BT Vs UTV - winner?

sticker

I was with UTV Clicksilver for a year, and beyond being seriously stung for any over the cap movement, found them OK. I'm reading a lot of bad press towards UTV on the boards of late though. I'm in a new house and I've narrowed my choices of broadband provider to:

UTV Clicksilver Plus - €45 / 16gig cap / 2meg - FREE LOCAL CALLS OFF-PEAK
BT - €50 / 24gig cap / 2 meg.

How do you guys rate the services provided?!

Thanks in Advance...

vibe666

go for BT if you're a heavy user. they've not been enforcing the caps at all.

I'm using 30-40gb per month and i've not heard a peep out of them in 8 months so far.

newgrange

Make sure you can actually get the 2MB. I 'upgraded' to it, paid the extra, and was left with a 1MB product - they said my line could not do 2MB - how likely that is, I have no idea. I will only know next bill if they (UTV) have taken me off the 2MB product or not.

I've been with UTV since they were DNA, but I'm off elsewhere when my contract is up in September. Their customer service, which in the DNA days was unique for its excellence in the Irish ISP world has become indescribably bad - UTV staff members insulting customers, emails telling customers to calm down, watch their language, emails to support ignored, promises re billing adjustments made and not followed through - the list goes on.

Only for the fact that this is actually happening in the real world, I would suggest it was one of those training videos on 'how not to deal with the public'.
It's extraordinary.

Go with BT.

damien

As of next week that BT package is €40 I believe

EDIT: Actually as a new customer you'll get it for €25 a month for 4 months and then €40 a month thereafter, though you do have to pay a €50 connection fee.

You can get the 2mb package and line rental for €35 a month for first 4 months and then it's €50 thereafter, again there is a €50 connection fee.

sticker

Thanks all for the advice - It looks like BT are the weapon of choice then...

I was one of the origional guys booted off Esat's 'No Limits' service MANY Moons ago, Hope they have purged all records since the BT jump in...!

kaizersoze

Don't forget the BT offers also include Line Rental, so...
UTV = 2mb, 16gb cap, 12 month contract + Line Rental = €45+€24.18=€69.18 per month
BT = 2mb, 24gb cap, 6 month contract, incl Line Rental = €35 per month for 1st 4 months and €50 thereafter + €50 connection fee

vibe666

oh, don't take the support into account. BT aren't much better than UTV apparently.

unfortunately things have gone a long way south in the support industry in general.

in efforts to save costs training has dwindled to the point where the people on the other end of the phone get most of their training 'on the job' and as you are likely to get someone who's been there less than 6 months (most people only last 6 months in those jobs) your chances of getting decent support are slim at best.

Berger

I didnt see it mentioned in the details about Esat BB Plus. Is there a router included with the package?

juliuspret

Berger wrote:

I didnt see it mentioned in the details about Esat BB Plus. Is there a router included with the package?

Yes.

I have it connected to my network switch and can get 7 computers online if I wish...currently 3!!!

PiE

BT vs UTV - winner?

Should be:

BT vs UTV - there's any contest?

juliuspret

Its a pretty straight forward answer...BT wins!

UTV can't compete with the BT Group....it massive!!!

BT makes eircom look like a shrimp in comparison....its a shame they never bought Telecom Eireann!!!

shltter

juliuspret wrote:

Its a pretty straight forward answer...BT wins!

UTV can't compete with the BT Group....it massive!!!

BT makes eircom look like a shrimp in comparison....its a shame they never bought Telecom Eireann!!!

the real shame is that the infrastructure was sold off in the first place now we have a private monopoly in charge of our telecoms infrastructure who put up barriers to any attempt to compete all the time
the current attempt to bankrupt smart by dragging the LLU through the courts is a perfect example


and the idea that it would be better if BT had the monopoly it would be any better is not borne out by the experience in the UK where like here any move to detremental to their position is fought bitterly

iano

damien.m wrote:

EDIT: Actually as a new customer you'll get it for €25 a month for 4 months and then €40 a month thereafter, though you do have to pay a €50 connection fee.

