They say that you get nothing for nothing but my broadband supplier is offering a three month trial of their new fibre optic network for free, they just want feedback. When I say free, I mean for the price of my normal broadband service. They have started to fit this in the island and have completed two small areas so far and my area is one of them. All people signing up are entered in a draw for an iPad 2 as well.

I will let you know if I am accepted on the trial and what happens.

Good luck with that Sue. I know some people here who have fibre optic broadband and they absolutely love it. Fast, reliable (drop outs are zero for them so far), they just rave about it.

In Australia the government is laying out a Fibre Broadband Network around the entire country for about 40 billion dollars. It will especially benefit country people. There has been a lot of controversy about the cost, but the copper network needs replacing and it was either stay in the horse and cart age or take the leap forward. I would be interested to hear any other countries experience with the speeds and the politics of this. Keep in mind our spread out country and small population.

I'll bet once you have the fibre optic cable broadband you won't want to go back. It is much better. I'm on the 30 meg speed package (along with telephone and TV). Cable broadband is very good for video communications such as Skype, YouTube videos and BBC iPlayer.

At the moment my broadband costs me £18.89 each month so it will depend on just how much the new faster service will cost as to whether I go for it, at the moment I am on 2 megs which is the cheapest option. The 20 meg service costs about £50 per month so the really fast one is likely to be more than that.

Well I have just heard that I am not getting the free trial, apparently there are a number of possible reasons as to why I am not suitable. My guess is that it could be either the fact that I have Signalman, it was one of the questions on the application, which phones home to order central heating oil, or I guess they can see that I might not be a future customer for the highspeed as it will cost so much more.

Ah well, at least I will be in the draw for the iPad 2 still.

Guess what, they have finished installing my fibre optic. They are like Australia in that they are replacing the old copper system so we all have to be moved over. Yes they provided the labour and equipment for free, unless like me the way that my computers connected to the router wasn't compatible so I have had to buy a couple of dongles and also will have to have a double electricity socket installed at my own expense, at the moment they have put an extension lead into an existing socket.