BT throttles 24Mbit when used 2% of possible monthly traffic

Thomas.K

Good evening,

I feel like sharing my worries about BT Ireland, or irish providers in general, with you.

My Wife and I moved from Germany to Ireland two years ago. We recently got the 24Mbit line from BT Ireland. After using it for 2 weeks, we got throttled down to a speed that we can't even check our emails anymore.
We have used 100GB in 2 weeks. Okay for the avarage user that might sound like an awfull lot, but as I will show you below, thats not even 2% of what a 24Mbit line could use on traffic in a month.
My Wife and I we have our own little Freelance business going on, apart from our real jobs. So far we had rented a little one room office in Dublin City centre where there was a 50Mbit line with Unlimited Traffic included.
But since we have the freelance business just on the side, we cant afford the office anymore.

We make a daily back up of 4GB of our Server files, and upload/download loads of websites, graphics etc.

But yesterday BT throttled the connection down to an unusable speed.

We called BT and explained them why we need more than 100GB traffic, and also offered to buy the traffic for an additional fee in advance.
But it seemed that they did not care at all. They said its all automatically done, cant buy more traffic, nor could they tell us when we will have our full speed back.


We are really upset with BT and are thinking of alternatives.

Here our thoughts in the 24Mbit Line:
A 1Mbit line, if used 24/7 for a 30 Day period can generate 250GB on traffic.
A 24Mbit line, if used 24/7 for a 30 Day period can generate 7500GB on traffic.
So 100GB for a 24Mbit line is nothing. Its 2% of its actuall monthly capacity.

Bottom line BT Ireland throttles the line if more than 2% of its capacity on traffic is used! And they call that Unlimited Traffic (with fair usage policy).
In Germany and most other European countries the traffic limit has been removed 5 years ago or even longer, why does Ireland have to be the exeptions once again?

Does anybody know of a real unlimited traffic provider with 20Mbit or more?



Thank you

Thomas

GalwayKiefer

I live in Galway and have UPC's 20mb connection with no cap. I download about 100 to 150gb a month and have had no problems with throttling. My connection averages 15-18mb down and .7 to 1mb up, which I'm quite happy with. No commercial use though according to the T+Cs. I've heard of others with problems with the same package but i'm just giving my 2cent. Probably wouldn't be too much use to you if you're uploading that much (4gb) a day though.

Thomas.K

Thank you. The upload is not 4GB, thats just the Server backup. 16GB have been uploaded in the past 2 weeks, and 100GB downloaded.

We were actually thinking of getting NTL as an addition to our BT Broadband.
But I just read somewhere that if we would use a business package, there wouldnt be any thorttling at all.

But it seems BTs Business Website is confusing, cant really find much information.

CutzEr

Thomas.K wrote: »

Thank you. The upload is not 4GB, thats just the Server backup. 16GB have been uploaded in the past 2 weeks, and 100GB downloaded.

We were actually thinking of getting NTL as an addition to our BT Broadband.
But I just read somewhere that if we would use a business package, there wouldnt be any thorttling at all.

But it seems BTs Business Website is confusing, cant really find much information.

Yep, if you go with a buisness package from BT and such, it actually is unlimited, no throttling at all..

However, Smart are ALOT ALOT ALOT better than any other telecom provider in Ireland, so I would check if it is available in your area [http://www.smarttelecom.ie/]

Ireland is extremely notorios for horribile 'broadband'.

I could say with .. 90% confidence that we have the worst internet in Europe.

GalwayKiefer

http://business.btireland.ie/prod_serve_business_bb.html
Seems to offer a proper small business package with true unlimited usage.

Smart must have picked up a lot since I left them last year, their customer service was as good as upc's is and I could never get a decent speed during normal business hours. It'd take me half an hour to check my emails before 5 - 6pm, lightning fast after that but thats not what I was paying for.

Agree with you totally on Ireland's bb compared to the rest of Europe CutzEr - price wise as well as penetration & service provided (I know people still using dial-up ffs).

sdanseo

OP, you are subject to a fair use policy which will no doubt be hidden somewhere in the depths of the BT Ireland website. With UPC for example, throttling begins at 250GB on the 20Mb package.

Have a look or ring up - for a 24Mb line 100GB or even 200GB given you're halfway through the month seems stupid.

Sponge Bob

BT Business BB will also throttle . Do not go there either.

The sad thing about BT is that nobody seems to know 'who' runs the throttling system and can override it where a genuine mistake occurs as in Thomas thinking 'unlimited' means unlimited just because the dictionary defines it as uncapped and emm actually without a limit .

He will be throttled for 30 days now

Magnet: Rory

In all honesty....I may have to check back on this but i have never once heard of us (Magnet) throttling.

