Like many thousands of other people, I can't get broadband at home. According to BT I'm just too far from the exchange for ADSL to work - and cable stops a couple of miles down the road, so I can't have that either. Then along comes BT Midband, reputedly a kind of halfway house between dial-up and broadband, offering 128kbit/s internet access plus always-on email, at a low price.
At least that's what BT promised when it announced Midband last year - the final product is actually a little different.
The biggest disappointment is the dropping of the always-on email facility. Midband is based on good old ISDN technology and the original plan was to employ the little-used D-channel for email forwarding. But BT hasn't been able to get that working in time for the launch. The carrier says always-on email may be added later but the initial product won't have it. Indeed all you really get when you sign up for Midband is your phone line converted from analogue to a Home Highway ISDN line.
On the plus side you do get special PC software to use both 64kbit/s B-channels when downloading large files, and there's only a single monthly fee for both the line rental and internet access. Installation costs £74.99 including VAT, but after that it's just £35 per month, which is very similar to the cost of ADSL if you include line rental in the equation.
But for that, you're limited to just 150 hours of internet access per month, whereas one of the advantages of broadband is that it's always on and available. Moreover, the 150 hours only apply if you stick to using just one of the two ISDN channels. Combine both for one 128kbit/s pipe, and your monthly allocation is halved, with any extra time spent surfing charged on a pay-as-you-go basis.
There's also the little matter of making phone calls while accessing the internet. If you're downloading at 128kbit/s and pick up the phone, the connection speed drops to just 64kbit/s as the second B-channel is "bumped" to carry the voice call. Fair enough you might think, but anyone trying to dial in while you are using both channels will get a busy tone. The only option then is to use BT Answer 1571 to enable them to leave a message.
Broadband it isn't, but if you can live with the restrictions, and sign up for a minimum of 12 months, then BT Midband could be worth considering. It also compares well to existing 128kbit/s ISDN packages, even though you don't get ISP services such as web space or email accounts - just the internet access.
I applied for and was initially accepted to take part in the Midband customer trials that start this week, with a view to reporting on the service offered here in IT Week.
However, it seems that once again I've been stymied.
The incoming calls issue meant that I didn't want my analogue line converted, while I already have an ISDN Highway line that I use for access to the internet.
Unfortunately, whereas existing Home Highway customers can convert to Midband, those with a Business Highway line - same hardware, different billing department - can't. Good old flexible BT triumphs once again!
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