UTV Launch Flat-Rate Internet Package

timod

Just thought I'd post (everyone else is) to say that I'm rather pleased with these latest procedings.

Things really seem to be heating up:
* ASAI report (I can take a little credit for this )
* EsatBT and UTV doing doing some real work on the issue
* All sections of the media starting to listen and understand.
* Real dialogue between ISP's and consumers. (Well done UTV)
* Bunch of community WANs starting to make progress

Looking forward to the next few developments.

Tim

matthiku

Originally posted by MDR


The average IOFFL Member uses the net around 64hrs a month (established in the residential survey) from home, a package for 75hrs a month at a cost of lets say €18.99 would be excellant, and I am sure would attract alot of customers from the low user bracket, who would have otherwise continued using pay-as-you-go.

Of course I can't answer that question, but I suppose that the calculation for UTV's new offer is based on some 'heavy' and some 'light' users.

On the other hand, isn't the reason why people are low-profile users of the Internet the absence of a flat rate?

In other words, I am sure the average IOFFL member would love to use the internet much more with a decent offer like that from UTV.

ihatemushrooms

Hi,

Thanks for your replies they`ve been helpful. Obviously the product is has a few flaws that will in time be ironed out with the launch of FRIACO.

I will sign up but I won`t be suprised that as the products takes off that service levels will drop. The people you have here on this site are high end users some will do 300 hrs plus in a month. You better be prepared to be able to handle at least 1 or 2000 of these type of users on a daily basis!!!! plus your more average user type. Hope it works out for you.

In relation to the product being a loss leader I still need to be convinced. You don`t have a wholesale rate from Eircom as yet and your interconnect costs and trafficing costs look (to me) to be greater than your revenue if everyone will use the full 150hrs. I hope you`ve done your maths right.

I also hope we are not back here fighting with you in 6 months time when you`ve attempted to move us on as we won`t be profitable.

From my UK experience highend users end up trafficing on less than accepteble network capacity and ISPs do everything to move you off.

Anyway Goodluck, you should have a few thousand people in a few weeks.

Then the real fun will begin!!!!! if you leave this group down we won`t support you again!!!!

For now I`m on board

crawler

I have to agree with mushroom boy here......

Tandem and double tandem costs and interconnect charges from Eir..Eir ( still cant remeber their name since yesterday!! ) for UTV are going to be high , so revenue from the CPS in terms of Margin will be low....

But what UTV are saying is right - they may make a slight bit of money but not much - me thinks they are looking at buying a customer base at cost + a wee bit, then make Broadband available later and make your money there - A good move UTV and well thought out....

Naturally I'm only guessing , but if I was them , that's what I'd be doing!

As for their levels of Customer Service - nothing I have experienced before with UTV would lead me to believe it will be anything short of excellent? anyone disagree?

LoBo

Current issue of piranha can be found at:
http://www.get-me.to/piranha

I see an email address at bottom - maybe they can point you towards old issues.

Dustaz

Thanks for clearing that up Scott, much appreciated.

I look forward to news about clicksilver

SkepticOne

Originally posted by ihatemushrooms
I also hope we are not back here fighting with you in 6 months time when you`ve attempted to move us on as we won`t be profitable.

This raises an interesting question.

My personal opinion is that we should not attack a company for trying to offer a better service even if subsequently they withdraw the service. What about those other companies who take advantage of a dominant position to set prices and never innovate.

In the (hopefully unlikely) event that this new service fails, I think they should still be praised for going against the grain. In a competitive ISP market, I think it is the right of companies to offer and, if necessary, withdraw services.

Of course, what should not be tolerated is mishandling and bad treatment of those they might terminate from the service, but this does not detract from my main point.

None of the above should be read as me suggesting that this new service will fail.

Styx

Originally posted by ando

any chance of putting up a 'star trek voyager elite force server' ?

Leave it with me and I'l see what i can do.

Chuck

ando

Originally posted by Styx
Leave it with me and I'l see what i can do

thx chuck

tuxy

Originally posted by Martin-UTVi




Don't forget we have our own online games at www.dnagames.net

i still get a ping of about 130 to a dnagames cs server while im dialed into utv that is a high ping for isdn

dahamsta

We won't make enough to sail off into the sunset, but we're not about to lose money on the service.

