ISPreview Interviews Telewest about its services and the market

Given that we use our own network to deliver our services to consumers, we do not have a strong view on FRIACO. However, in general, we are supportive of any programme that provides consumers with more choice in their selection of internet services.

9) What do you find to be the most important thing to cater for when operating an ISP? Customer support, cut-off times, multiplayer support etc, and why?

Speed, reliability, network management, technical support, access to quality of content... The list could go on because, as you rightly identify, there are several key factors critical to operating an ISP. With Telewest's blueyonder family of services, our goal is to provide best-in-class service across all of the key factors that impact the quality of service. We strive very hard to reach that goal.

We also work hard to stay aware of customer preferences and interests so that we can stay at the forefront of emerging internet trends that our customers are likely to find important.

10) A lot of ISPs like Freeserve fail to announce their limits, such as the recommended hourly usage per day or the total usage per month. Why is this and do you think it'll ever change? This has been the cause for many people finding themselves kicked off a service (Freeserve, Breathe etc).

I prefer not to comment directly on issues that other unmetered ISPs have faced. However, as more consumers decide to subscribe to unmetered services, I would encourage them to ask themselves some of the following questions when selecting an ISP…

• How much experience does the ISP have in providing unmetered access?
• Does the ISP own its own network that it can manage, or does it rely on the network of a third party to deliver service?
• What kind of financial backing does the ISP have?
• What do existing customers say about the service of the ISP you are considering?

11) What group of people (age/orientation/employment etc) do you find are making most use of your current unmetered products and why?

Our Internet customers range in age from teenagers to retired people (who we affectionately call "silver surfers"). However, the specific demographics of our customer base is confidential.

12) Why is broadband so much faster and technically less limit prone (limitless - daily usage, speeds etc) when, on a scale standard modem/ISDN dial up, ISPs could potentially cost as much as x6 that of a £50 broadband connection?

I'll attempt to answer this question using consumer-friendly terms, as some people may find the term 'broadband' technologically intimidating, when, in reality, broadband technology is quite simple. A broadband connection is also significantly more user-friendly than a dial-up internet connection. Broadband internet access, commonly called high-speed internet access, enables consumers to access the internet's rapidly expanding offerings of news, information, entertainment and data at lightning fast speeds. The enhanced speed offered by broadband, coupled with the fact that broadband eliminates the logging on process with a permanent, always-on internet connectivity, enables consumers to enjoy the ultimate internet experience.

How does broadband deliver the ultimate internet experience? It uses broadband networks and digital technology to eliminate the so-called "world wide wait" - the wait that plagues slower, less-advanced technologies that pioneered internet access.

Broadband networks can be thought of as fat, state-of-the-art pipelines laid by cable TV and telephone providers. Digital technology compresses vast amounts of video, data, and voice information down into smaller packets and, as a result, that broadband pipeline can transmit exponentially more audio, video, and data at lightning fast speeds. To put it another way, comparing a dial-up (often referred to as narrow band) internet connection to a broadband high-speed connection, is like comparing a garden hose to a fire hose.

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