contract. It seems grossly unfair otherwise.

I also agree on this point . UTV seem unable to sort out their ping problems and therefore gamers will not be willing to sign up for another 12 months . Show some goodwill , drop us to the lower priced product and use the time left on the contracts to sort out the ping/proxy issues .

I have 3 choices
1/ sign for another 12 months
2/ pay over the odds
3/ find a way out of my contract

I don't fancy any

John.

Malcolm

Originally posted by Valentia
I think this is very unfair Malcolm. The €30 product is surely the same product made cheaper by the change in the wholesale drop. I have been a UTV customer from the start and have (had) no intention of moving but I feel very uncomfortable about this. I plan on going for the upgraded package so it wouldn't effect me anyway. Please rethink running the new deal concurrently with the old contract. It seems grossly unfair otherwise.

From a UTV Internet perspective we are giving all existing customers as much choice as possible to accommodate their specific needs. We simply cannot reduce the price to €29.99 without customers entering into a new 12 month contract due to the extremely high costs in the initial activation that UTV Internet have had to bear.

The first customers activated had a €99 set-up fee and for that fee we had to supply a modem and pay an eircom installation fee of €181.50; or for customers from October to date we had to pay an eircom installation fee of up to €25 plus a modem and these customers got free installation, free modem and one months rental free.

Each broadband offer is based on a minimum 12 months contract and it is therefore unreasonable that a customer could get free installation, a free modem and one months rental free and then see the price reduced to a lower rate without committing to a new 12 month contract.

We always been upfront about the costs involved in bringing these products to market and the need for UTV Internet to make a profit to ensure that the products are sustainable.

We have worked very hard to bring competitive pricing and sustainable products to the market and this can be seen by the variety of products and pricing now available to consumers. We are not forcing new contracts on people but giving them choice.

In respect of people moving house, we have always dealt with these on a case by case basis. If customers move to another enabled area and wish to renew their service with UTV Internet we have strived to work out an agreement to accommodate them.


Malcolm Thompson
UTV Internet

dub45

The first customers activated had a €99 set-up fee and for that fee we had to supply a modem and pay an eircom installation fee of €181.50; or for customers from October to date we had to pay an eircom installation fee of up to €25 plus a modem and these customers got free installation, free modem and one months rental free.

UTV did not 'have' to supply a modem or charge a below cost set up fee that is the way they chose to compete in the market. UTV chose to compete on certain grounds they are not a charity and are in it to make a profit just like Eircom and they must have considered that competing in that way would be profitable.

They are also now choosing not to pass on their wholesale savings for the first month of the new wholesale prices.

The first customers activated are the ones without whom there would not be a clicksilver service and dont forget that many of them were messed about big time by UTV.

It is ofen forgotten now but look back on the support newsgroup and see how much of a mess there was in the initial set up of Clicksilver on UTV's part.

The only choice being given to existing customers who may be having second thoughts about sticking with UTV, as a result of UTV's poor service particularly recently, is to go with a new contract for 12 months or pay over the odds for the remainder of your contract.

Who's to say that with rapid developements now happening with broadband that in six months time there wont be another development which will necessitate being tied into a futher 12 month contract?

Now again if Eircom were to pull that sort of stunt can you imagine the outcry on boards?

Note there is no mention anywhere so far of UTV putting in extra resources to deal with the new business which will inevitably follow on from the sub 30 euro pricing and UTV admitted last year that they were underresourced to deal with what they had taken on.

silent

well said dub45

I'd like to add that I'm certainly not happy about the necessity of tying to another 12 months. Basically we current UTV subscribers get the same deal as new customers even though they have to spend a lot less on us - we need no new modem and splitters, no new installation and a reduced (if one at all) fee that utv pays to eircom compared to a new user. Yet we are expected to pay the same and be tied to the same 12 month contract. I say no. Either allow us to continue our current 12 months and try to keep us by providing a good service or you see a large number of current users very angry.

