Congestion holds up Lineone net service

Lineone has stopped accepting new customers for its unmetered internet service while it invests in greater capacity to prevent congestion.

Customers registered with the ISP's service, which is run with telecoms provider Quip, have experienced difficulties in connecting to the service - taking several attempts to get online.

One customer told vnunet.com that he had been unable to get online "other than between 1am and 2am, and between 8am and 9am". He also said on one occasion it took him more than 180 attempts to connect to the service.

Quip, a UK-based joint venture between BT, Unisys and the Bank of Scotland, said it has received "tens and thousands" of registrations to its service and admitted that customers have had problems during peak hours.

Simon Lubin, marketing director at Quip, said: "The situation is very clear, the offer is very popular and everyone wants to go online at peak times. Some people have experienced difficulties and dialled a few times before getting a connection during peak hours."

Lubin said Quip has invested in greater capacity and that users registered before 31 March, when the service was officially launched, should be able to get online during peak hours from 15 May.

The company has stopped registering new customers until the capacity is introduced and said it will then continue to monitor the service. "In the meantime, customers should make sure they log out when they have finished, as this has caused some congestion," said Lubin.

The Lineone/Quip service offers free unmetered internet calls all day, seven days a week, with no introductory fee or annual charge. Subscribers need to register with Quip, buy a £20 box that redirects calls to Lineone and spend £5 a month on voice calls.

Last month vnunet.com reported that customers who had pre-registered for the Lineone service had to wait several days before being connected. The company brought in extra staff to help clear the backlog.