L31mr0d

Thomas.K wrote: »

We were actually thinking of getting NTL as an addition to our BT Broadband.
But I just read somewhere that if we would use a business package, there wouldnt be any thorttling at all.

Cut loose of BT now tbh. I had nothing but headaches trying to disconnect my business BB from them. I rang, requested it be disconnected, they agreed and said it would be processed immediately and no further action on my part would be needed. A few months later I get a call asking why I had not paid my BT bill from the last few months and why my direct debit had been cancelled :mad: they then required me to jump to multiple hoops of sending emails, faxes, calling them... etc. I eventually caved, paid the stupid bill just to be done with them.

Moved to UPC and apart from some initial roll out issues, I've been sitting pretty since. I get on average 2.2MB/s down on their 20Mb line. I'd download in excess of 300GBs some months and have never heard a word about throttling or capping.

jor el

Thomas.K wrote: »

Does anybody know of a real unlimited traffic provider with 20Mbit or more?

At that speed, Smart is the only one I'm aware of. There is a fair use policy, but I've never heard of anyone finding out what that is, and there has been mention of people doing over 1TB without issue. eircom business don't (or so I believe) throttle, but higher than 7Mbps will cost your dearly. As mentioned already, UPC will cut you off at 250GB, but that doesn't seem to be applied universally. I know of one guy at work who was cut off last month at the 250GB mark.

Magnet: Rory

Ok I checked back.....

Magnet would only do this in extremely rare and exceptional cases (We have never even done it before) but by all accounts 100GB is well within our fair usage policy and we would provide a 24Mb service in a large amount of areas.

Just in case anyone was of the mind that all ADSL2+ providers are throttling.

Terra

I had the exact same problem with BT.

They Actually throttle you after your download/upload about 80 gigs or so.

This is not really acceptable to me, not with that speed, there fair usage policy is very far from fair.

What makes it worse its automatic so nothing can be done too resolve it over the phone. Unless your lucky and you get one of the guys(very few) that know how to over ride it.

Anyways I just changed, if smart is in your area...just go for them they are way ahead of BT in terms of service and speed.

But just stay away from BT, their policies on caps just really suck.

I mean how can they say unlimited with their is an automatic limit of 80 gigs. Why can they just advertise an 80gig cap so at least we know what we are getting.

I wouldn't mind bringing this up with comreg if anyone is interested in joining me. As it really is false advertising saying Unlimited and then introducing a very very unfair fair usage policy!!!

Sponge Bob

The only ADSL2 carrier know to throttle @100gb is BT

The other ADSL2 carriers have been known to tell mega hogs to go away , I believe a mega hog is in the order of well over 200Gb of traffic a month , every month .

Other considerations were the effect on other users in the area and whether they could take a polite hint first .

I understand that they had to be persistent megahogs who simply would not listen !

Magnet: Rory

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The only ADSL2 carrier know to throttle @100gb is BT

The other ADSL2 carriers have been known to tell mega hogs to go away , I believe a mega hog is in the order of well over 200Gb of traffic a month , every month .

Other considerations were the effect on other users in the area and whether they could take a polite hint first .

I understand that they had to be persistent megahogs who simply would not listen !

I dont believe Magnet have ever told any of these guys to cut down their usage.

jor el

Terra wrote: »

This is not really acceptable to me, not with that speed, there fair usage policy is very far from fair.

I've been saying this for a long time. Over the last few years, BT have increased speeds from 3Mbps, to 7 and 24Mbps, but their cap has effectively reduced. They used to not do anything about over use, even using ove 100GB on the 3Mbps package was fine. Now, they throttle at 80-100GB, even on a 24Mbps line. 24Mbps could get you 260MB in one day, let alone 30 days.

Try Comreg if you like, but I wouldn't hold my breath. They'll just use the "we have a fair use policy" which allows them to state anything they like, but have a get out of jail free clause so that they don't have to follow through. This is a perfectly acceptable industry standard, and Comreg will not do anything about it, no matter how ridiculously low the fair use is.

Having the same fair use limit for 3M, 7M and 24M is the stupidest thing about it.

dangerousdavid

I have had BT for under 2 months, in that time I have downloaded well over 200gb and never been throttled.

Cabaal

Sponge Bob wrote: »

BT Business BB will also throttle . Do not go there either.

Really?
I used them for 18 months and never had issues, prior to that I shared a BT business line with 5 people and it was maxed out 24/7 for 2 years solid.

