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broadband internet isps - utah broadband isp
BT and NTL get ISP wooden spoon for satisfaction
How much do you love your internet service provider? If you're a customer of BT or NTL, you're most likely to be suffering from a lack of warm and fuzzy feelings towards your provider. A study by utilities comparison website uSwitch.com, which examined the relative popularity of the UK's ISPs, found that PlusNet is the nation's favourite, with BT and NTL picking up the wooden spoon for the largest percentage of unsatisfied customers. All in all, it seems the British are a broadband happy bunch. According to the survey of 16,000, 92 per cent of PlusNet customers are satisfied with their ISP, while BT and NTL - with the fewest satisfied customers - still notched up decent levels of satisfied users, with 81 and 82 per cent respectively. But what makes broadband users happy with their service? The research found that broadband Britain rates connection quality and reliability - rather than price - as the most important elements.
UK broadband locked in big boys' grip
Despite Ofcom's best efforts to encourage competition, it seems the big names are still dominating the UK broadband market. According to a new report from broadband analyst group Point Topic, the top ten broadband suppliers have nearly 90 per cent of the UK high-speed internet access market sewn up. Point Topic found that incumbent telco BT is still the UK's number one supplier with approximately 2.5 million of the UK's some 10.7 million broadband lines. BT's dominance has actually increased since last year, when Ofcom 'encouraged' the telco to split its broadband access division from its retail unit. The move led to the creation of a new business, BT Openreach. The report, which treats the newly-merged NTL, Telewest and Virgin as separate entities, also reveals that when treated as a single company, the three ISPs tot up three million customers to BT's 2.5 million.
Dot.com take 2: Web 2.0 plus powerful broadband re-ignite e-commerce
Web 2.0 combined with increased broadband presence has the power to re-fuel e-commerce, according to a recent Paul Budde report. Internet Media companies such as Google, News Corp and Yahoo are just some of the leaders taking advantage of this market, according to Paul Budde, but there are also many ISPs and BSPs that are diversifying their business in order to make the most of the 'many opportunities' that this new wave of technology presents. "We see more and more businesses increasing their e-activities. This includes e-trading, Web site marketing and other forms of related communications. This increase in activity is being reflected in the companies' financial performance," said Paul Budde Communications senior analyst Kylie Wansink. "An estimated one million companies, worldwide, now rely on the Internet economy for more than 50 per cent of their revenue.
Wi-Fi piggybackers 'fess up
More than half (54 percent) of computer users admit to using someone else's Wi-Fi without permission, research reveals. Many internet-enabled homes fail to secure their wireless connection properly with passwords and encryption, allowing others to steal internet access rather than pay an ISP, according to IT security company Sophos, which carried out the 560-strong survey. Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, said borrowing Wi-Fi internet access may feel like a victimless crime, but it deprives ISPs of revenue. And if you hop onto your next door neighbour's wireless broadband connection to download movies and music from the net, chances are you are also slowing down their internet access and impacting on their download limit, Cluley added.
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