CityFibre is propelling its clients towards compliance with UK advertising regulations by issuing its new wholesale fibre broadband product. Last week, the company revealed their latest offering, True Gig, a 1.2 Gbps wholesale service crafted to provide an extra speed cushion to retail ISPs eager to bring Gigabit broadband services to their target audience.
Solving a simple problem requires a straightforward solution – given that the prerequisite network has been set up. In accordance with UK advertising rules, ISPs are unable to push 1 Gbps services unless a minimum of 50 percent of their clients can achieve that speed, averaged out, during peak usage times.
UK consumers have long been faced with telecom operators’ puzzling ads, either dubious at best or dishonest at worst. Telecom operators wanting to advertise a ‘gigabit’ service but unable to do so shouldn’t necessarily elicit sympathy. However, CityFibre isn’t looking for commiseration. It’s worth recalling their strong opposition to the misappropriation of the term ‘fibre’ just a few years ago.
CityFibre is committed to aiding telcos to advertise Gigabit broadband services that can actually be delivered, likely eyeing the opportunity to recruit more ISPs to their network. Typically, a 1 Gbps wholesale service cannot be realistically advertised due to the strict regulations. ISPs often end up advertising a 900 Mbps offering as an alternative solution. By offering a 1.2 Gbps service, there’s bandwidth overhead to make room for a 1 Gbps service, provided that their backhaul arrangements and CPE are supportive.
In terms of pricing, CityFibre promises the 1.2 Gbps service to be available at the price point of its existing 1 Gbps service. “The new product will give [ISP customers] the confidence to advertise their services as Gigabit Speed and will encourage even more people to join the full fibre revolution,” CityFibre’s Chief Marketing Officer, Dan Ramsay, expressed.
Ultimately, the more end users CityFibre’s clients have to cater to, the stronger their wholesale business. Consistent with this goal, CityFibre is avidly promoting fibre upgrade. They’ve recently commenced an ad campaign prompting customers to upgrade their broadband connections. Specifically, the TV advert, features a family with gigantic snail shells on their backs, symbolizing slow broadband. Despite the advert, end users cannot switch directly to the CityFibre network; they need to identify which ISPs utilize it.
This advertising venture seems to be paying off, after the success of CityFibre’s ‘Does your broadband suck?’ campaign earlier in the year. Both ad campaigns and the 1.2 Gbps wholesale product are intended to augment CityFibre’s business. However, if this strategy clarifies the level of service UK consumers can expect from their broadband provider, it’s bound to be beneficial for all.
