The TalkTalk Blog

Recently I blogged on how we’ve invested in our Next Generation Network – the largest in the UK behind BT – to give our customers the most reliable broadband service at the best possible speed. I mentioned that, despite the focus on people’s distance from the internet exchange, in actual fact broadband speed can be significantly affected by very simple things in people’s homes. Indeed, around 60% of people, by our estimation, have sub-optimal wiring in their home which affects the quality and speed of their broadband connection.

So in response to this we’ve been developing our very own TalkTalk TuneUp Kit, a simple DIY package that provides some of the key items you’d need to optimise the broadband line within your home. Some of our customers have been trialling it over the past couple of months.

So what’s in the TuneUp Kit?

• An iPlate – this is a small piece of metal and plastic that can be easily fitted into your master socket (in between the ‘face plate’ and the wall) and blocks interference. Inside many BT sockets (in about 70% of Britain’s homes) there is an old piece of equipment called a bell wire – the thing that used to give old-fashioned phones their audible ring. These are now useless for the vast majority of people, but generally interfere with the broadband connection. Also in the iPlate is a radio frequency filter that gives greater stability to the signal.
• A filter – this cuts out broadband interference caused by other devices connected to your phone line. You simply put this filter into the phone socket, and then plug your modem or router into the filter.
• We’ve also included a booklet which explains how to install the iPlate and gives 10 top tips for improving the broadband connection you receive at home (for example, “Try not to use more than four phone sockets” and “Choose the best place for your wireless router”).

Of course, the benefits the TuneUp kit gives you will vary entirely depending on the unique conditions of your home – the state of its wiring, what other phone line-related devices you have in the room, and so on. But to give you an example, most triallists have experienced an increase in broadband speed of between 0.5mb and 1.5mb after installing the TuneUp kit and all experienced more consistency and better stability at any time of the day. Given that the average broadband speed in the UK is 4.1mb according to Ofcom, that’s a pretty big percentage increase.

Feedback from triallists is very encouraging and suggests that many more customers would benefit from the TuneUp kit – here are a couple of typical quotes from those who’ve tried the kit so far:

“I plugged the speed kit in on Friday morning and had a speed increase from 5.5MB to 7.3Mb – which was amazing. I have tested it all weekend – especially with BBC iPlayer and Sky Player. Prior to iPlate, Sky Player would cut out every 10-15mins – now it runs much more consistently, so I don’t have my children running in from the computer every 10 minutes to get me to reset the Sky Player after I have thrown them out of the lounge so I can watch the MotoGP instead of Sponge Bob Square Pants!”

“Yes the speed has been more consistent. Even at peak time the speed is very good.”

The TuneUp kit will be available soon. It won’t be compulsory as we know some of our customers will already have made their own efforts to improve their broadband connection, while others simply prefer not to install new products themselves. But if you do receive it, we hope people find it useful – and we look forward to hearing your feedback on how the TuneUp kit has improved the stability and speed of your broadband line.

Responses [8]

Posted by Sylvain Thevenot on 7 August 2009 12:47:00 GMT #