This time next month we could have a flat rate for internet calls.....

bubbles

ESAT has announced 3 new services which I have summarised below (full text at http://www.esatclear.ie/press/1999-08-10.html). So the competition is clearly hotting up.

1. Surf Free

FREE Internet Registration / NO set up charges; FREE Internet Access;
FREE CD ROM & Software; FREE UNLIMITED email addresses; FREE 10MB of
Webspace. Surf Free customers will only pay for the cost of a local call
with their current home phone provider.

2. Surf NoLimits

UNLIMITED time on-line during off-peak (i.e evening and weekends) for a
flat rate fee of £17 (incl. VAT) per month. FREE Internet Registration/No set up charges; FREE Internet Access; FREE CD ROM &
Software; FREE UNLIMITED email addresses; FREE 10MB Webspace.

Surf NoLimits is the first flat rate offering in Ireland which means you
can have unlimited surfing time during off peak times i.e. evenings and
weekends for just £17 per month. The only call charges that apply are
for time spent on-line during peak time i.e. Mon-Fri 8am-6pm @ 3p per
minute including VAT.

3. Surf PC

Surf PC is set to revolutionise home Internet usage by offering users a
state-of-the-art computer and Internet usage for a monthly fee. Other
features include: FREE Internet Access; FREE Internet Registration/No
setup charges; FREE CD ROM & Software FREE UNLIMITED email addresses
FREE 10MB of Webspace.Surf Free and Surf NoLimits will be available from
the first week of September. Surf PC will be available later in the
year.

bubbles

Hobbes

I don't know about the first two, but the last one you can bet you'll get forcedfed adverts.

Cheez

thats boll0x that is

Overlord

Thats sounds brilliant. so for £17 pounds a month we can be on the net for as long as we want off-peak. But what about pings to games servers and the like? I assume once your connected to the POP the routing is the same as if you dialled using TE but is it as fast as TE to the POP? Can someone who has experience of using ESAT Clear this let us know there expericences please?

Gyck

When do we get cheap ISDN? Huh?

I see you quiver with an anticip...
...ation!

Overlord

yah tis true. I'm trying to find out the "hidden" pitfalls at the moment for ISDN and its a hard slog. Her's the way I find it at the moment. It costs 348 quid to install ISDN from TE. I dont know if ESAT can offer it. It costs 269 i think if you replace your existing line which is cheaper. When you install ISDN your actually getting 2 lines and you have to pay rent for TWO lines because TE say ISDN needs two lines to work. I dunno if this is the case but it seems dodgy since you can bind the 2 together to get more bandwidth. So that means £29 x 2 = £58 quid a month for basic ISDN. and you may have to pay for your existing plain old Telephone line as well. Nasty bastids.

Hecate

here stop whingin

ive read through that flat fee section and yes, there are NO catches. Accept that it has to be off-peak.

I've heard that esat was crap as far as online gaming and pings was concerned, but this means that a lot of the other isp's are going to have to seriously consider flat rate calls.

ButcherOfNog

All NTC services (including 1891) should be passed over national interconnect links rather than local ones – enabling competing operators to offer 1891 internet access to customers;

this is from the recent ODTR press release (30th July). Someone explain this

I hope it means that the type of silly local pop routing ****** that irish ISP's use can now come to an end, afaik DNA were waiting for this to be legislated on so they could provide country wide access without local pops. I think.

ste

17 quid for a month for net calls INCLUDING ISP membership!

Lets say I was a member of Indigo ... 12 quid a month membership + phone calls.

Jaysus thats some saving!

What is the Esat Network like ?

Shinji

One point.... it seems likely that you'll be able to dial ANY 1891 number free for your 17 quid, although I haven't confirmed that yet. I'll let ye know when I find out.

Blade

The only thing I'd be concerned about is the fact that I don't think Esat will give you flat rates on ISDN connects, but if your on modem and intend staying on modem then this flat rate offer will kick ass. I'm quite sure the pings will suck for quake both here and in the UK and you can only use Esat off peak so all you have to do is reconnect with normal Telecom if you want to play quake or go on during the day, either way you'll save a packet.

Blade

Gonzo

hmmm, if gaming thru esat offers crap pings then i guess i'll use it for surfing and icq, then indigo for gaming. Hopefully TE will come up with a rival package where I will abe able to use Indigo at a flate rate.

[NBK] Gonzo

Hecate

if this goes ahead, and if its a sucess, you'll bet your life Telecom et al will have to get off their big fat cat arses and do somthing.

Do you have to be subscriber to Esat home or anything like that?

Hobbes

TE will prolly raise the phone prices for esat to use thier network.

Vorosha

TE and IOL are listening from the bushes...

we say: "...**** gaming, flat rate is flat rate, we're all changing over to ESAT, ALL OF US..."

i am black.