O2 to 'unlimited' broadband customers: don't use too much

Thu 27 May 2010 6 Comments

O2 limits 'unlimited' mobile broadband tariffs

Mobile provider O2 has made moves to limit the usage of customers on its 'unlimited' broadband package to 10GB a month, it has emerged this week; with the threat of disconnection for customers who don't comply.

It's believed that the company began writing to heavy users on its BT Wholesale based "O2 Home Access" tariff back in March, advising that a lot of data usage was to be discouraged, and it is even thought to have disconnected an unspecified number of users on the basis of unfair use. In the warning letters no specific limit is mentioned, although some forums have indicated that 40GB per month seemed to be the point at which usage was deemed excessive.

Of course, most broadband deals have some kind of fair usage policy to prevent the few hogging all the bandwidth and ruining the experience for everyone. However, it appears that even going over 10GB a month is considered unusually heavy usage by O2 for this particular tariff. They may be trying to pass it off as 'just a guideline', but O2's traffic management page suggests that users try to stick to less than 10GB to avoid any issues. "Most O2 customers use less than 10GB a month. Aim for that and you'll be okay," the page suggests.

Ironically, this news comes the week after O2 launched its latest advertising campaign focussing on common frustrations with broadband services, including poor customer service, and, presumably, inaccurately named 'unlimited' tariffs.

It's also the kind of thing that telecoms regulator Ofcom generally frowns upon, trying as it is to make mobile providers own up to exactly what's included in the service customers are paying for.

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Comments

  • unhappy

    by David at 09:40 on 28 May 2010Report abuse

    This just makes me angry when a company does this.

    I live at home with 3 brothers and a sister, and we're all "average" (defined: online gaming, social sites etc) internet users, however the combination of all our internet would easily throw us over the "unlimited" 10 GB limit, and me and my brothers are avid online gamers, which is predominatly what causes most of the usage.

    All that is nothing compared tot he next bit. We'e also big fans of steam, we buy most of our games online. Now then If we were on an "unlimited" 10gb limit, and me and my brothers decided to buy Modern warfare 2 for example, we just wouldnt be able to download what we've payed for as the download size of that alone exceeds the monthy limit, and we would end up getting disconnected.

    Does O2 not live in the real world?

  • neutral

    by Ben at 11:27 on 28 May 2010Report abuse

    This is some kind of joke right? I've been using O2 Broadband for the last 6 months avg 95GB a month of encrypted Usenet traffic alone, not to mention normal web data. I have not had a single e-mail or letter from them telling me this is out of the ordinary. If they don't what us to be able to download large amount with ease, maybe they should go back to selling dial up. And start blocking ports to stop Usenet traffic, oh and they could block 1 click download site's as well, oh and bit torrant data.. Etc.. Oh wait no that how they make there money.... as nobody would use the net if there services where unavailible.

  • unhappy

    by Carl Barron at 12:14 on 28 May 2010 | registered | 1 postReport abuse

    Trading standards should threaten to sue all ISP’s who wrongly state unlimited usage.

    The whole exercise of increasing broadband speed is seriously flawed, as all ISP’s have a limited fair usage policy, even those ISPs who claim to give unlimited download still state a fair usage policy is in place. Hence by increasing the download speed the faster you reach your limit, before you either have restrictions placed on you and at worse loose your contract.

    Until such time as this problem is addressed, the push to watch TV via Broadband will only hasten the problem’s occurrence. Hence the British Government’s continued push for faster broad band and BT’s 100Mb broadband heading for 2.5 million homes is totally pointless. Remove all caps on Broadband or expect all customers to switch to Virgin, as they are the only true unlimited download providers I know of.


    Signed Carl Barron Chairman of agpcuk

  • happy

    by Scott at 09:39 on 31 May 2010Report abuse

    This is false information. There is a strict fair usage policy on the Access package which goes through BTs ADSL equipment and that could be the 10GB you are talking about but not on their main ADSL2+ packages.

  • unhappy

    by Deano at 20:19 on 7 Jun 2010Report abuse

    Signed up with O2 'Home Access - unlimited usage' at £17 a month about a year ago. Apart from some slow downs every so often and a not so good connection speed all was ok. Today (in the middle of their advertising campaign about the 'Support o Saurus' and how good their customer service is, unlimited broadband etc) I received call from O2 during which the highly skilled customer services person told me I have used 50Gb last month and if I do it again I will be disconnected. So suddenly I don't have unlimited usage !!!!.
    I asked what my previous months usages were and they couldn't tell me, they stated "it has all just started this month with a new fair usage policy" and I can like it or lump it.
    Absolutely appalling customer service and they really don't care; I chose to 'lump it' and have switched to Sky who so far seem to care about their customers and you supply with EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE BOUGHT AND PAID FOR !.

  • unhappy

    by Una at 17:12 on 16 Dec 2010Report abuse

    O2 named their service "UNLIMITED" and now call the users UNFAIR because they exceed 10 (or any other fixed number)Gb ??? And they dare disconnect or punish their own clients for that? Does this country have any ombundsman?
    O2 should call their service 10Gb PACKAGE, not unlimited ! It's pure cheating, and I totally disagree with the idea of imposing limits (on the thing called unlimited) and calling it fair use policy. It's just cheeky.

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