I understood the promotional price to only apply to lines that have never had a bitstream service before. Having previously had DSL broadband from UTV (or eircom, netsource, digiweb etc.) rules out the €15/€25 a month for 4 months, doesn't it?

juliuspret

Still, BT UK are properly regulated by their version of ComReg(OfCom?) and as such are years ahead of eircom in allowing more freely avaolable LLU.

Unlike Ireland the UK has a number of LLU operators, Bulldog coming to mind, that give customers 8Mbit speeds.

If eircoms monopoly is not broken then we could have a 2Mbit limit for the next couple of years, easily, while the rest of the developed world embraces FiOS and such technology allowing speeds of 15/2(FiOS in US) or 20/1(DSL2 in France) for what we currently pay for a 2Mbit service!!!

Valentia

I see the UTV site has been updated. The €45 plus pack is down to €40. It doesn't say if the new price applies to existing customers or, if so, when.

Caps remain the same.

Too little too late sadly.

Maybe we should organise a going away party, if we can find a venue big enough :rolleyes:

konline

kaizersoze wrote:

Don't forget the BT offers also include Line Rental, so...
UTV = 2mb, 16gb cap, 12 month contract + Line Rental = €45+€24.18=€69.18 per month
BT = 2mb, 24gb cap, 6 month contract, incl Line Rental = €35 per month for 1st 4 months and €50 thereafter + €50 connection fee

Don't forget UTV has 'Talk free' evening and weekend calls to whole Ireland and UK. If you are a heavy phone user then UTV is best.

juliuspret

This is a broadband forum.

Which company has cheaper BB...by far its BT.

Splendid

I signed up for BT Broadband plus and line rental last friday.

Now their online order tracking is saying that the broadband order was rejected, currently tryting to get in contact with them to find out why.

kaizersoze

most likely because you already have BB on the line.
Did you order online before you sent in the transfer form?
If thats the case ring sales and they'll sort it out.

Splendid

this is a first time broadband connection.

kaizersoze

Splendid wrote:

this is a first time broadband connection.

Dunno so Did you contact them yet?

_Kaiser_

Quick questions...

If I switch from UTV to BT now (on a rolling contract with UTV at the moment having done my time/12 months)...

- How long will it realistically take to change over (based on people's experiences?)
- Will the changeover happen seemlessly, or will there be downtime?
- As an existing BB customer, I assume I'll be paying the €50 for the 2MB package?
- Anything to watch out for?

Ta in advance folks

kaizersoze

Have a read of this

Splendid

kaizersoze wrote:

Dunno so Did you contact them yet?

Was on hold for 30 minutes and had to go to a meeting, so i've emailed them to see what the craic is, still waiting for a reply

RuggieBear

I'm currently on the clicksilver trial...i going for the bt product as i'm pissed off with the new timed product, the 12month contract which starts after the trial and the charges i'm paying for breaking the 16gig limit (which is a pain as it takes an age for the ****ing usage meter to update accuratly).

Anyway, I was on the phone to BT on friday and according to the saleman i can swop over relatively painlessly and Re the connection charge, the BT sales rep i talked to said that i wouldn't have to pay it as i'd been connected already.

vibe666

you might want to get that in writing Ruggie.

i seem to remember some people here getting charged lots and waiting ages to switch from one provider to another.

things might be different now though, but I'd double check though if I were you.

what they tell you over the phone and the truth are quite often a long way apart!

RuggieBear

vibe666 wrote:

you might want to get that in writing Ruggie.

i seem to remember some people here getting charged lots and waiting ages to switch from one provider to another.

things might be different now though, but I'd double check though if I were you.

what they tell you over the phone and the truth are quite often a long way apart!

lol...very true.

Tech Pete

Splendid wrote:

this is a first time broadband connection.

You didnt have any subscription for the internet at all then?
Like you didnt use a flat rate dialup? I heard they cause problems with signup.

Splendid

Tech Pete wrote:

You didnt have any subscription for the internet at all then?
Like you didnt use a flat rate dialup? I heard they cause problems with signup.

No, we only got the line activated to get smart, but they're taking so long that we decided to go with BT.

Have never connected the line to the net on any type of connection.

Tech Pete

Looks like u gotta wait so.
Stupid website of theirs.

Splendid

Yeah, i know.
I wouldn't mind if the website said why i was rejected.
Suppose i might have to go back on hold.