Current UPC broadband...

matt-dublin

Anyone finding UPC Internet access terribly slow at the moment?

MyPerfectCousin

Yes it's slower than usual.

Charlie-Bravo

Was getting 31Mb download speed earlier today. Now only getting 17Mb down...it's nearly like being on DSL at this stage!

audreyp

So slow lately, did a few speed tests and not getting near what I'm supposed too!

stevestevenson

Any update on Sky's broadband offering? I'm paying Sky €25/mth and €40 to UPC- robbery for an average service!

matt-dublin

stevestevenson wrote: »

Any update on Sky's broadband offering? I'm paying Sky €25/mth and €40 to UPC- robbery for an average service!

Sky won't be able to compete, at best they will only be able to offer 8mbps whereas UPC can offer 50-100mbps

loyatemu

matt-dublin wrote: »

Sky won't be able to compete, at best they will only be able to offer 8mbps whereas UPC can offer 50-100mbps

they won't be able to compete on bandwidth as they'll just be reselling DSL, but they may be competitive on price when they bundle it with their TV service (& 8Mb/s is fine for a lot of users).

We may also see Eircom's FTTC service sometime next year, which will be better than DSL and available to resellers like Sky.

d31b0y

Somebody give me a balaclava, I am hijacking this thread.

Has anyone contacted UPC about the price that we pay for the 25MB connection even though the lowest speed they now advertise is 50MB?

I mean, we get half the speed but get charged the same amount.

matt-dublin

you have to pay 3 a month for the upgrade.

im not complaining.
€62 for 3 tvs, plus, select, phone and 25mb broadband

Langerland

Definitely.

Also, I had a letter last week about a UPC upgrade that was being activated on the 28th. What was it? Or what has changed? I don't see anything. I was foolishly hoping it was OnDemand TV.

Jimjay

Sky are partnered with bt for their irish service. Bt are currently testing 80mbs broadband in dun laoghaire so it might be a sniff of the future. If anything hopefully the sky package will start a broadband price war.

matt-dublin

That will be a fiber based package, for the last mile BT will always have to use Eircom so you're restricted by their infrastructure to home.

LEIN

matt-dublin wrote: »

That will be a fiber based package, for the last mile BT will always have to use Eircom so you're restricted by their infrastructure to home.

That will still leave Greystones in the dark ages.....




We need UPC to properly cable the whole area.

The highest speed in Charlesland is 30MB and it will be a good while before we see speeds greater than this.

skelly22

d31b0y wrote: »

Somebody give me a balaclava, I am hijacking this thread.

Has anyone contacted UPC about the price that we pay for the 25MB connection even though the lowest speed they now advertise is 50MB?

I mean, we get half the speed but get charged the same amount.

I just contacted them this morning & was told that, because we're in an MMDS area, 25mb is the maximum available & I couldn't avail of any of the bundles they're currently offering. They couldn't give me a date as to when the area will be upgraded for 50mb/On Demand TV either other than to say "sometime in the new year".

Charlie-Bravo

There's no incentive to change from MMDS until the broadcast license runs out (AFAIK it is up for renewal in early 2014). If Comreg doesn't allow a renewal, instead freeing up the spectrum for the sale of the 4G licenses, then UPC should have gotten their act together to put in other infrastructure to serve their customers. Whether that'll be a shift to another wireless link method at a different frequency or a proper cabled connection to Bray, time will tell. It makes sense to properly cable up Greystones for BB and on-Demand than to sticky-plaster a solution just to retain their current customers.

loyatemu

matt-dublin wrote: »

That will be a fiber based package, for the last mile BT will always have to use Eircom so you're restricted by their infrastructure to home.

I'd imagine (like Eircom) they're trialling fibre to the curb, where they run fibre to a box at the end of the road and then copper VDSL into your house.

Done properly you should get 50mb/s down and 20mb/s up (though it is distance dependent over the copper section so it depends how many fibre DSLAMs they decide to install).

2 Hell and Back

Where else is UPC broadband available in Greystones?

Sick of our Eircom line, max 2mb (1.6 up, 0.4down)

joecreed

So I've had more than a few arguements with UPC over the tripe service they offer (and what I pay for at the mo...):
:eek: 25Mb Broadband - minimum they supply is 50Mb now
Only getting 69 channels for Digital Max - standard offering is 114 channels
No On Demand service available
I don't have a phone service, have 1 x extra room connection, but still pay €74 pm

According to their agent on the phone, Charlesland is no longer classed as MMDS, so we are paying the full Cable rates for a substandard service, whereas if you lived down the road in Bray, you can get everything they are offering for the same price. I've fought to try to get a price decrease, as what they are doing is totally unfair - 1/2 a service for 100% of the price - complete ripoff but we're stuck with them as Sky will screw you on hidden direct debit charges (been stung before) and no-one supplies a decent BB service to Greystones.:mad:

I'd love to see their roadmap, as we're getting the advertisements rubbed in our faces as to their great on-demand service & stuff, yet we can't get it, but still pay the same as those that do!!!

