BT introduces 'Total Broadband Anywhere' with <sarcasm>awesome 10MB usage cap</sarcasm>

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Looking to get a Smartphone that you can use out and about without fear of racking up huge data charges?

Best steer clear of 'BT Total Broadband Anywhere' then!

From the Press Release...

Now you can take your broadband anywhere

New broadband option offers free smartphone for web and e-mail on the move

BT takes broadband out of the home with the launch today of BT Total Broadband Anywhere, an all-inclusive package which offers a free, internet-capable smartphone – the BT ToGo – worth around £150, and BT’s Total Broadband service in the home.

From £23.99 per month1, only £5 more than the price of BT Total Broadband Option 3, the new BT Total Broadband Anywhere option delivers the most complete broadband experience, both at home and out and about – for surfing the web, sending and receiving e-mails, making calls or texting.

John Petter, managing director, Consumer at BT, said: “Broadband Anywhere customers get the total broadband experience – BT’s top-of-the-range broadband service at home, and a free BT ToGo smartphone for when out and about or on the move.”

“Communications services are converging, and it is clear that customers want consistent access to the things that matter not only at home, but in the palm of their hands wherever they are. When shopping, waiting for a train or having a coffee, Broadband Anywhere enables you to read e-mails, check the football score or compare prices.”

Broadband Anywhere customers get a choice of two stylish, full-function BT ToGo smartphones2 – the HTC S620 or S710 – both powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6. When in range of a WiFi hotspot, the BT ToGo connects to the internet at broadband speeds and provides cheaper calls through BT Broadband Talk3. When out of WiFi, there is a 10MB4 monthly download allowance, and the package includes 50 call minutes and 50 texts on any network at any time5. Larger minute and text bundle options are also available.

The BT ToGo integrates seamlessly with many other BT Total Broadband services, and is preconfigured with a BT e-mail address, although customers are able to set up other popular email accounts easily. In addition, the BT ToGo comes with mobile security software for comprehensive virus protection.

The BT ToGo boasts a built-in camera for taking photos and video clips, and comes complete with a media player so customers can enjoy their favourite music and videos wherever they go. It also includes BT Snap & Send, which means photos taken with the BT ToGo can be quickly transferred to a personal online BT Digital Vault so they can be safely stored or instantly shared with family and friends.

At home, Broadband Anywhere customers get BT’s premium Option 3 Total Broadband service, including a free, future-proof black wireless Home Hub with Hub Phone, download speeds of up to 8Mb/s6 with unlimited downloads7, advanced online security8, free 5GB Digital Vault9 secure online storage and free 24/7 customer support.

All Broadband Anywhere customers automatically join the BT FON WiFi community. Using any wireless device, including the BT ToGo, customers get unlimited WiFi access7 at more than 82,000 BT FON Hotspots in the UK, a further 190,000 hotspots around the world and over 2,500 BT Openzone hotspots10 in the UK and Ireland. A range of BT Total Broadband Anywhere packages are available, each offering BT’s top of the range Total Broadband Option 3 and an inclusive BT ToGo.

4. 10MB usage per month. Additional usage will be charged at £1.50 per MB. Any allowance not used during the month may not be carried forward. As a launch promotion, all BT Total Broadband Anywhere customers receive unlimited GPRS usage for no additional cost until 31 July 2008. After that date, customers will be able to choose whether they wish to continue with unlimited GPRS (at additional charge) or retain the 10MB inclusive allowance.

OMG BT what are you thinking?

At first site this seems pretty sound. A bolt on to your existing broadband = good, home hub = good, WinMo Smartphone = good, WiFi access = good, Digital Vaule = good I guess but 10MB per month usage cap = absolutely ridiculous, not to mention the £1.50 / MB over-use charges.

Anyone signing up for this? :D

P

PS As noted in comments, if you are an existing BT Total Broadband user, it's not a bad way to get a HTC Smartphone for a fiver a month...

[Guest Shadowfixeruk]

Looking to get a Smartphone that you can use out and about without fear of racking up huge data charges?

Best steer clear of 'BT Total Broadband Anywhere' then!

From the Press Release...

OMG BT what are you thinking?

