Cheaper use of ISDN2e from Home

[Richard <nospam [at] sheflug.co.uk>]

Hello

Wrote in to BT yesterday to ask about costs of using the internet from
home for my own use.  The comments that came back from BT are
interesting and I thought that some of you might like to read have a
look ?


internet.support@bt.com wrote:
> 
> Dear Mr Ibbotson,
> 
> Many thanks for your email.
> 
> On 8th March 2000, BT unveiled further details of SurfTime, its range of
> options for residential and business customers to access the Internet with
> no hidden charges.
> 
> BT's SurfTime will provide access to any Internet service provider (ISP)
> which offers service at the end of an 0844 telephone number, so there is no
> tie to a particular service provider. Some ISPs may make further charges for
> use of their services and BT will provide optional billing services to ISPs.
> Dial-up Internet access always requires an exchange line, and BT's charges
> as outlined below include line rentals.
> 
> Subject to Oftel approval, three SurfTime options cater for the needs of
> different users, as follows (all monthly charges below including rental of
> an ordinary exchange line):
> 
> Residential customers who are occasional Net users Charges are 9.26 per
> month for line rental (which can also be used for telephone calls) plus 1p
> per minute during the day, 0.6p per minute in the evening and 0.5p per
> minute at the weekend. (All prices include VAT).
> 
> Residential customers who are evening and weekend Net users At 15.25 per
> month, unmetered Internet usage is available every evening and all weekend,
> and customers also receive up to 80 minutes of inclusive voice calls. If the
> net is accessed during the daytime, charges are 1p per minute. In the US,
> typical customers with similar Internet usage patterns would pay around 5
> per month more in total. With BT Together, customers will pay 17.98 per
> month for unmetered Internet usage plus up to 200 minutes of inclusive voice
> calls. (All prices include VAT).
> 
> "Round the clock" residential and business Net users At 29.25 per month
> (inc. VAT) for residential customers and 29.74 per month (ex.VAT) for
> business customers, unmetered Internet usage is available seven days per
> week and 24 hours per day. For consumers, such charges are directly
> comparable to US prices and for business customers BT believes its charges
> are significantly lower than those typical in the US.
> 
> Moving from ordinary narrowband lines to higher speed Highway lines, monthly
> charges for Home and Business Highway with Internet access speeds up to 128k
> are 17.74 (inc.VAT) per month more than narrowband for residential customers
> and 16.60 (ex. VAT) per month more than narrowband for business customers.
> Shortly, BT will announce retail prices which will enable Internet users to
> have access at even faster rates with BT's broadband service.
> 
> These prices are substantially lower than those indicated in BT's original
> announcement (December 7,1999), through the adoption of a pricing model
> similar to that which predominates in the USA, where the telephone company
> charges customers to take an Internet access call as far as the local
> exchange. ISPs then have a variety of options for connecting to, and
> charging for, their services.
> 
> Under SurfTime, the total cost of accessing the Internet will consist of a
> telephony charge, along with any charges that ISPs may wish to charge for
> connection to their service, and provision of content.
> 
> Unlike the USA, where business calls to the Internet are normally paid for
> on a metered basis, SurfTime packages will be available both to business and
> residential customers.
> 
> Peter MacLeod, managing director of BT UK Markets, said: "Our analysis of
> the Internet market in the UK shows that 40 million people and every
> business and every Government department can gain real benefit from using
> the net. BT SurfTime is a crucial step to make this happen as it opens up
> wonderful, and often amazing, opportunities to exploit the net for an
> attractive and economical price. BT SurfTime is the next step for the net
> generation."
> 
> BT's target date for the introduction of SurfTime is June 1, 2000.
> Appropriate interconnect components will be announced shortly.


That should explain the situation very well ?



Richard
Sheffield UK

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