Charlie-Bravo

Have they not even offered some sort of gesture? perhaps they know of upgrades happening sooner rather than later which is why they don't want to give you anything back?

And while we're talking about it, was speaking to a UPC rep in the past fews days about Greystones in general. They're planning on re-cabling Greystones to offer triple-play in the next year or so. Also mentioned for Charlesland, once the analogue TV is turned off nationwide, this will free up frequencies for broadcasting more channels and a link for broadband and on-demand - not set in stone and all hear'say of course. So the analogue switch-off might yield some benefits for UPC in Charlesland.

joecreed

Not a dickie-bird out of them. I've every intention of getting a nice formal letter with lost of details on it, but its getting around to it is the problem. I'll revisit the letter later on this week & post the reponse if I get one at all. I've posted something similar to this on Biz-Talk To UPC here on Boards, so we'll see if a reponse ensues from that also.

Charlie-Bravo

Have you spoken with the loyalty team? They have the power to review things for you! Sure, you're thinking of moving to Sky, aren't you :rolleyes:

joecreed

To be sure to be sure, that I am. Definitely thinking of crossing to the other side now. Yes, I must check those guys out & let them know the good news of my "passing" - apparently they have a large record of my gripes, so no fear of them being ignorant of the issues when I contact them!!:D:D

Taltos

joecreed wrote: »

So I've had more than a few arguements with UPC over the tripe service they offer (and what I pay for at the mo...):
:eek: 25Mb Broadband - minimum they supply is 50Mb now
Only getting 69 channels for Digital Max - standard offering is 114 channels
No On Demand service available
I don't have a phone service, have 1 x extra room connection, but still pay €74 pm

According to their agent on the phone, Charlesland is no longer classed as MMDS, so we are paying the full Cable rates for a substandard service, whereas if you lived down the road in Bray, you can get everything they are offering for the same price. I've fought to try to get a price decrease, as what they are doing is totally unfair - 1/2 a service for 100% of the price - complete ripoff but we're stuck with them as Sky will screw you on hidden direct debit charges (been stung before) and no-one supplies a decent BB service to Greystones.:mad:

I'd love to see their roadmap, as we're getting the advertisements rubbed in our faces as to their great on-demand service & stuff, yet we can't get it, but still pay the same as those that do!!!

Can I suggest some of the following?
1. Broadband - maybe try magnet or call them. I pay 40E per month and it is contention free. Eircom also have call packages but I prefer going with a provider where I don't share my line with anyone else and who doesn't impose download limits.
2. TV - get a combined saorview/freeview box - 1 off payment - will pay for itself in a few months.

LEIN

astrofluff wrote: »

Have you spoken with the loyalty team? They have the power to review things for you! Sure, you're thinking of moving to Sky, aren't you :rolleyes:

Agreed Astro, I got mine discounted through them.

matt-dublin

astrofluff wrote: »

Have you spoken with the loyalty team? They have the power to review things for you! Sure, you're thinking of moving to Sky, aren't you :rolleyes:

its about time i gave them another ring as well....

joecreed

Yeah. so I got talking to them last night - the Loyalty guys. He offered me a €5 off per month for the next 12 months. I asked to be joined ot a bundle so I could get the phone, but he said "You only have MMDS, so you can't have a bundle, there's nothing I can do", so I told him where to stick his fiver off!
Got on to the online support guys - they said yes I only have MMDS, but I can get a bundle offer.
Got onto Sales, they said I can get a bundle, but I have Cable Digital (according to their systems!!).
My bill says my main TV is on Cable, but my Multi-room is on MMDS (even though it comes from the same plug in the wall outside the house!!). I'm expecting a callback from a Sales manager at some stage today to see if we can get to the bottom of the issues.
Seriously, does Anyone in UPC have ANY idea of what is going on?????

matt-dublin

We're on MMDS delivered by cable.

An antenna by the rugby pitches i think takes the MMDS and converts it to Cable for the whole estate.

We can get 50Mb broadband, 100 odd channels and phones.

I currently pay €62 for:

30Mb Broadband
1 x Plus Recorder
2 x Standard Set Tops
Digital Select +
Home Phone with free local/nationals

Im happy with that, Sky might offer a better TV service but we're in a recession so im happy to pay for the UPC bundle with the less channels. The few extra channels that sky offer i'd probably never watch anyway cos i never have control of the remote.

