BTo gets tough with Sat bandwidth hogs

BTopenworld has put the frighteners on its satellite broadband users over their excessive use of bandwidth at peak business hours during the day.

Around 40 customers have received letters from BTopenworld warning them that the ISP will soon start imposing bandwidth limitations on their accounts at peak hours unless they cut back on their usage.

BTopenworld said that it would prefer not to take such punitive action but insisted that it would have little choice unless the activities of some users became more responsible.

However, the move has angered some who believe BTopenworld is way out of line.

One reader told The Register: "For BT to restrict the bandwidth of their satellite system, supposedly for business users, to farcical levels at this early stage, is not good news, especially when the service is bloody expensive."

BTopenworld - which has teamed up with Gilat Satellite Networks to provide the service -has around 1,000 users of the two-way broadband service. Installation of the service starts at £899 with subscription running in at £59.99 a month. All prices exclude VAT.

Curiously, insiders have told The Register that BTopenworld is planning to take similar action against heavy users of its ADSL service.

They claim the BTopenworld is gearing up to clamp down on persistent ADSL bandwidth hogs. However, a spokesman for BTopenworld denied all knowledge of this, adding that the ISP had no plans to introduce such restrictive measures for its ADSL service.

The clampdown on usage for BTopenworld's satellite users comes at BT Retail is embarking on a multi-million advertising blitz to increase the take-up of broadband in the UK. ®

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