Could UPC ever increase their speeds?

StaticNoise

UPC have the fastest broadband in the country- we all know this. Their top speed is 150Mb, which is fantastic compared to other providers.

My question is: could UPC ever increase this?
They moved the standard up to 50Mb at the flip of a switch. But, could they ever increase things to 200Mb, or higher?

For example, could we find, this time next year, that you could get a package with 200Mb or higher broadband?


I'm on the DOCSIS 3.0 Cisco EPC3925 modem.

djivide_

Yes they can go as far as 400 mbit with DOCSIS 3.0 :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOCSIS

lynchie

Actually think they have gone to 1.4Gbit on Docsis 3 with channel bonding. They demoed it last year

godtabh

UPC increases are about marketing. If people are willing to pay for 150mb when increase it?

djivide_

1.4gbit requires 28 x 50mbit channels

the Cisco EPC3925 modem that the OP has only supports 8 so max of
400mbit given then current hardware.

But yeah in theory they can do n x 50mbit to deliver any speed but
realistically 400mbit will be the highest for the moment

lala_dos

StaticNoise wrote: »

They moved the standard up to 50Mb at the flip of a switch.

Can anyone tell me if the step up to 50MB is being rolled out gradually by UPC or should everyone who had a 25MB package see an increase in speed?

I've been on a basic 25MB UPC package for about a year and there's been absolutely no change in the speed, it's still consistently about 22MB even though Craig Doyle:mad: keeps telling me otherwise. Am I missing something?

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

lala_dos wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if the step up to 50MB is being rolled out gradually by UPC or should everyone who had a 25MB package see an increase in speed?

I've been on a basic 25MB UPC package for about a year and there's been absolutely no change in the speed, it's still consistently about 22MB even though Craig Doyle:mad: keeps telling me otherwise. Am I missing something?

You're probably on an old package. If you're out of contract ring them up and talk to the "loyalty department". You should be able to get a better speed/deal but note you'll be agreeing to a new 12 month contract.

Are you getting 22MB wired or wireless? If wireless, it'll depend on the modem you have and the device you're connecting with. If either only have the wireless G standard, the max over wifi will be ~22MB.

dulpit

Mike Sparse Stockbroker wrote: »

Are you getting 22MB wired or wireless? Depending on the modem you have and the deive your connecting. If either only have wireless G standard, the max over wifi will be ~22MB.

So unless you have an 'n' router there's no point in having download speeds faster than 25 MB?

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

dulpit wrote: »

So unless you have an 'n' router there's no point in having download speeds faster than 25 MB?

Essentially.. yes!

If you go for the higher speeds, you should get a new modem which has wireless N. What modem do you have? Make/Model?

dulpit

Mike Sparse Stockbroker wrote: »

Essentially.. yes!

If you go for the higher speeds, you should get a new modem which has wireless N. What modem do you have? Make/Model?

I've only got 25mb, so it doesn't matter. Does me fine too...

lala_dos

I'd have to check my a/c but I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a 25MB package anymore, everything was automatically upgraded to 50MB supposedly.

The connection is wireless. I had been using a dinosaur of a laptop, which I was blaming for the speed. I had to replace it recently and the new one isn't any better.

So basically from what you saying, UPC are providing the faster speed but not the routers to cope with it. That's clever of them.

Sponge Bob

lala_dos wrote: »

So basically from what you saying, UPC are providing the faster speed but not the routers to cope with it. That's clever of them.

Plug in a cable instead of using wireless, a cable can cope with it.

BostonB

I don't think I get 50mb either. A checked a couple months back and it was in the 20's. I'm either on a N Wifi card and Router or one of the faster powerline adapters.

StaticNoise

Thanks all for your replies. So, it is technically feasible.

But- will they do it? Do we think that it may happen within the next year to stay at the top?

BostonB

Why is anyone else likely to catch up with them?

ElNino

If eircom's top FTTC speed is going to be 70Mb/s then UPC don't really have any incentive to increase their maximum speed of 150Mb/s. They may however decide to increase their basic package speed, to say 100Mb/s, to keep their advantage over eircom for marketing purposes.

cathal_flynn

lala_dos wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if the step up to 50MB is being rolled out gradually by UPC or should everyone who had a 25MB package see an increase in speed?

I've been on a basic 25MB UPC package for about a year and there's been absolutely no change in the speed, it's still consistently about 22MB even though Craig Doyle:mad: keeps telling me otherwise. Am I missing something?

I've 1mb or less at times... Stop moaning

theidiots

They might keep your broadband the same 25MB or whatever. If you ring them and say why am i not getting 50 they'll switch you over right away for nothing.

