So it seems the problem is that my ISP has a so-called "Fair Use Policy". Unlike my last provider, the peak period isn't 6pm-11pm but 4pm-2am, and then for the whole weekend. So pretty much when I want to use it. I have no problem scheduling downloads and the like for off-peak periods but at the moment the speed throttling is so bad that actually using the internet is pretty much impossible- unless I want to view it as text-only.
Not much use for images, embedded video, streaming radio and the like then. In short, the whole reason broadband is required.
I was all prepared to switch over to the highly recommended Be ISP but it seems that my local exchange isn't equipped to deal with them yet. Typical.
Looks like I'll be changing over to PlusNet sometime very soon instead. Like Supanet, they have a 30Gb a month policy (and to think of the wailing about Comcast in the US limiting users to 250Gb a month!), but they exclude from this anything downloaded between midnight and 8 a.m. Which is handy enough. Supanet on the other hand, has just capped their service at 30Gb a month regardless of when the "heavy use" occurs.
I can only dream of a US-type service where 250Gb is seen as unwarranted- and the situation in Japan doesn't even bear thinking about.
Anyway, just had to get that off my chest. Now all I have to contend with is Supanet's terrible reputation for dealing with cancelled accounts.
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