BT to charge ISPs for lack of MACs

AdWright · 14 Nov 2006 at 19:23

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/14/mac_bt_isp/

BT is to start charging ISPs which fail to provide departing customers with MAC codes - which help make moving provider seamless.

Many internet service providers are slow or unwilling to issue the Migration Authorisation Code (MAC) to rival providers and as a result BT has decided it will start imposing a penalty charge of £33.75 from May 2007.

Good news for the UK broadband market!

zetec452 · 14 Nov 2006 at 20:21

AdWright said:
Good news for the UK broadband market!

Unless you have to pay £34 pounds to move your broadband

.

Locky · 14 Nov 2006 at 20:39

if BT charge isps for slow/macs etc

then the isp will charge its customer

its how it works

tolien · 16 Nov 2006 at 21:08

It isn't a penalty charge for not issuing a MAC, it's a charge for ceasing any connection - home moves being a prime example.
It's debatable how it's good for the consumer.

St0rmer66 · 16 Nov 2006 at 21:40

tolien said:
It isn't a penalty charge for not issuing a MAC, it's a charge for ceasing any connection

The Article said:
"If service providers participate in the MAC code process the cessation charges will not apply"

tolien · 16 Nov 2006 at 22:06

Shame no MACs are available for house moves. Try reading more of the article, or better still read a decent article from ADSLguide?
For one, El Reg's article implies that signing up to use MACs will stop the provider being charged cessation fees at all, and that they're some kind of penalty. Not that you should expect much better of The Register.

Tiscali had something to say about it too.