Fromthetrees

lala_dos wrote: »

I'd have to check my a/c but I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a 25MB package anymore, everything was automatically upgraded to 50MB supposedly.

The connection is wireless. I had been using a dinosaur of a laptop, which I was blaming for the speed. I had to replace it recently and the new one isn't any better.

So basically from what you saying, UPC are providing the faster speed but not the routers to cope with it. That's clever of them.

You can't buy it now but old customers can stay on the package. They sneakily kept bumping up the price of my bill until I threatened to leave.

I honestly don't see the point in increasing my speed. I watch Netflix in HD wirelessly, can download a full concert in minutes, can play Fifa online wirelessly (sometimes not wirelessly) and the speed is rarely below what the max is.

What's the point in having a faster speed? My contract is up for renewal so wouldn't mind trying to get a deal on increasing it if the higher speeds were any use.

up for anything

theidiots wrote: »

They might keep your broadband the same 25MB or whatever. If you ring them and say why am i not getting 50 they'll switch you over right away for nothing.

Depends on your router/modem thingy. I could change to 50MB but they want me to buy a new modem and that will cost me €90!

colm_mcm

up for anything wrote: »

Depends on your router/modem thingy. I could change to 50MB but they want me to buy a new modem and that will cost me €90!

Not unless you're upgrading 2 modems!
Upgrade is €45

BostonB

I checked mine I'm getting 25~26 with WiFi N and also with my Power-line adapter. I think I'm on the 25mb, I also have no problem with HD on Netflix etc. I still get problems with latency and pings all over the shop in gaming though.

I didn't want to upgrade because ( I didn't need to) I didn't want to sign up to a new 12 month contract as I was thinking of dropping the phone and TV. Then again I've been saying that for over a year and done nothing lol.

lemon_remon

I imagine the focus will be on upstream over downstream soon anyway with the growing popularity of "cloud" based services like dropbox and Google Music.

Yakuza

I was remoting into a client (who has a DSL connection) over a VPN on UPC the other day. My upload was faster than their download so it took me a while to copy some (relatively) small files up

Cheerful Spring

Very few cities and towns enjoy 150mb across Europe. If your not a business what would you need this kind of speed for realistically. Maybe in 15 years this speed will be considered slow for doing things. But in todays world this is amazing speed for doing stuff. The UPC upload is not great, but it more than enough to get on with things successfully.

Cheerful Spring

lemon_remon wrote: »

I imagine the focus will be on upstream over downstream soon anyway with the growing popularity of "cloud" based services like dropbox and Google Music.

Upstream is going to be even more important in future years with next gen consoles. You'll be able to stream on it this platform and sent straight to youtube clips of your gaming. So Eircoms 320kb upload is going to annoy lot of gamers in Ireland. Also gaming is mainly about upload not download (UDP)

livEwirE

Yeah, have to agree on the upstream bottleneck here. 10mb up is a joke on a 150mb connection. 30-50mb would be reasonable, for torrenting anyways

StaticNoise

BostonB wrote: »

Why is anyone else likely to catch up with them?

Companies constantly need to evolve, and Eircom, BT, Sky, and the like will need to play catch-up. The fact that one company literally trump everyone else in the market on speed is unthinkable. Well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration- but it is fairly significant.

ElNino wrote: »

If eircom's top FTTC speed is going to be 70Mb/s then UPC don't really have any incentive to increase their maximum speed of 150Mb/s. They may however decide to increase their basic package speed, to say 100Mb/s, to keep their advantage over eircom for marketing purposes.

As above- they need to play catch-up for marketing reasons.
Forget the company- but look at Three- the option to have something better always sells.

They offer unlimited 'all you can eat' mobile internet (FUP of 15GB, not limited to that, but it *might* be throttled after), something no other network are doing, pay as you go or bill pay. It sells. People like the idea of more, for the same price (€20 p/m) matched to other competitors.

If UPC offer a faster speed for the same or better price than a competitor, people would go for it. If Eircom, as a total example, offered 100Mb broadband for €50 p/m, and UPC offered 200Mb for €55, you'd go for the better speed for a few quid- regardless if you needed it or not.

Fromthetrees wrote: »

You can't buy it now but old customers can stay on the package. They sneakily kept bumping up the price of my bill until I threatened to leave.

I honestly don't see the point in increasing my speed. I watch Netflix in HD wirelessly, can download a full concert in minutes, can play Fifa online wirelessly (sometimes not wirelessly) and the speed is rarely below what the max is.

What's the point in having a faster speed? My contract is up for renewal so wouldn't mind trying to get a deal on increasing it if the higher speeds were any use.

