UTVip and FRIACO

DeVore

Theres been some discussion of ISDN versus DSL pings for games. Last time I checked there were significant problems with DSL pings because of interleaving and routing and also the technology is designed for broadband speed of download rather then latency ping (which is mostly what games want... mostly...)

DeV.

De Rebel

Everything DeV says about SkepticOne's post. And the great thing about a post of that quality in a UTV thread is knowing that the UTV peeps are hear to read and appreciate it. Hopefuly it will reassure them that people here are balanced in their approach and prepared to see both sides of the story.

The only quibble I have is

What this may mean is the ISP not publishing the exact criteria for identifying these users. It may not be that they simply count the number of hours people use online and kick off the top 5%, they might look at the usage logs in a more sophisticated way.

The linking of "ISP" and "sophisticated " borders on being an Oxymoron. Present company (UTV/IP) excluded of course.

Malcolm

Originally posted by bk
One question you could answer for me, with your CPS telephone service, is Northern Ireland charged at National rates or UK rates?

With the UTVip service all calls to Northern Ireland are charged at national rate. This is true when dialling using either the 048 or using the +44 code.

bk

Originally posted by Malcolm
With the UTVip service all calls to Northern Ireland are charged at national rate. This is true when dialling using either the 048 or using the +44 code.

That is great, thanks for the info.

Brian

Moriarty

Originally posted by DeVore
Theres been some discussion of ISDN versus DSL pings for games. Last time I checked there were significant problems with DSL pings because of interleaving and routing and also the technology is designed for broadband speed of download rather then latency ping (which is mostly what games want... mostly...)

DeV.

The ping problems experienced with ADSL in ireland are of entirely artifical making, from all that i have read. ADSL, as it is configured in the vast majority of other countries, provides a better connection to play games over than ISDN does. The combination of low latency and relativly high bandwidth makes xDSL the ideal choice for playing games over the net from home with.

It should not be forgotten that gamers made up a large proportion of the people who bought broadband connections when they were first made available, and continue to be a large driving force behind broadband penetration and demand. They are probably the largest target audience for broadband by a vast amount, so should most definetly not be dismissed out of hand.

exiztone

I'm still quite confused weather the new service will indeed be flatrate or restricted to a time limit.
Can someone confirm either?
Cheers.

kamobe

We will be taking a view on acceptable use which is likely to be in line with Freeserve/AOL in the UK who have some sort of upper limit but recognise the ambition for the product to represent "flat-rate" but not "always on". We will obviously continue to update you as the model progresses pre-launch.

It's flat-rate, but not always on. Basically, it's a license to use the internet as you probably do now, without worrying about the bill (ie dial in when you want to use it, and disconnect when you're finished). But if you plan to use it for 24/7 dowloading, you'll more then likely be asked to stop.

trap4

To me the whole poinst of FRIACO is having 24/7 online access.

I don't wish to dowload much but I want to be able to conntect to my PC using GoToMyPC at any time from a remote location.

I also need to be connected through IM to business partners througout the day and have my email constantly polled in the background, etc, etc.

dahamsta

That's not what FRIACO is about trap4; never has been, never will be. The amount you download is relatively benign, since the real issue with PSTN-based products is the use of the wires, not the use of the bits. PSTN-based products are all about sharing. You need DSL. You may not be able to get it, but that's the product you're looking for.

adam

Ruu_Old

Originally posted by exiztone
I'm still quite confused weather the new service will indeed be flatrate or restricted to a time limit.
Can someone confirm either?
Cheers.

Im more confused does it mean what we have now? like except more time? or be cut off at like every 200 hours or whatever limit will/maybe

trap4

Adam I won't argue the point with you but that just seems to be totally ridiculous to this technically challenged poster.

As you can see, all my needs are very low bandwidth. I just need a constant connection, a drip feed if you like. Now, to say that what I need is a big fat DSL pipe just seems to be a case of using a cannon to kill a fly

dahamsta

Adam I won't argue the point with you but that just seems to be totally ridiculous to this technically challenged poster.