I would like sky atlantic but sure you can get all those programmes off the net anyway.

joecreed

Thanks for the info, Matt. Where are you based? Surely not in Greystones (Charlesland?) I'd like to avail of the 50Mb BB, but its the fact that I have to pay full whack for a fraction of the service, and getting these smug reps telling me that "there's nothing I can do". Bloody frustrating having to ring these people. Lets see if the callback materialises...

matt-dublin

Charlesland Crescent

joecreed

Matt, if you don't mind, is there any way you can do a count of the TV channels you can receive, please. That's mad now hearing you are getting over 25MB BB also, cos they told me that 25 was my limit. Surely we are coming off the same switch? But that sort of info helps my case big-time with this crowd!

hamstervision

joecreed wrote: »

Yeah. so I got talking to them last night - the Loyalty guys. He offered me a €5 off per month for the next 12 months. I asked to be joined ot a bundle so I could get the phone, but he said "You only have MMDS, so you can't have a bundle, there's nothing I can do", so I told him where to stick his fiver off!
Got on to the online support guys - they said yes I only have MMDS, but I can get a bundle offer.
Got onto Sales, they said I can get a bundle, but I have Cable Digital (according to their systems!!).
My bill says my main TV is on Cable, but my Multi-room is on MMDS (even though it comes from the same plug in the wall outside the house!!). I'm expecting a callback from a Sales manager at some stage today to see if we can get to the bottom of the issues.
Seriously, does Anyone in UPC have ANY idea of what is going on?????

This sounds eerily familiar. We had our TV with Sky but BB + phone with UPC. UPC sales person offered us a €60 bundle + 2 months free Sky Sports + Sky Movies and we'd be "saving money", so we left Sky.

First bill was €140+. Apparently the sales person tried to apply the bundle, it wouldn't go through because our area is MMDS, tried to force it through, and instead we got charged for:

• Phone + Broadband bundle we were on (includes a "charge" for not having your TV with them)
• Our new TV package
• Our new phone package for national calls (which was supposed to be included in the bundle)
• Sky Sports
• Sky Movies
• Multi-room charge (for some reason that got added in there, we've only 1 TV)

It took them around 6 months to stabilise our bill, and after complaining every single month and threatening to just go back to BB + Phone and go back to Sky (who kept offering us 1/2 price for 6 months to come back) they finally agreed to sort it all out for about €55 per month.

I was always happy with the Broadband service so was unwilling to leave, but the service has been getting worse and worse so if a viable alternative came to Charlesland I'd definitely take a look.

joecreed

You got my vote on that - if the broadband was matched by someone else, I'd drop the lot & run to Sky & the alternate BB - sick of the empty promises & run-arounds. Still waiting on my call-back from UPC......

matt-dublin

why don't you cancel the phone and tv and move to sky then?

you can do broadband only with upc:
http://www.upc.ie/broadband/fifty/

joecreed

matt-dublin wrote: »

why don't you cancel the phone and tv and move to sky then?

you can do broadband only with upc:
http://www.upc.ie/broadband/fifty/

To be honest, at this stage its the principal of the whole thing. I've been with Sky before and don't trust them as they've
A habit of invoking direct debit payments even when not due. I'd like to get to the bottom of getting the UPC thing sorted now.
Would it be possible for you to do that count of channels, if its not too I confident, as I'd like to them on a technical level so
if its factual rather than just a fight. Appreciate it, Matt.

matt-dublin

We don't recieve the full amount of channels, I know thast for a fact in comparison to full cable. Im not spending the whole night going through the 150 odd channells to see what i do and don't have access to in comparison of a cabled select customer.

The call centre staff are only reading from a script so they really won't be able to help you too much, all they will be able to see is that were on MMDS and because of that we recieve limited services due to that. We're slightly more complicated than standard MMDS because its serviceing 1500 units rather than 1 so they've made bandwith available so they can offer voice and broadband. a knock on affect of this is they have to take the bandwidth from somewhere, ie. a few channels that very few people watch.

You wont get very far with them because technically they can't do anything except run a cable from bray to greystones, which i believe 1) they do have to do when the MMDS licence from comreg expires in 2014 and 2)because they want to offer HD, remote record, 100Mb broadband and on demand services.

Running this cable, along with planning permission costs and delays is likely to run into the millions and probably will take well over a year. They will likely have to do it because comreg will probably auction off the MMDS spectrum for 4G when its due

joecreed

That's no hassles, Matt. It took me 5 mins to count the ones I had (don't really care what they are, just how many) but I'm in contact with one of their project managers now through a mutual friend who is checking up on the roadmap for me to see what timeframes we are looking at, something the script readers don't have access to.

matt-dublin

Anyone's UPC broadband speed crap at the moment

LEIN

All is good here matt.