At first site this seems pretty sound. A bolt on to your existing broadband = good, home hub = good, WinMo Smartphone = good, WiFi access = good, Digital Vaule = good I guess but 10MB per month usage cap = absolutely ridiculous, not to mention the £1.50 / MB over-use charges.

Anyone signing up for this? :D

P

I Really like the idea of what BT have been trying to push for the last few years pushing their homehub wifi\voip whilst at home and using cellular services whilst out of range of the home hub - i think its great if you live in a place with no\bad mobile signal (like me :( )...

I just can't work out how its ever been competitive in terms of pricing... this just seems like more of the same!

SF

[Guest]

10Mb a month = hopeless. I can use 10Mb in half an hour! :D Not surprising really when they're using Vodafone for the GPRS/3G access - their own data packages aren't exactly competitive so BT had no hope of getting an attractive deal. Back to the drawing board BT - nice idea tying broadband and mobile into one - but you've got to do better than that.

[Guest deadphill]

10Mb a month = hopeless. I can use 10Mb in half an hour! :D Not surprising really when they're using Vodafone for the GPRS/3G access - their own data packages aren't exactly competitive so BT had no hope of getting an attractive deal. Back to the drawing board BT - nice idea tying broadband and mobile into one - but you've got to do better than that.

I was on the understanding they have improved this to 500mb built in on contracts. If you see the latest news it is now Orange who are the donkeys in their pricing for high speed data.

Maybe this is some weird way of bt trying to get into mobile again? Think about it, both companies are offering stupid services that only a man with dark sunglasses a dog with yellow on its harness carrying a white stick might think about taking out, so one does so badly that it then becomes an actractive for a takeover. Hey presto, orange and BT are as one.

It probably wont happen, but maybe in this instance two wrongs would make a right!!

Phill

[Guest Stuart_f]

there is a 10MB4 monthly

Where did that 4 come from, a simple typo or is it meant to read 1024MB?

Edit: Oh I see, It's a numbered list that has been a bit mangled. I still think 1024 was the number they really should have used!

Edited May 9, 2008 by Stuart_f

[Guest Montala]

The idea looks good... at a first glance!

Then you look into their inclusive minutes & text... wow! 50 minutes + 50 texts – inclusive with every Broadband Anywhere package... then there's the broadband cap, which Paul mentioned, and what I gather from BT at the moment, there is only one phone currently on offer... an HTC S620.

However as an existing BT Broadband customer who has all the necessary hardware anyway, I though I might be offered some sort of a deal... dream on! Upgrade to Option 3, and then pay a further £5 on top of that, I was told... oh, and of course I have to have all their hardware anyway, as it is of course all FREE... of course it is!!! :D

The final nail in the coffin is the fact that they use the Vodafone network... virtually unusable at my current location anyway!

In fact they messed me around so much, when all I wanted to do was to make a simple enquiry, I will be transfering my broadband away from BT and over to O2 as soon as I possibly can... enough is enough!

Edited May 12, 2008 by Montala

[Guest Confucious]

I had to check the actual press release and it's true, you can pay more for more mins and texts but they are all 10 Mb - maybe they meant 10 Gb? :D

[Guest Shuflie]

Am I missing the point here? If you are (or were thinking of becoming) a BT Broadband customer you can now get a free WM smartphone with 50 min xnet and 50 texts, free wifi and 10MB data (useful for checking the odd email here and there) for a fiver? There's even going to be an unlimited data option after the end of June but no mention of how much it will cost. Where's the problem in that, leaving aside the small GPRS data allowance where can you get a better deal than that?

[Guest NikLP]

BT. You silly bass turds.

[Guest Metoo]

Am I missing the point here? If you are (or were thinking of becoming) a BT Broadband customer you can now get a free WM smartphone with 50 min xnet and 50 texts, free wifi and 10MB data (useful for checking the odd email here and there) for a fiver? There's even going to be an unlimited data option after the end of June but no mention of how much it will cost. Where's the problem in that, leaving aside the small GPRS data allowance where can you get a better deal than that?

Shuffle, of course you're not. If you're already an Option 3 customer, you're getting a 50 min/50 SMS mobile contract, a free WM QWERTY smartphone with WiFi and BB Talk integration, plus a small data allowance, for a fiver a month. Of course we don't know how much the "unlimited" plan will be, or the FUP, but at least they're throwing in 2 months' free in the meantime until that's announced.

