U.K. Internet Service Providers Lift Caps on Broadband Data:
[...] the U.K. government has reached an agreement with telecommunications companies to lift all data allowance caps on broadband plans to ensure people can continue to use the internet during the pandemic involving coronavirus, officially called COVID-19.
Major British broadband providers including BT/EE, Openreach, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk, O2, Vodafone, Three, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear, and KCOM have all agreed to lift their data caps. The providers have also agreed to consider further actions, such as working with customers who are struggling to pay their bills due to the coronavirus outbreak, offering new affordable packages for both mobile and landline-based internet for those who don't yet have internet access at home, and providing alternative methods of communication for customers who experience problems with their internet access.
Similar policies have already been implemented in the U.S., where companies like AT&T have halted caps on broadband usage. American senators have also written an open letter urging more ISPs to follow suit and lift their bandwidth restrictions.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2020, @08:04PM (1 child)
HowTo: 7zip ultra settings & data + header archive encryption on
WARNING: As per warning in the 'man 7z' man page, if you're using Linux and you want to retain username and
permissions, DO NOT USE THIS METHOD! Instead use another archiver, or follow the instructions
from the man file, which follows the first section here:
=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=
Option 1: adds all files and/or directories archive.7z using "ultra settings" (with data and header archive encryption on)
# 7z a -t7z -m0=lzma -mx=9 -mfb=64 -md=32m -ms=on -mhe=on -p archive.7z fileordirectory1 fileordirectory2
........Or, if you just want a nicely compressed file without any password/encryption..........
Option 2: adds all files and/or directories archive.7z using "ultra settings"
# 7z a -t7z -m0=lzma -mx=9 -mfb=64 -md=32m -ms=on archive.7z fileordirectory1 fileordirectory2
There are, of course, MANY other options.
=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=
And now, the warning from the 7z man file:
"Following is some important information that the creators of 7z utility want you to keep in mind:
DO NOT USE the 7-zip format for backup purpose on Linux/Unix because :
- 7-zip does not store the owner/group of the file.
On Linux/Unix, in order to backup directories you must use tar :
- to backup a directory : tar cf - directory | 7za a -si directory.tar.7z
- to restore your backup : 7za x -so directory.tar.7z | tar xf -
If you want to send files and directories (not the owner of file) to others Unix/MacOS/Windows users, you can use the 7-zip format.
example : 7za a directory.7z directory
Do not use "-r" because this flag does not do what you think.
Do not use directory/* because of ".*" files (example : "directory/*" does not match "directory/.profile")"
#EOF
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2020, @08:34PM
Brought to you by "Use my HOSTS file" and "goatse for everyone".
(Score: 5, Insightful) by DannyB on Tuesday March 31 2020, @09:02PM (4 children)
If they can lift the bandwidth caps now, then they could have done it yesterday, last week or last year.
The caps are completely artificial.
What, did you think they were dipping into their limited reserve of packets and graciously giving their customers some of them to fill up?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Tuesday March 31 2020, @09:19PM
Let's hope that this will be one of those "new normals" emerging from this.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 31 2020, @09:39PM (1 child)
Something tells me we will have no such luck in burgerland. My internet connection has been barely working today.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Bot on Wednesday April 01 2020, @12:13AM
Internet is having probs everywhere.
It may make sense outside Italy. Not here.
Because here the consumption stays the same whether you are working or not.
At home: watch youtube, send jokes by whatsapp. At work: watch youtube, send jokes by whatsapp
Therefore I conclude that it's a boiling frog strategy to deprive us of the internet. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by boltronics on Wednesday April 01 2020, @02:08AM
I can't remember the last time I had a plan here in Australia with a data cap. It was years and years ago. And even back then, the data cap was so generous that it was almost impossible to hit.
Data caps are only really a thing for the cell network (maybe if someone is using a 4G modem for their home network they'll have issues?), but not for land lines.
https://www.exetel.com.au/broadband/nbn [exetel.com.au]
As you can see, unlimited data is the default. In fact, I'm not sure you can even get a plan with a cap these days? This is the way it should be in every country.
Even some years back when this wasn't the case, it hardly cost anything extra to get an unlimited plan so it was a no-brainer for most.
It's GNU/Linux dammit!
(Score: 2) by Bot on Wednesday April 01 2020, @12:10AM
-CITIZEN
-hey remove caps pls
-citizen
-wat
And they all lived happily ever after.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by WizardFusion on Wednesday April 01 2020, @10:35AM
I am surprised that KCOM is in that list, they are a bunch of c**ts. They have a monopoly in one area of the country with stupid high prices and low speeds - sort of how the US is. The rest of the UK is fine and covered by several providers all having proper competition.