You should call them and ask for the loyalty team. As I said before, in another UPC thread, I am getting:

2 UPC boxes - one standard, one HD
Top TV pack with HD
Unlimited Anytime World Calls
100Mb Broadband

for €55 (roughly) per month, or something around that figure. That is fairly close to their introductory price as far as I recall.

It pays to blag.

BostonB

StaticNoise wrote: »

...The fact that one company literally trump everyone else in the market on speed is unthinkable. Well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration- but it is fairly significant.....

Not really. It didn't happen overnight. UPC did a lot of upgrading of the local network. I think in my area D.15 there's been at least 2 very major cable upgrades to the infrastructure. Whereas my phone line can't get data, and I have no reliable means of getting that fixed. Eircom didn't want to know, and still don't. With that attitude the competition isn't going to catch up any-time soon.

StaticNoise

That's the issue- Eircom are doomed to fail for their lack of innovation, transmission improvements, service level, and general attitude towards moving forward.

Feck them, I say. If it wasn't for the jobs and the potentially affected small-medium enterprises, I'd say let them collapse. Waste of a company.

Cheerful Spring

StaticNoise wrote: »

That's the issue- Eircom are doomed to fail for their lack of innovation, transmission improvements, service level, and general attitude towards moving forward.

Feck them, I say. If it wasn't for the jobs and the potentially affected small-medium enterprises, I'd say let them collapse. Waste of a company.

Not going to happen, Eircom is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Eircom, controls most of the active phone lines in Ireland and, we can't away from the fact, the majority of internet users inside this country, still would be using ASDL broadband to get their internet.

Eircom, for all their problems is still in control of broadband across Ireland . And who besides Eircom or UPC will change the Irish broadband landscape?

The Irish government doesn't seem interested in getting involved and solving our broadband issues. The Irish government is leaving it up to industry to decide were they'll invest ( least it seems that way to me)

This is the story realistically- Eircom will invest in areas they consider commercially suitable and the areas not commercially suitable will continue as normal ( meaning no upgrades to local exchanges) If you live in rural area or small town don't expect any upgrade for least ten years or more!

Only hope for you is 4G, but the cities again will be served first. So again years before 4G will be seen in most rural areas.

Bottom line is Eircom is king ( if you live outside a city) don't expect miracles.

Sponge Bob

Cheerful Spring wrote: »

And who besides Eircom or UPC will change the Irish broadband landscape?

Emm, the ESB when they roll out FTTH next year.

BostonB

I hope they don't price it like they do the Electricity.

ThisRegard

lala_dos wrote: »

I'd have to check my a/c but I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a 25MB package anymore, everything was automatically upgraded to 50MB supposedly.

Not if it's not available on your particular street. I don't know what the criteria is for rolling it out but I know on some streets in my estate the full 150 is available, and despite contacting UPC and a mail telling me I can get a free upgrade to 50MB it's apparently not available on mine. 25MB is supposed to be the max, but I'm on 30MB.

Cheerful Spring

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Emm, the ESB when they roll out FTTH next year.

But isn't that location specific though? How many homes in rural Ireland will benefit?

StaticNoise

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Emm, the ESB when they roll out FTTH next year.

And will this even be a credible service, at a good price, offering something that customers will want?

BostonB

Cheerful Spring wrote: »

But isn't that location specific though? How many homes in rural Ireland will benefit?

Same for UPC tbh. In fairness you can't expect full services if you decide to live away from population centers. That said I'm in D.15 and can't get BB on my phone line. Rural it ain't.

Sponge Bob

Cheerful Spring wrote: »

But isn't that location specific though? How many homes in rural Ireland will benefit?

Yes, it will extend to perhaps 1 in 5 homes but generally not ones where UPC is available. Nor will the rollout be more than about half the size of the current UPC network today...and that network is frozen at around 50% or less of homes and is not expanding.

Add ESB and UPC and you get maybe 70-75% of homes which with eircom VDSL could eventually reach 80% of homes with access to 1-2 advanced networks.

The final 20% of homes will be the difficult bit and most especially as the EU, at a meeting chaired by Enda Kenny, abolished the fund to co finance eny such rollout effort out to the year 2020.

dub45

lala_dos wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if the step up to 50MB is being rolled out gradually by UPC or should everyone who had a 25MB package see an increase in speed?

I've been on a basic 25MB UPC package for about a year and there's been absolutely no change in the speed, it's still consistently about 22MB even though Craig Doyle:mad: keeps telling me otherwise. Am I missing something?

There is no automatic upgrade. You have to request it and agree to a new 12 month contract. Presumably UPC's way of hanging on to customers. Keep tying them down as products improve.