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Re: The end of the line for fixed line broadband?

Posted: Sat 14 Apr, 2012 12.03
by Neil Jones
Dr Lobster* wrote:Image

i'm setting up a laptop for a very nice lady (hence the pink theme, i prefer 70s earth tones) and i'm downloading and installing a few bits via my mobile phone's 3g connection via a wifi tether (i'm on 3)

as you can see, i'm getting 730 kb/sec download speed. that's faster than my Plusnet broadband connection at home. I'm also in the arse end of nowhere norfolk.

i hardy ever use the bt line in my house for phone calls, i really only have it for broadband. is the time coming now that the connection speeds of mobile broadband are as such that fixed line can be dispensed with entirely for most people?

Not in my opinion because it's too patchy, too unrelible and tends to come with paltry download limits that only good if you look at email and online bank statements. To do anything else pushes you over your limit.

Like you the only reason I have a phone line in the flat is for broadband, although I've managed to reduce the cost of this to some degree, namely by using the "pay line rental in advance" and "I've found a better deal, what can you do to keep me as a customer" ruses, which now means I pay less than £10 a month for rental, calls and broadband, which is cheaper than any mobile provider, and just as fast (my Plus.net download speed on my phoneline is slightly faster than your mobile broadband screenshot).

I do struggle with standard mobile phone reception in certain parts of the flat, and can only get Facebook on it if I stand next to the window or sit with my arm in the air, otherwise reception falls. I've always thought if I can't get standard voice calls in a location then I have no chance of mobile broadband, so I don't recommend it at the moment.

Re: The end of the line for fixed line broadband?

Posted: Tue 24 Apr, 2012 16.30
by Chris
Mobile broadband is no good if you want anything other than a 'dumb pipe'. Try finding one which offers a load of static IPs, no filtering/port blocks etc.