Totalise, the ISP that gives shares to its subscribers,
yesterday launched a new service called Ultimate Surf, going
against the recent trend of ISPs abandoning the unmetered
model.
For an initial payment of £235, Totalise is offering subscribers
100 hours of unmetered access per month until 1st January 2001 or,
if sooner, when Friaco becomes available, after which there will be
unlimited access. Each subscriber will also get 1,250 shares,
currently worth between £350 and £400.
Chief Executive Peter Gregory has expressed amazement at other
ISPs that have not refunded users when they abandon services that
do not meet the promises of unmetered internet access. He has
accused ntl and others of using “delaying tactics” in restricting
the numbers who can subscribe.
He is reported as saying “We don’t believe everyone is
abandoning unmetered, they are just waiting for Friaco.” Friaco
will mean that ISPs stop having to pay BT per minute for telephone
calls. Originally, Friaco was promised at the beginning of July –
but there were delays by BT, causing anger among a number of
ISPs.
Gregory wants the government to give the telecoms watchdog Oftel
“more teeth” in order to accelerate the roll-out of Friaco.
