The ISP will refund the 500 users, whom it feels were taking unfair advantage of the unmetered access. They had succeeded in bypassing the automatic disconnection system operated by the ISP, and in some cases they had remained connected for 24 hours a day.
Following the disruption this overuse caused, Breath is now intending to introduce a subscription system for unmetered access with costs varying depending on the particular use a consumer wishes to make of the facility.
The growth of unmetered access is having a strong impact on dial-up services. ISP Virgin.net has announced that it intends to transfer its dial-up internet customers to cable operator NTL which already offers an unmetered facility.
Under the agreement, Virgin will retain the entertainment and leisure services available on Virgin.net and it will incorporate them into its Virgin.com site. The arrangement will make NTL the exclusive internet partner of Virgin in the UK.