It may seem ridiculous, but it's the truth. You may not like it, but FRIACO is not suitable as an always-on product, and it's wrong for someone to use it that way.

As you can see, all my needs are very low bandwidth. I just need a constant connection, a drip feed if you like.

Actually, I'll amend my answer, what you need is ISDN with an active D-channel, but you can't have that either. Thanks for calling Dr. Denis Leary.

adam

MDR

As Adam quite rightily points out, Flat-rate is not an always on product period not matter what the required bandwidth is, now if you wanted to schedule regular dialins to collect mail etc, for example three times an hours. Flat-rate would be perfect for your needs.

spongebob

I agree with that last description.

FRIACO means that yoiu can leave Outlook Express open aitha check mail every 20 minutes ticked. It should disconnect after the checking is completed which would mean around the minute if the mailbox were empty.

You should still auto disconnect after 5 minutes of inactivity.

M

bk

Originally posted by Malcolm
With the UTVip service all calls to Northern Ireland are charged at national rate. This is true when dialling using either the 048 or using the +44 code.

Again thanks very much for the answer Malcolm, but could you please answer two further questions for me:

1) How much does calls to UK Mobiles cost (they don't seem to be listed on your site)?

2) When does your weekend rates apply, from midnight Friday (like Eircom) or from 6:00 pm Friday (like Esat)?

Again, thanks for your time Malcolm.
Brian.

niallb

Originally posted by dahamsta - describing a low bandwidth 24/7 access method.
...
Actually, I'll amend my answer, what you need is ISDN with an active D-channel, but you can't have that either. Thanks for calling Dr. Denis Leary.

This should be headed for Net/Comms if it gets any answers, but is this ever likely to be available?
Are there D channels in use in Ireland?
Are they not supported by Irish exchanges?

It's such an old technology, it's like converting a Penny Farthing to the euro,
but an always on 9.6k that can bring up another 128k has a lot of uses.

It could give ISPs a more economical option to offer a special ISDN FRIACO package.
A mail check will run as fast at 9.6k as 64k, and the line is only brought up if there is something there.

I know when I check mail during the day,
I leave my link up for roughly my minimum call charge
and check again just before bringing it down!
500 people doing that just once a day
ties up 24 hours worth of line time.

I've just moved house and where I live will possibly never see [RA]DSL,
but I got an ISDN line installed in 4 days.
IDSL may never arrive, but a full spec ISDN line would be a great help.

As soon as I get my first phone bill and my account number, I'll be back to UTVip.
Can you transfer an account to a new number or do you have to close and open a new one?

On the voice call front, are there any plans for UTV/Nevada to offer a countrywide local call rate?

NiallB

spongebob

IDSL or the always on D-Channel ISDN variants would require that Eircom offer the product on a wholesale basis first.

A new regulatory regime which kicks in in July 2003 with the transposition of a series of directives into Irish law . Among the new powers that Comreg will get will be the right to order Eircom to create a product if they see a need for it.

Until now, Comreg have been faced with a conundrum. If Eircom did not want to offer a product themselves then Comreg could not force them to. If they did offer a product, then they had to offer a wholesale variant.

Your wish would be good in rural ares but Comreg have shown interest in a Wireless alternative named 1EV-DO (letter o) which is a sorta data only 3G that runs over the same frequencies already allocated to Vodafone and O2. Comreg dngled this in front of them recently.

I am personally inclining towards wireless only solutions in Rural areas......having seen the carnage wrought by lightning on ISDN kit last month.

M

dahamsta

Originally posted by Muck
I am personally inclining towards wireless only solutions in Rural areas

But... but... the Taoiseach says that wireless technology ... would not work in an area of the west of Ireland away from a centre Muck. You're not <sharp intake of breath> calling the Taoiseach a... a... liar, are you?

