NTL broadband cap 'hurting subscriptions'

The UK's biggest cable operator implemented the 1Gb cap six months ago but has so far not taken any action against users that surpass the daily download limit, despite "many customers regularly exceeding the limit", according to the dissident campaign group.

AntiCap believes this lack of action proves that the restriction is pointless and should be withdrawn, but claims that NTL "cannot tolerate the loss of face by admitting the cap was a mistake".

To make matters worse, the cap, aimed at preventing heavy broadband users from impacting on service speeds, has led to a drop in the level of new subscribers, claims AntiCap.

The claim has some merit, in that NTL reported just 30,000 net new users for the month of April, compared with a monthly average of 45,000 for the previous six months. NTL was not immediately available to comment.

The cable operator is certainly doing its level best to reduce customer churn. Roughly 13% of customers are leaving NTL each year but the company is focusing on customer retention as well as customer acquisition.

AntiCap said it has heard from many users who, having threatened to change broadband provider in protest of the cap, were subsequently offered "very good" bundled deals to lure them into staying with NTL.

Over the past half year some 10,000 individuals have signed an online petition in protest of the cap, which has not yet been introduced by any of NTL's rivals.

8 April 2003:

"www.anticap.co.uk ":http://www.anticap.co.uk

"www.ntl.co.uk ":http://www.ntl.co.uk

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