[webcast-l] Broadband Providers

[Two Lochs Radio]

> Of the stations broadcasting online, which broadband provider do you use
> to get your audio to the CMA,

Although we aren't yet streaming through CMA (waiting on a positive outcome
to a legal debate with one of the copyright bodies!), we will almost
certainly use Nildram Broadband. The standard Nildram account is well
matched to a good 24x7 audio stream in terms of price versus data tranfer
allowances and policy.

We have streamed privately for station management and for OB purposes and
relay feeds to other radio stations and have had no problems. Our broadband
link is nominally 448kbps upstream, and we have tested at 4x40kbps +
1x128kbps simultaneous with no problems (using a reasonably long buffer).
Wouldn't want to to do that regularly as it leaves nothing over for other
purposes and does mean a buffer of up to 15 seconds, but it works fine.
Wouldn't expect any problems with a constant 128Kbps uplink stream for
example.

We have found Saturday evenings to be the worst time for available
bandwidth - presumably due to contention with home users.

The basic Nildram accounts are 14/16 GBP per month (inc VAT), but those have
usage caps too low for constant streaming (250Mb/2.5Gb per month), even for
a low bitrate service, but the Broadband 2 account at 26 GBP/month has
50Gb/month fair use quota 8am to midnight, and unlimited off peak.

A 128Mbps stream on 24/7 takes about 42GB, and 28GB of that would be within
8am to midnight, so that uses about half the Nildram fair use allowance,
leaving plenty for other routine use such as big downloads and inward
streaming. Lower stream rates would of course have plenty of spare usage
allowance.

As a bonus included in the price, Nildram offers over 8 hours of free UK 
landline
01/02 phone calls, and good rates on mobiles & International as part of the 
deal.
So our station rarely pays much for its monthly phone call charges. For a 
few
pounds extra a month the call allowance can be taken up to 50 hours.

Alex
Two Lochs Radio


PS apologies for the 'GBP's, but the system wouldn't seem to accept pound 
signs!