So I fail to see why this announcement is getting all the flak.

Of course the same people will gladly evangelise how wonderful it is that Vodafone are giving everyone 500MB "free", when as far as I can tell all they actually did was reduce the "unlimited" pricing from £7.50/120MB to £5/500MB, made the package compulsory, and bumped up the rental by £5 to compensate. Admittedly a good deal, but far from the "free" or "unlimited" offer they would have us believe. Of course it doesn't help objectivity when some mobile "news" web pages are to this day still feeding the myth.

OK so it's got a 500MB FUP, but to get half a gig of data bundled into your price plan for free is pretty blooming awesome IMHO!

:D

Edited May 9, 2008 by Metoo

[Guest Menneisyys]

This is plain ridiculous. This is all against the Information Age.

Just as a comparison, in Finland, DNA, Elisa and TeliaSonera all offer flat rate data services, all in HSPA with 3+G coverage almost everywhere where 2G is also accessible. The latter, for example, offers 384 kbit/s flat-rate for under 10 euros a month...

[Guest Metoo]

This is plain ridiculous. This is all against the Information Age.

Just as a comparison, in Finland, DNA, Elisa and TeliaSonera all offer flat rate data services, all in HSPA with 3+G coverage almost everywhere where 2G is also accessible. The latter, for example, offers 384 kbit/s flat-rate for under 10 euros a month...

Like I said, it is pointless comparing this against other flat rate deals until you know the pricing of the BT's flat rate package. As it stands, show me where else an existing broadband customer can get a 50 min / 50 SMS 10MB contract, including a free Wm Qwerty smartphone, for a fiver a month [1]?

I'm all for reasoned discussion, but to knock this down for the sake of it, especially when you don't know the full pricing, is just stupid. I expect better objectivity from so called "pundits".

[1] plus the option to add up to 5 extra handests to the same contract at £5/m + £29.99 one off each.

Edited May 12, 2008 by Metoo

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

If you're an existing customer, you're right, it's not a bad way to get an ultra cheap Smartphone.

I do think it's slightly ironic to call it 'Total Broadband Anywhere' with a) such a low usage cap and :D with a non-3G device. Surely a S730 with a realistic FUP would make more sense?

P

[Guest Menneisyys]

Like I said, it is pointless comparing this against other flat rate deals until you know the pricing of the BT's flat rate package. As it stands, show me where else an existing broadband customer can get a 50 min / 50 SMS 10MB contract, including a free Wm Qwerty smartphone, for a fiver a month [1]?

I'm all for reasoned discussion, but to knock this down for the sake of it, especially when you don't know the full pricing, is just stupid. I expect better objectivity from so called "pundits".

[1] plus the option to add up to 5 extra handests to the same contract at £5/m + £29.99 one off each.

Sorry, I haven't read your previous post - now, this indeed puts this thing in a completely different light if you're an existing customer and want a free WM phone.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

PS'd on original post :D

P

[Guest Confucious]

But why a SmartPhone? For a 'normal' phone 10Mb may be enough but SmartPhones really need lots of data. If they offered increased data usage at a reasonable price then this would be a good deal but as it stands it could work out VERY expensive if you actually use the phone as intended.

It is nearly a very good deal - just hampered by the lack of 'data'.

If I was an existing customer I would probably go for it, and as a 'first attempt' it's quite good - but could be so much better!

[Guest Metoo]

But why a SmartPhone? For a 'normal' phone 10Mb may be enough but SmartPhones really need lots of data. If they offered increased data usage at a reasonable price then this would be a good deal but as it stands it could work out VERY expensive if you actually use the phone as intended.

It is nearly a very good deal - just hampered by the lack of 'data'.

If I was an existing customer I would probably go for it, and as a 'first attempt' it's quite good - but could be so much better!

Agreed. That's why they're offering unlimited data until the end of July with the option to pay the extra once the flat rate price is finalised. I'm not all pro-BT though. Seems very lax to me that this information isn't available up front. Has anyone tried asking BT Mobile? Personally, I'd argue a good case to cancel the whole 18 month contract if that charge proves unreasonable, especially as the primary purpose of this device and service is data-orientated. Otherwise how can you determine whether the contract you are signing up to is "fair", unless the full terms are known before signing?