Given the amount of problems with clicksilver in the last months and some severe issues, not to forget the ongoing pings issue and lack of support and care from utv themselves I'd say that many people are not going to take such a service much longer. Hell, I'd be gone in a heartbeat if only the other operators had capable billing (esat) or slightly better product (eircom).

UTV is still the best ISP in ireland IMHO however the margin to your competion is getting slimmer and given the track record of problems in the past months does not inspire a lot of confidence to stay with you for the present users.

Urban Weigl

They are also now choosing not to pass on their wholesale savings for the first month of the new wholesale prices.

First off 29.99 is by far the lowest price of any ADSL provider in Ireland. Secondly, Eircom are actually CHARGING them (or any ISP for that matter) to change to the cheaper wholesale price. I think that is the reason why they are charging people (a very low fee) to change to the new package.

If Eircom on the other hand had changed the wholesale price instead of changing the contention and introducing a totally new broadband wholesale price (which ISP's would need to switch users to individually and also bill those ISP's for doing that), I am sure they would have done what you are suggesting.

So really, you should be calling Eircom to complain, rather than UTV, from my understanding of things.

Valentia

While I fully congratulate UTV on their initiative to introduce a sub €30 product I still don't understand why a new contract is necessary. Aren't UTV able to adopt this price because of the drop in wholesale prices? Am I missing something? OK their margins may have tightened a bit on the old product but that surely is their choice in a competitive market.

I don't understand your logic Martin. It seems to me that by insisting on keeping people that don't want to start a new 12 months contract on the old price that the extra money is cream for UTV and increases their margin on these accounts enormously. Surely you hadn't budgeted for that. I fail to see how allowing people migrate under their old contract will seriously effect your returns if those returns are based on the wholeprice at a given time. Is it just me or what?

Is the new €30 product the same as the old product with the margins squeezed a bit?

Ripwave

Originally posted by Valentia
I don't understand your logic Martin. It seems to me that by insisting on keeping people that don't want to start a new 12 months contract on the old price that the extra money is cream for UTV and increases their margin on these accounts enormously. Surely you hadn't budgeted for that.

The "payback" for the upfront investment UTV have to make for each new customer isn't paid off over 12 months. So any customer who indicates that they don't intend to stay beyond the initial 12 months would normally cost UTV money. In this case, UTV have an opportunity to recoup some of their losses by retaining the wholesale savings.

Some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about.

jonski

Originally posted by Ripwave
Some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about.

This may or may not be true depending on the circumstances . I don't fancy signing up for a further 12 months if i can't ping servers properly to play my games ( which is why I got b/b in the first place).
Nor do I fancy paying over the odds for the next 4 months just because I was loyal and stayed with UTV last year .

John.

dahamsta

Originally posted by Ripwave
Some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about.

I don't think that's fair Ripwave. One particular comment (by silent) is very valid imho: Existing contract holders are already paying for / have paid for most of their modems and (assuming that UTV isn't being billed to transfer customer to these new accounts) setup fees via their monthly fees. If UTV is paying less per month for these customers, the price on the existing product should come down a little; and the term contracts on switched products should be shorter. Comparing an existing customer and a new customer is like comparing apples and oranges.

Martin, good to hear that house moves are taken on a case by case basis, thanks for clarifying that. Can you confirm or deny that UTV has to pay a transfer fee for existing customers (to the new products)?

adam

Valentia

In this case, UTV have an opportunity to recoup some of their losses by retaining the wholesale savings.

Opportunistic is a word that comes to mind.

Some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about.

I think this may be true in some cases but to associate it with my comment is unfair. I don't usually use a public forum to sort out problems. I do that through support but has Martin himself has taken this thread a a means of communicating with his customers I think it is appropriate to comment here. As I have said I believe the €30 product is the same as the present one so the contract should be concurrent.

the corpo

i'm a little uncomfortable about the contract situation also.
i'm more than happy to pay the fee to drop down to the 29.99 option but i don't think tying me to a new contract with utv is fair.
being one of those customers who paid the 99 connection fee shortly before it was waived this now seem a penalty too far