Never throttled...must be new thjing

dub45

Given their overall attitude to customers (and I see above their billing dept is still messing people about) how do BT manage to survive at all?:rolleyes:

Sponge Bob

They introduced throttling over a year ago .

http://www.btireland.ie/legalUsage.shtml

5. What happens if I exceed my monthly usage allowance?

If you exceed your usage allowance your service speeds will be restricted until your measured usage returns within the package limits. There is no monthly usage allowance for Option 3 customers and you can enjoy unlimited usage for no extra charge subject to the Fair Usage Policy.

so what is that again ??

There is no hard and fast usage limit that determines if you are a heavy user as the parameters that determine heavy use vary with the demands placed on the network at that given time. If you have a query about fair usage related restrictions on your line please call us on 1800 923 923

BT reserves the right to take such action as it deems appropriate against customers who violate any conditions of the Acceptable Usage Policy. In such cases, services may be limited, interrupted or terminated.

Clear as mud that . But HARK! is that a Freefone Number ?

Terra

I'm with utv about a week now, because of BT's crappy throttling... I just had to change.

So I got changed over from BT to UTV last monday

But get this.... My broadband got completely cut off yesterday... I rang utv and they investigated and just found out that BT just ceased my broadband line with eircom....now UTV have too reorder my line with eircom.

NOT NICE...!!!! As I'm now with UTV, how can they get away with doing that!

dub45

Terra wrote: »

I'm with utv about a week now, because of BT's crappy throttling... I just had to change.

So I got changed over from BT to UTV last monday

But get this.... My broadband got completely cut off yesterday... I rang utv and they investigated and just found out that BT just ceased my broadband line with eircom....now UTV have too reorder my line with eircom.

NOT NICE...!!!! As I'm now with UTV, how can they get away with doing that!

How did you go about the transfer?

JohnC.

Sponge Bob wrote: »

He will be throttled for 30 days now

When did this start? It used to be until you went back under 100GB, didn't it?

Terra

dub45 wrote: »

How did you go about the transfer?

Called bt and advised them that i will be taking my business elsewere

Called utv to transfer the account.....

Called BT to advised them that I'm transfering to UTV and also to make sure I won't get any bills from BT after I'm transfered.

Monday - was transfered to UTV - Everything working fine with utv settings- Yesterday got completely cut off due to BT ceasing the line with Eircom.

cpu-dude

Kahless wrote: »

When did this start? It used to be until you went back under 100GB, didn't it?

He's wrong, it is the average of the rolling 30 days and business customers don't get throttled...

Blindpew

It's not a new thing with them, they gave me huge grief last year from the end of Mar untill I left them in August.
If you download a 100gb in two weeks they will throttle you for the next 16 days. By this time it will be 30days and you will have gotten 100gb. Then on the 31st day if you download 10gb but only downloaded 5gbs 30 days previously you will be throttled again as you will have downloaded 105 gb in 30 days. I got throttled every second day untill I left them.
UPC don't throttle after 250gb, they just write you a letter informing you that movement to an extreme package, so extreme that it doesn't even offically exist, or else extermination is imminent if you exceed 250gb again in a month.

godskitchen

Blindpew wrote: »

or else extermination is imminent if you exceed 250gb again in a month.

Thats a bit extreem...... What will they do? Send the T-1000?

Thomas.K

Thomas.K wrote: »

Good evening,

snip

We make a daily back up of 4GB of our Server files, and upload/download loads of websites, graphics etc.

snip

Thomas

So that alone is approx. 120 GB a month. Do you really need total daily backup? How about a full backup once a month with incremental daily backups? How much of your data actually changes on daily basis?

Capt'n Midnight

Unless you are doing video editing I can't see how you can have 4GB new data a day. Many large files can be compressed or you could use tools like rsynch or diff so you are only transferring the differences.

In the North they have full coverage for years, if you want Broadband you will get it, and at a fixed price. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/16/broadband_ni/
Here you only get BB if it's profitable.
When ADSL was first introduced here, the cost was the same as downloading your cap by offpeak ISDN.

Thomas.K you may need to know about a word called contention. On some providers here it's up to 48:1 That means they can have 48 people sharing the advertised bandwidth on the basis that they won't all be maxed out at the same time. And shared out equally that's 2% of the total possible traffic each.

Another problem here is that 99.8% of ADSL lines use Eircom copper and the difference between the wholesale rate and the retail rate is very small compared to the costs to the ISP of changing over the line. This is addition to the line rental.

Misleading advertising about caps has been going on a long time. Back in 2001 people where chucked off a dial up package called "Surf no limits" yes it was advertised as "no limits" but the provider didn't have to provide it.

/RANT

BTW: Are you using a paid service to back up your data and if so what is your plan B if they go bankrupt ?

Terra

BT SUCKS