Gor, it's effin refreshin to hear comments like that. Scott, for gods sake, if you're invited to any "industry events", stay the other side of the room to the Esat and Eircom lusers, I'd be afraid they'd taint you. Meself and Dustaz would be happy to help out with security.

My personal opinion is that we should not attack a company for trying to offer a better service even if subsequently they withdraw the service.

Absolutely. As has been said many, many times, most people flipped over Esat because of the ignorant way it was handled. It's kinda funny really, one wonders whether we'd have another few months to wait for these new services if they had...

adam

Hannibal_12

Originally posted by Scott Taunton
You'd have to check with Esat about their costs. I think you'll find that a large part of their cost base is "margin" and their complaints dept probably costs a bit to run

We've looked at a number of factors in setting our pricing.

- Average use of the service - it'll not be 150 hours for everyone, but it's there for those who use it.
- Telephony contributes a little.
- Long term customer satisfaction assists with development of other products, hopefully broadband, as well as our existing hosting and registration services.

Most importantly, it needs to represent value to consumers.

It's a win/win. We won't make enough to sail off into the sunset, but we're not about to lose money on the service. We'll still be here until the regulations and competition free up enough for the next incarnation - as long as that may be. At the same time, we see genuine benefit to users of the service - and cost savings.

Development of the UTV brand in Ireland is important too. I note the comments about a "foreign" company offering these services. We want to break down those conceptions. We're listed on the Irish Stock Exchange and a constituent member of ISEQ. We're the second most watched channel in the Republic and are building a significant radio operation here with Cork and Limerick radio stations already part of the UTV Group.

From day one, UTV Internet has been an all-Ireland internet service, with offices in Belfast, Dublin and Cork. We hope that our website and services reflect that.

UTVip is a good step forward for IOFFL, but we're in full support of its broader objectives. We want to expand choice for internet users and bring long overdue competition to the Irish marketplace.

We've a great team who, as Martin raised, have worked hard to develop UTVip. There's a great buzz in our offices and they appreciate the comments from the vast bulk of you posting to the boards.

Thanks for the support.

Scott Taunton
Managing Director
UTV Internet

Now why cant Philip Nolan (CEO €ircon) come on here tell us why he and his mercenaries have kept us in the dark ages for so long. I' m sure he would get as warm a reception as Scott?

frea

I see ESAT/IOL are informing visitors to its site about UTVip.

UTV launches flat rate service
06/09/2002 - 11:28:43

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=1007790&p=yxx78x5&n=1007882


Isn't that nice.

gurramok

am i missing something here i work from home and most of my access is daytime eircom only charge 1.9c (-10% for friends and family) a min according to my bill

Surely you are on subscription account there, which costs about 20 odd euro a month ??
Work out the maths

unknown_a38

I think UTV should provide an itemised bill through the post free of charge. Is there not somethin put in place by the odtr recently that telecoms hav to provide it free of charge?

Also any plans to be able to make local evening and weekend calls for free at a flat monthly fee?

mike65

Originally posted by Scott Taunton
I note the comments about a "foreign" company offering these services. We want to break down those conceptions. We're listed on the Irish Stock Exchange and a constituent member of ISEQ. We're the second most watched channel in the Republic and are building a significant radio operation here with Cork and Limerick radio stations already part of the UTV Group.

From day one, UTV Internet has been an all-Ireland internet service, with offices in Belfast, Dublin and Cork. We hope that our website and services reflect that.

My "foreign TV station" crack was'nt to have a go at you Scott rather just my way of highlightng the not small fact that the States' national carrier would'nt deliver but a company based in another jurastiction could.

No offence intended! ( Hey I signed -up )

Mike.

gurramok

wonder how long does it take for the internet package to be activated when paid by credit card?
we know it takes 10 days for cps voice calls thing

Smiley

This sounds excellent but I am hesitant about rushing into signing up because:

1. I have just re-signed (after moving house) with EsatBT because I do like their home phone package... especially the 32 county local rate. How do UTV home phone costs compare not with Eircon but with ESAT?

