Overpromised, underdelivered

October 12th, 2007

I’m in the process of moving house at the minute and one of the many tasks I need to take care of is to set up my new broadband connection. This has put the ongoing broadband speed saga into real perspective for me and I’m getting increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress.

Fear not though, this post isn’t going to be an aimless rant, it does have some relevance.

The whole saga has taken a step closer to some sort of public resolution, or at least further naming and shaming, this week with Ofcom entering the fray.

After Stephen Timms threatened action from the government last month, with a date for the intervention summit still to be named, now Ofcom has written to the UK’s top six broadband providers asking why they fail to provide the connection speeds that they so often flout in the media.

Hurrah! Some action at last! While we’re at it can we also ask about the extortionate pricing and rubbish service? Okay, one thing at a time Gofton.

In PR terms the broadband providers need some much needed positivity around them at the moment, and it simply isn’t happening. Why? Because instead of coming up with a new strategy to deal with the issue at hand they are continuing to follow a trend of ignorance. Ignoring the major issue and trying to distract the consumer with shiny new offers of anything other than the actual performance we are paying for.

According to Rick Wray’s article on Technology Guardian yesterday, O2 is going to take a different approach with the launch of its broadband service next week by…get this…testing a customer’s line before they sign up to estimate the likely speed they will be able to receive, and then placing them on a relevant package. What’s this? Actually testing before promising, surely this is buffoonery of the highest order!

But no…there’s more…O2 will then test the line again a month later.

Simple, transparent, obvious. Hopefully O2 have shown the way forward. Smart communications!

And another thing…

Technorati tags: 02, broadband+speed, broadband+providers

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Give your UK support to Global PR Blog Week 3.0

October 11th, 2007

US blogger Constantin Basturea, of PR meets the WWW and Converseon, has announced early details of the next Global PR Blog Week. As far as I know it’s been two years since the last one.

In his own words, “It’s an event that will present the best articles, interviews, debates, case studies, and essays on how social media continues to change the Public Relations and Communications theory and practice, its relationships with other disciplines, and our roles as practitioners, students, and teachers.”

It’s a free event and will happen online, at globalprblogweek.com. Initial discussions are happening here.

Without having been involved in the first, early details indicate that this is looking like a very worthwhile event. Liberate Media will definitely be showing its support!

Technorati tags: pr, pr blog week, social+media, blogging

Posted in Blog, Blogging, Digital media, Industry events | No Comments »

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