A Selection of Comments from the 4TheNET Petition

These are comments copied direct from the petition, they have not been altered in
any way.  This is only a small random selection of the many comments that are coming in.

I am disgusted with the call cost of internet!

I think your ideas are great! unique and hope you get your 100,000 by august[with what your offering i would think 200,000!!
Having lived in Australia and witnessed first hand that a country with a smaller population can charge a flat rate fee for local calls including  ISP's it makes you wonder why we are still prepared to pay it here in the UK. It's time we said no! :)
I would not mind paying a monthly charge if calls were free
The only way to bring the internet up to US standards is to make it more affordable
well i'm just disgusted with BT and the government for not intervening,  most other countries have cheaper access than we do.  i am an 18 yr old student, who did have savings in the bank of about £800, but now that has all gone on phone bills to the internet and i basically have nothing.  i am extremely angry with BT and whoever else is responsible, we should be able to claim some sort of compensation it's daylight robbery.  the internet is encouraged and supposed to be good etc. then why do we have to pay such ludicrous prices
A great new idea...hope it works!
4theNET is a breath of fresh air for the British internet user. Hopefully the government and telecommunications companies will realise that it is in the interest of all of us to have unmetered internet access to improve E-commerce & education. Well done guys
Local calls in other countries (e.g. USA) are
free - why not in UK, please?
The NET, it is improving slowly. To achieve a similar telephone network/CHOICE to that of the US will be a phenominal gain. Fortunately I read today that in 2000, BT will no longer have total control of the telephone lines
i would be willing to pay 10, 15 quid a week if local call were free, like the states
I think this service is excellent and I hope my opinion will change what the government thinks about free local calls.
Good one 4thenet!
I agree that there local calls should be free especially at weekends.
please take a look at the CUT site
CUT - Campaign for Unmetered Telecommunications
http://www.unmetered.org.uk
and for Europe
http://www.telecom.eu.org
I hope that this type of internet account will change some other ideas of internet companies for the better
Even technophobes and necromancers are getting the web habit out there in the sunshine state. The reason? Simple. Local calls are unmetered
the free local call service hs not inhibited the exponential growth of net use in the US, the goal whether commercial, academic or leisure of all net media requires the continued growth of the people accessing the medium. While the biggest problem at the moment is the content - the cost is a limting factor. This needs to be addressed
Unless the UK gets unmetered internet calls soon  we shall be overtaken in the world league of ecommerce providers
free is not the right word. it is unmetered. free gets everyone's backs up (quite rightly)
Congratulations on throwing down the guantlet to the other ISPs. Keep up the good work maybe on day use of the Internet will be as free as should be
I want ISP's to offer cable modem capability NOW for a flat monhly fee! Unbundled local copper loop and integrated mulimedia offerings. Connection direct to the internet not via telephone switch networks.
The systems is today too slow, what are the other main constraints?
If BT were prevented from giving free calls in the past as others couldn't then compete what's the excuse now?  Others can do it (Localtel, NTL, Cable&Wireless, Cabletel) so why can't BT.  If, in the past they were being stopped by OFTEL then surely either this no longer applies, or, if it still does, are members of OFTEL getting backhanders from the cable companies, and, if so, then it's time they were investigated and, if possible, charges should be brought against those involved for anti-competitive practices
Fingers crossed I hope you achieve your aim.  It would be brilliant to be able to surf the net without worrying about the bills!  My daughters could stay in chat rooms for ever without me nagging them to sign off!  Good luck and thanks
If you do make local calls free I am very sure that millions of people around the nation & even the world would highly appreciate this!! Like me
The costs of this on-line sufing is outragous and this country should follow in the USA's foot steps and introduce flat rate fees!!!
The combination of slow internet access times even with 56kbps modems (ISDN & Highway too expensive) and high call charges mean that I do not use the internet not nearly as much as I would do if call charges and access were totally free. I already buy books and certain other items via the internet and intend to use the internet more for shopping BUT will limit time intensive activities due to cost
The lack of unmetered calls to the internet is holding this country back.  In the US, eCommerce is expected to raise BILLIONS of dollars.  It would be the same in this country if we had unmetered local access
I would definitely welcome free calls to the internet either for free or for a small flat fee like the states
I think most people would pay a high fee a month say £15-20 if it was all calls were included free all day
I get quite streesed at time when surfing the net because when I find something I want to read and the site stakes me through links I get worried about the phone charge
Brilliant Idea.  Keep me up to data on any others you may have.
G
I think what you are doing is a great idea, and I along side many hope it is a huge success