2. As I understand it Eircon made it impossible for No Limits to continue... has the law been changed at all so that the same thing won't happen with UTV?

3. What about ON PEAK costs. Even with No Limits, these were always the killer. I do business from home, I am not just a recreational surfer... 5 hours per day off peak isn't that much.

And what happens if you top that limit? Will you be thrown off the service for the heinous crime of er... using it, like No Limits did?

segadreamcast

Did you even read this thread or utvip.com?

1. Check utvip.com - they should give you a three-tier chart

2. It has changed a bit, but No limits was a lie and a sham - this gives you limits.

3. On peak is 25% off eircom's - again, check utvip.com

4. When you go over 150 hours - you get charged 0.95 cent per minute, decking even Esat's 1 cent per minute. There, satisfied ?

PiE

On the DirectDebit signup page, it says this:

4. You will be notified by email once your application has been placed onto the system (1-2 working days.)

But on the DirectDebit .PDF signup page, theres no option to put in an email address to be contacted at, am I missing something?

Anyway, been said a hundred times now but... thank you thank you thank you :]

corkey

No pie your right wheres the email ? how do they contact you then ?

exiztone

Wow, omg, it's been an entire year without flatrate for me, I'm going to sign up right away
I just wanna say to you guys, I rarely post, but I watched your struggles from afar and I respect and love you =*D

gurramok

I got e-mail by credit card straight away though.
Sounds a bit strange about missing addy for direct debit.

Grrr, 10 days is a long wait to put the fingers up to €rrorcon

A big thank you to utv for saving me lots of dosh

Smiley

Yes NoelRock I read the whole lot and the site too, but it's still unclear.

I have IOL Gold... so my onpeak is 4 cents per minute and offpeak 1 cent ANYWAY. So what would be the improvement by changing to UTV, as I am a daytime user as well as evening/weekends.

I'd be more interested in looking at the Esat product, since I won't have to change phone packages.

Unlike many here I have nothing against Esat. I hated THE LETTER as we all did. I still think their home phone package is excellent.

But it was Eircon who forced Esat's hand into discontinuing the No Limits service

That is only one of the catalogue of many reasons why Eircon will be first against the wall when the revolution comes.

Incidentally, when you change from Eircon to another home phone supplier you will get an amusing little letter, querying whether you are satisfied with the new supplier's level of service, whether they have shown you a price package, etc. It's a printed letter with a printed signature by one Alan Fox, Consumer Programmes Manager. Methinks Alan Fox's line is going to be a bit busy in the next few weeks with people telling him what they think of Eircon's "level of service".

I would have called him yesterday, but my line was down.

OHP

To have some sorth of release from €ircon's Monoply! Makes me really happy. And I really look forward to saying goodby to €400+ bi-monthly bills. things can only get better right?

OHP

Dustaz

Originally posted by Smiley
Yes NoelRock I read the whole lot and the site too, but it's still unclear.

I have IOL Gold... so my onpeak is 4 cents per minute and offpeak 1 cent ANYWAY. So what would be the improvement by changing to UTV, as I am a daytime user as well as evening/weekends.

I think you misunderstand.

UTV's phone rates are 25% cheaper than eircoms. So your onpeak should be 3 cents per minute and your off peak is under 1 cent per minute. Plus, you wont be paying your monthly sub to IOL Gold.

ando

its a bit disapointing to see latency high when dialled up with utv isdn. Pinging jolt.co.uk is 70 or 80, while with eircom its 30/40. Same with barrysworld, getting 100ping with utv, 30/40 with eircom, but still, there's no problem with me signing up

just dissapointing how high the ping is

tuxy

yes i think some of the gamers will be disapointed with that i know i am even using their game servers (dnagames) my ping is still over 100

TomF

I am an IOLGold customer, and I paid them the whole year's fee a couple of months ago. Now I am greasing the skids to slide over to UTVip, but I wonder if IOL refunds the money? I also have ESAT for my local and long-distance calls, but use Eircom for the 1891 121121 call to IOLGold to get on the Internet.

This is getting too complicated for me.

Macker

Anybody know if called ID has to be unblocked to recieve this service

TIA
Macker