Without that information, I would strongly suggest that anyone going for this stresses to the operator (note the time of call and name), and annotates any follow-up paperwork, that "acceptance of the contract is conditional", and is "subject to the customer's acceptance of as yet undisclosed pricing for an unlimited data package." . Or just wait until they fezz up the detail!

Edited May 12, 2008 by Metoo

[Guest Confucious]

As far as I can see it is 10MB included and £1.50/ Mb on top of that. Where did you get

unlimited data until the end of July with the option to pay the extra once the flat rate price is finalised.

Have I missed something?

[Guest Montala]

Like I said, it is pointless comparing this against other flat rate deals until you know the pricing of the BT's flat rate package. As it stands, show me where else an existing broadband customer can get a 50 min / 50 SMS 10MB contract, including a free Wm Qwerty smartphone, for a fiver a month [1]?

I'm all for reasoned discussion, but to knock this down for the sake of it, especially when you don't know the full pricing, is just stupid. I expect better objectivity from so called "pundits".

[1] plus the option to add up to 5 extra handests to the same contract at £5/m + £29.99 one off each.

Just to clarify the position here... it is only an additional £5 per month if you are already on Option 3 Broadband with BT, which I would suggest a lot of users in so called rural areas where we don't get the option of the higher speeds anyway probably aren't!

[Guest Metoo]

As far as I can see it is 10MB included and £1.50/ Mb on top of that. Where did you get

Have I missed something?

See last paragraph of Paul's quoted press release - item 4 in T&C.

[Guest Confucious]

Just goes to prove I never read anything right to the en

[Guest Metoo]

Just goes to prove I never read anything right to the en

:D

[Guest nebapneb]

Like I said, it is pointless comparing this against other flat rate deals until you know the pricing of the BT's flat rate package. As it stands, show me where else an existing broadband customer can get a 50 min / 50 SMS 10MB contract, including a free Wm Qwerty smartphone, for a fiver a month [1]?

I'm all for reasoned discussion, but to knock this down for the sake of it, especially when you don't know the full pricing, is just stupid. I expect better objectivity from so called "pundits".

[1] plus the option to add up to 5 extra handests to the same contract at £5/m + £29.99 one off each.

so how much are s620s going for on ebay

for a £60 outlay(if its a 12month contract) it may be worth a punt

neb

[Guest Montala]

so how much are s620s going for on ebay

for a £60 outlay(if its a 12month contract) it may be worth a punt

neb

Anywhere between £90 - £100 including postage... some classed as 'refurbished' though, with possible slight marks etc.

Look as if there are some BT branded ones on there also... personally I think I would rather get one directly from BT though... especially if it was only going to cost me an extra £5 per month.

[Guest Simply Gray]

See BT

Terms & Conditions

Plans

Base - 50 Minutes & 50 Texts - included in contracts

150 - 150 Minutes & 50 Texts - £10 per month

250 - 250 Minutes & 150 Texts - £15 per month

600 - 600 Minutes & 300 Tests - £30 per month

Additional users - £5 per month each

Additionally, you will receive 10 MB's of GPRS data each month. You can upgrade your monthly allowance to the Total Broadband Unlimited Data Bundle ("Fair Usage Policy" - 120MB per month) for a fee of £5 per month. If you exceed your inclusive allowance, you will be charged £1.50 per MB thereafter.

Currently I and my wife have mobiles from Orange as follows:

Phone 1 - 100 minutes, 100 texts & 30MB - £28 per month

Phone 2 - 175 minutes, 75 texts & 0MB - £25 per month

Total - 275 minutes, 175 texts & 30MB - £53 per month

With BT I already have Option 3, so (as I understand it) I could have the following:

Two Phones (£5 each), 600 minutes, 300 texts & 120MB - £45 per month

As extras, which I may or may not use, I would also get 500 BT Openzone minutes, unlimited BT FON minutes and access to my BB Talk number from any wireless network.

Perhaps I have got it wrong but I appear to be getting more than twice as much for £8 less – I can’t wait for my orange contracts to expire! :D

Edited May 14, 2008 by Simply Gray