Press & PR

A spokesperson from a leading internet service provider (ISP) has explained that bandwidth usage can be very expensive in terms of operational costs.

Dave Tomlinson, of the product development team at Plus Net, has commented that some internet users are draining UK ISPs resources in their pursuit of high-bandwidth services.

Cited in the Guardian, commentator Charles Arthur reports that Mr Tomlinson's comments provide a "fascinating" insight into the workings of broadband suppliers.

For example, Mr Tomlinson notes that the monthly costs of connecting 200,000 users to the internet via branch exchanges supplied by BT amounts to around £1.7 million.

BT has recently been granted permission by the European Union more freedom in the tariffs it charges ISPs to connect users to the internet.

Mr Tomlinson also comments on the reasons that high-bandwidth usage among those with "unlimited" broadband deals is costing ISPs so much.

"Constant speed [to the customer] of 1Mbps equates to around 300GB in a month and without the costs of building, staff, hardware, billing, etc costs an ... ISP over £150 per month," he notes.

He also adds that the problem is exacerbated at peak usage times, while spare bandwidth allowances remain unused during the early hours of the morning.

Vonage allows people to make cheap calls throughout the UK with relatively low bandwidth requirements.