Proper Advertising: The way it is

[TheBottomLiner]

Do all you want with Virgin Media's Award Winning super fast broadband...

Like playing games online with your mates?

Enjoy speaking with friends or family online using webcam?

Downloading music and videos?

Perhaps a live PPV stream?

You can do all this... and more with our service.....

JUST DON'T DO IT BETWEEN 4PM AND 9PM.

THE TIME YOU MOST LIKELY USE OUR SERVICE, AND IS THE REASON YOU PAY MONEY (£) FOR THE SPEED OF THE BROADBAND "SIZE" PACKAGE YOU ORDER FROM US....

OTHERWISE WE WILL STEAL OUR AWARD WINNING BROADBAND BANDWIDTH FROM YOU FOR THE NEXT FIVE HOURS....

YOU NAUGHTY BANDWIDTH USER!

[techyguy4]

You are right bottomliner, that's the way it is.. :-)

[foreverwar]

In some cases.

I, for instance, play COD4 on the main computer, whilst my kids are on YouTube and Skype on their laptops, and that usually all hours of the day, and we (fortunately) do not suffer from degradation of service.

Whilst I sympathise with those not receiving appropriate services, I do not assume all suffer (just like I do not assume all have the good services that I receive).

[Enuff]

A huge majority of internet users wont know if they're being capped because they wouldn't see any changes, they wouldn't even know how to check if they noticed..

[foreverwar]

Originally Posted by Enuff

A huge majority of internet users wont know if they're being capped because they wouldn't see any changes, they wouldn't even know how to check if they noticed..

If a tree falls in a forest, unobserved, does it make a sound?

Or to put it another way, if they don't notice any difference, is there any difference.

[Magilla]

Originally Posted by TheBottomLiner

Do all you want with Virgin Media's Award Winning super fast broadband...

Like playing games online with your mates?

Enjoy speaking with friends or family online using webcam?

Downloading music and videos?

Perhaps a live PPV stream?

You can do all this... and more with our service.....

JUST DON'T DO IT BETWEEN 4PM AND 9PM.

Indeed, the most mis-sold service I've ever used.

[TheBottomLiner]

From Virgin Media’s website regarding traffic management policy with some information on how this translates to another boffin.

I will use the package I am on “Size L” as an example:

“Will my download speed be affected?
Your speed won't be moderated unless you're in the top 3% of users (uploaders and downloaders). Our boffins ran a trial to see how much our service was being affected. They discovered that, in certain areas, just 3% of customers were uploading and/or downloading such a large amount of content that it was affecting the service for other users in these areas.”

So therefore 97% of users won’t be capped if this is true.

“There is some overlap in the 3% of uploaders and the 3% of downloaders. Our data has identified that the top 3% of uploaders and downloaders makes up fewer than 5% of all users.

And we're not talking about just a few video clips. In some cases the top 3% of uploaders and downloaders were using as much as 3GB, just during peak times. That's around 750 music tracks in the space of a few hours.”

Ok so it might be closer to 95% of users that escape traffic management.

Have the Virgin boffins heard of High Definition? And why mention video clips and then give the example in number of music tracks? What bitrate are the music tracks? Are they uncompressed wav files? How long is each track?

On size L, to download 3Gb will require you to use your internet connection at full speed (the speed you buy) for just under 2 hours between 4pm and 9pm before traffic management “manages” you for the next 5 hours.

“So, unless you're using an unusually large amount of information at peak times, we won't restrict your service and you can use to your heart's content.”

Robin Hood?....

“What traffic management policies are you applying to the heaviest users?
That depends on the broadband package you're signed up to. And it's important to remember that these traffic management policies only apply during peak times (4pm till 9pm) – as this is when the speeds are likely to be affected by people using more than their fair share.”

Only apply during peak times but the effects of our restriction of service may well extend until 2am the following morning!!

Fair share?!

Broadband Size: L

“During peak times, the top 3% of downloaders on the Size: L package download at least 800MB of traffic each, with the top 3% of uploaders uploading at least 325MB of traffic each.”

Downloading 800Mb or using their Size L connection at full speed for 30 minutes between 4pm and 9pm

“Any users hitting this amount during peak times (4pm till 9pm) will have their broadband speed temporarily traffic managed – their download speed will be set to 1Mb, with their upload speed set to 128Kb. This will last for 5 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.”

Between 4pm and 9pm if you use your size L connection at full speed for a total of 30 minutes between 4pm and 9pm we state will reduce the speed of your connection by 75%, giving you 25% of what you actually pay for, for a period of 5 hours.

This reduced speed is 50% slower than the pre traffic managed advertised speed of the next cheapest package size M. Our Size L package is ADVERTISED AS HAVING NO DOWNLOAD LIMITS!!!

“Even if a Broadband: Size L user has their speed temporarily traffic managed, they can still download over 5,500 music files per day.”

So What? Huh? And your point is?

“Note: We are in the process of rolling out a speed uplift for the Size ‘L’ broadband tier, that increases customer download speeds from up to 4Mb to up to 10Mb.”

NTL did this as well. It’s called progression.

“As customers are upgraded, the traffic management policy for the upgraded package changes accordingly.”

Nice one!

“In areas where 10Mb speeds are available, the top 3% of downloaders download at least 800MB of traffic each during the peak period each evening, with the top 3% of uploaders uploading at least 400MB of traffic in the same period.”

So you are upgrading us to a connection that’s more than double as fast, but you still give the same download limit (800MB, which can be exceeded in just 15 minutes of use now.) AGAIN ON A CONNECTION THAT IS ADVERTISED AS HAVING NO DOWNLOAD LIMITS.

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/webs...ervice.do?id=2

“Any users hitting this amount during peak times (4pm till 9pm) will have their broadband speed temporarily traffic managed – their download speed will be set to 2.5Mb, with their upload speed set to 128Kb. This will last for 5 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.”

Again we cut your service by 75% and give you 25% of what you pay for, during the next 5 hours, possibly until 2am the following morning because you used our service at full speed for a period of 15 minutes during 4pm and 9pm. This is what we call excessive use, or more than your “fair share”.

“Even if a Broadband: Size L user has their speed temporarily traffic managed, they can still download over 14,000 music files per day.”

Is this supposed to compensate or a way of saying that at all other times we give you what you pay for?

I still don’t get the example either...

It would be like a service to your digital TV customers that watch more than 15 – 30 minutes of digital TV between the hours of 4pm and 9pm.

If you watch more than your fair share we will reduce your picture quality by 75% or only send you 25% of the screen for the next 5 hours.

It’s OK though, you can still watch TV normally at all other times.

Do it again tomorrow and we’ll do the same again, and again.

---------- Post added at 22:12 ---------- Previous post was at 21:41 ----------

10pm and traffic management has just kicked in.

WHY?

Am i now managed until 3am?

Bring back NTL!!!

[Stephen]

It still is NTL mate. It might be called Virgin Media, but underneath its still NTL/Telewest.

Do what I do and download lots of stuff when you are asleep or during the day when you are at work. That way you will be sure not to go over the bandwith during 4-9pm

[what?]

dunno if it works but apparently if stm'd outside of stm hours a reboot of the modem
should clear it. if you've not tried it already give it a go n let me no if it works.