Only available from BT lines - call us if you have another line provider we may be able to help.

Most 0808 accounts are based on 160 hours a month maximum usage with max 2 hour connection time (you can re-connect immediately) and 15 minutes idle cut-off ( if no data is transferred for 15 mins then the line will drop and you have to re-connect). If you need more than 160 hours a month you must upgrade, or use a second account.

NOTE - 160 hours a month is 8 hours a day for 20 business days a month, or 5 hours a day for 30 days - these are GENEROUS allowances. Even so, one “badly” configured PC on a network can force your line to stay open 24 hours a day. We strongly recommend that special care should be taken to make sure you do not get cut off halfway through the month. You may wish to consider the following points:

• Configure your router to disallow Internet access out of office hours

• Do not allow file sharing software to be installed on any PC.

• Do not install software that checks external mail or personal messaging accounts on a regular basis.

• Make sure all computers have up to date anti-virus software

• Have a policy for use of the Internet and make sure all Staff are aware and adhere to it.

The truth about 0808 (ISDN Anytime Accounts).

The telecomms companies were making tens of millions from 0845 access. UK local call charges are amongst the highest in the world. Eventually market forces and OFTEL forced the introduction of FRIACO - Flat Rate Internet Access Call Origination - which gave rise to flat rate access accounts of various names. Many ISP's billed these as "unlimited Internet Access for a flat fee" - but in actual fact they are anything but. It is totally impossible for any ISP to offer 24hr internet access for around £20 a month - it is simple mathematics - there are 43,000 minutes in a month, of which 18,000 are peak - that is £972 per month, if you held an 0845 internet call open for a full month!! On that basis 0808 accounts offer tremendous value for money - as long as you understand the underlying principles. The first of these is "CONTENTION". The telecomms companies have great difficulty in making 0808 pay. For every user online they have to provide a line, modem and internet bandwidth. They can't do this on a 1 to 1 basis, so they have to share the lines between many users. This is called "line contention ratio" - they analyse usage and make just enough lines available for peak usage. They also contend the internet bandwidth, again making just enough available. The result of this is that when something happens that is outside the averages, users get engaged tones, connection problems, slow access, cut offs and a myriad of other problems. This can be caused by a whole host of reasons - breaking news events, sports events, weather..... The simple bottom line is that 0808 internet access is nowhere near as reliable as 0845 access. With 0845 access there are no restrictions, no cut offs and ample capacity, simply because 0845 generates enough revenue for them to provide plenty of spare capacity - and the more it is used, the more money they make.

All 0808 accounts have an AUP - Acceptable Use Policy. These are terms and conditions that apply when using 0808 services. They are pretty draconian, and basically mean that we can throw you off and cancel your account anytime. However their main purpose is to weed out the users who abuse the system. Abuses generally include sending spam email, running illegal file libraries and generally anything that attempts to use the service constantly for downloading huge amounts of data (eg movies and mp3 files) - We must stress that normal use is always OK - it is designed for Normal Use!

That is why 0808 internet access has a bad reputation and a bad press. Their restrictions, and susceptibility to capacity problems make them unsuitable for mission critical business applications. However, they offer tremendous value for money as long as you understand the principles. They are great for domestic access, and fine for small business access as long as you don't mind the occasional problem. And the problems are occasional!

BUT THE ABSOLUTE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS - If you can get ADSL then do so. 10 times the speed, always on, few restrictions. ALL small businesses should migrate to ADSL if available - there is simply no excuse not to. ADSL is the next generation technology, designed for the job.