BSkyB to win Tiscali bid?

(By Richard Holway) Having used Tiscali as my ISP since broadband arrived in rural Farnham, I have a passing interest in their fate. I note that, according to the Sunday Times, BSkyB is set for £450m Tiscali deal. “ If Sky goes ahead with the acquisition it would become Britain's third-largest broadband supplier with 3.6m customers, leapfrogging Carphone and putting it within touching distance of Virgin Media”. BT is the UK market leader with 4.5m broadband customers.

The problem I have has little to do with my ISP. Although I pay for 8mb, I rarely get more than 1.5mb and this slows to a crawl post 5.30pm when all the local kids come home from school. Until BT upgrades both our little local exchange and the antiquated copper lines which drapped from poles over the 6km from the exchange to my house, I doubt anybody can improve my broadband experience.