Oh the humanity!

adam

spongebob

I know that in de department of de teeshuck .....somewhere..... lurks a civil servant who believes this crap.

dis civil servant writes de breefin note for de teeshuck

de teeshuck duzzint unnerstand dis stuff and dats why it gets kinda mutilated in de tellin in de dwawl as he tries to make it sound like he duz unnerstand it really.

if i ever find out the name and email address of the moronic civil servant who wrote thsi garbled ****e for Bertie that day then I will publish same in here so you lot can all tell the moron what you think of it.

M

Malcolm

Originally posted by bk
Again thanks very much for the answer Malcolm, but could you please answer two further questions for me:

1) How much does calls to UK Mobiles cost (they don't seem to be listed on your site)?

2) When does your weekend rates apply, from midnight Friday (like Eircom) or from 6:00 pm Friday (like Esat)?

Again, thanks for your time Malcolm.
Brian.

We match the eircom standard rate for calls to UK and other mobiles and from 1st April we now offer 5% discount on the eircom standard rate for calls to Irish mobile numbers.

Any call types not specifically listed on our tariff sheet are charged at eircom standard per minute rates.

Our weekend rate starts at midnight Friday.

OHP

Originally posted by dahamsta
But... but... the Taoiseach says that wireless technology ... would not work in an area of the west of Ireland away from a centre Muck. You're not <sharp intake of breath> calling the Taoiseach a... a... liar, are you?

Oh the humanity!

adam

Take two more deep breaths and whatever you do 'DO NOT' exhale! And after a short while you will begin to feel / believe anything is possible :rolleyes

OHP

piet

Any update on the friaco options?
I mailed utv this morning, if this comes in on the first of june that's only a few weeks now.
I am on lite(30 hr)+peak option, so it will be wiser if I change over to the 150hr version and do away with the peak option!
So I would like to know if there will be any other options, and how long it will take to switch over to one!

LFCFan

Originally posted by piet
Any update on the friaco options?
I mailed utv this morning, if this comes in on the first of june that's only a few weeks now.
I am on lite(30 hr)+peak option, so it will be wiser if I change over to the 150hr version and do away with the peak option!
So I would like to know if there will be any other options, and how long it will take to switch over to one!

AFAIK they will let the 30 hour users use their hours at peak times as part of a FRIACO product.

piet

Here the reply from utv:

Hi Piet,


We're still working on the product and so don't have any information yet. This product WILL be released in June/July time and it will enable you to use your 30/150 hours anytime of the day or night. Initial models of this FRAICO based service suggests that it may be around the same price as UTVip.

Existing UTVip customers who decide to move across to the FRAICO based service will not pay any more than they're currently paying for UTVip should the FRAICO based service be more expensive than UTVip. I've also 'flagged' your UTVip account to receive information about this new service when we have more to tell.

Should there be a trial period, existing UTVip customers who expressed an interest in the new service will be chosen at random - you could be one of them.


Best regards,
s t u a r t
(UTV Internet Support)

I'll have to work on pasting in bold, sorry!

exiztone

Hmmm, ok so they confirmed that they will be doing this.
But the post above me says it's still restricted to 150 hours, that is not FRIACO


>Hello,
>I have the UTVip 150 hour package. There are rumours that you are going >to
turn this into a full FRIACO package soon.
>Can you confirm this for me? If so can you also give a date?
>
>Cheers
>- Tim


Hi

We will be launching a FRIACO type service in June, we will be contacting all
current customers once details are available.

Charles

Nyum Nyum

"FRIACO type "

mike65

...interesting....

Any UTVip customer, active on or before 1 June 2003 will pay no more for our 24/7 FRIACO product than they currently pay for their UTVip off-peak subscription. We will allow all of our customers to convert to the 24/7 product at no extra cost and without any setup or admin charges. Of course, should our FRIACO price be less than our UTVip service, your subscription will be changed to reflect the price reduction.

So which is it, Scott?

Mike.

Paddy20

Is it really to be expected in the real cut throat world of the ISP business?. That any sensible business concern is going to publicly announce in advance of June! or is it now July? full details of FRIACO package plans that they are probably keeping under the strictist of security wraps.

IMHO, all will be revealed after the first shot is fired, hopefully in June for all our sakes!.

Paddy20;)