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Is there any decent ISP in UK?

So I'm coming to the end of my Virgin Media contract, Richard Branson has successfully made it onto my hit list. My 50mb connection pretty much always runs at 0.5mb or less. I've complained tons of times and has about 10 callouts; even got into a bit of a barney when I refused to let one engineer leave as I caught him trying to do a runner without actually fixing it.

Currently I'm visiting my parents in a completely different city and with BT. They also have "50mb" and it runs at 0.5mbps. It's better than virgin because at least it's just enough for online gaming but pretty useless for anything else.

As all other companies run on BT lines I'm guessing they're all the same.
I have to tough it out for another year at uni before I can move to a developed country with internet so is there any companies out there that can actually provide a half-decent service or am I barking up the wrong tree?

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Reply 1

tehFrance

BT or Sky, I'm on BT in London and it's speeds are as they say it is, my friend is on Sky and it's the same speed wise.

Reply 2

Jebedee

ADSL available at ~3Mbps

Cable services available

FTTC services available

FTTP services not available

BT 21CN services available

Wireless services not available

Reply 3

Jebedee

So apparently I can get fibre optic 63-80mb but I don't trust these promises one tiny bit. I'm on fibre optic right now and that's caused the problem. Also the local area I live in is known among students as the "virgin media dead zone".

My parents are on BT's "fibre optic" and have awful service too. Is there any way of finding out for sure rather than going on often empty promises? Especially as the installation fee is a rip off.

Reply 4

NIMBAH

Original post by Jebedee

Have you contacted BT regarding this ? Can't remember exactly but BT have to provide you with at least 15mb otherwise they are in breach of contract.

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Reply 5

Jebedee

There's tons of those around my area, one on my street or on the corner guaranteed.

Original post by NIMBAH

Have you contacted BT regarding this ? Can't remember exactly but BT have to provide you with at least 15mb otherwise they are in breach of contract.

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My mom called them a few weeks ago but they tried to get her to play engineer which was a successful ruse to get her off their back. She's 68, she doesn't know what an ethernet cable is and shouldn't be expected to either...etc. I've sent in a complaint through their forum so I should hear back from them soon.

I'm not here for long anyway so the main concern is choosing a different company in my city who won't lie and steal.

P.S: virgin breached their contract with me but I demanded the installation fee to be refunded as it was obtained under false pretences but they aren't budging.

Reply 6

Jebedee

I have considered plusnet to be honest, but aren't all companies exactly the same if they all run off the same BT line?

Reply 7

Jebedee

Hmm well it seems like in this country everyone competes on who can provide the worst customer service. I did sign up with Directsavetelecom, the BT guy came to install the line (which I paid £50 for). I said to call me as I can't hear the door from my room, they didn't call so no one answered. I called them and they tried to charge me £150 for a missed appt!!! I told them to go screw themselves, they won't give my £50 back and I'm not giving them £150.

I've had such a raw deal with ISPs I'm considering just using the uni library instead before I tear either my own hair out or someone else's.

Reply 8

ThatPerson

I've used Virgin Broadband for a few years now and never had any major problems. My speed is consistently ~60mb/s. I have FTTC.

I guess it might be dependent on your area mostly. I've never had to use customer support for long, so I don't know how helpful they are.

Reply 9

Ayesha1234

As already recommended I'd go for BT or Sky, the speeds are awesome in London if your road is fibre optic ready and they usually add it onto your bundle for free anyway. Personally, I'd try and get a good deal off Sky since they actually get their internet off BT anyway.

Reply 10

Jebedee

Original post by Ayesha1234

I live in Cardiff, London is a completely different ball game when it comes down to ISPs. Much like every other aspect of life here, London gets what it wants at the expense of everyone else -_- .

Reply 11

Ayesha1234

Original post by Jebedee

I live in Cardiff, London is a completely different ball game when it comes down to ISPs. Much like every other aspect of life here, London gets what it wants at the expense of everyone else -_- .

Sad but true. Sorry about that mate

Reply 12

username909838

I have Sky at home and it's always good, don't have any real problems. I installed a wifi card (PCI connection) in my desktop and even that has consistently good signal strength.

In my uni home we use Virgin. I admit there are six of us, but that shouldn't be a great problem, and when we are all using the internet (very often obviously), it is quite slow.

Reply 13

Jebedee

Original post by Beatlemania

There's just 4 using the virgin connection, during one of my many altercations with them.... they tried to convince me that 4 was too many. Our usage isn't over average either (by their own admission).

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Reply 14

Zorg

Virgin has become a dead horse with students; all students sign up on the promise of speed and being students they use their connects heavily, contention in student areas is thus incredibly high and Virgin's traffic management kicks in from the student oriented use and shafts everyone.

Though everyone uses BT's copper, they will have their own operating policies and customer service.
If there are a fair number of you in the house go with fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), Sky and BT both operate no traffic shaping/management or throttling policies. Or at least they did when I signed up 7 months ago.
Sky has provided me what they advertised and only during really busy times, even then only an hour or two, will the speed drop. The drops have never been more than 10% of my line speed though.

Your mother's property should be getting at least 15Mbps else they have breached contract. Ask for someone to be sent out and recompensation for the unusable internet.

For what it's worth, I had Virgin 50Mbps as a student and now have Sky's Fibre Unlimited (38Mbps). Sky's has been far more reliable and consistent.

Original post by ThatPerson

FTTC is the term for BT's fibre cables that run from the exchange to the little green cabinets on your street. Virgin's cable is of the coaxial kind that they laid many years ago. They're two very different pieces of equipment; Only Virgin use their cable, everyone else uses BT's fibre to the cabinet (FTTC).

Can I just ask which package you pay for? As I know a number of people on the 120Mbps package who only got 60Mbps.