Switzerland’s biggest cable network operator increased the data transfer speeds of its broadband connections on January 17, 2019.
UPC Connect: More speed, same costs
UPC customers who use the Connect broadband plan now benefit from data transfer speeds of 60 Mbps instead of the previous 50 Mbps, 300 Mbps instead of 200 Mbps, and 600 Mbps instead of 500 Mbps – depending on which Connect plan they use.
These are downstream speeds which apply to downloads from the Internet. The upstream speeds for uploading data to the Internet from devices are 6 Mbps, 30 Mbps and 60 Mbps, depending on the Connect plan used. The prices of Connect plans have not been changed, at 59 Swiss francs, 79 francs and 99 francs per month.
Higher speeds for UPC Happy Home plans
UPC Happy Home plans, which include a cable TV receiver, are also being upgraded to higher broadband speeds. The lowest-end plan is being upgraded to 100 Mbps for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads.
The two higher-end Happy Home plans are being upgraded identically to the Connect plans. The prices of the packages without landline phone connections are 89 francs, 109 francs and 129 francs per month respectively.
Upgrades automatic for customers with the UPC TV Box
Important: Only UPC customers who have Happy Home plans and UPC TV Box receivers automatically benefit from the higher broadband speeds.
Broadband upgrades will not happen automatically for other UPC customers, who must specifically request the change. All existing UPC customers have the option of moving to a plan with high-speed broadband at any time.
This affects customers who use the Horizon receiver, customers who use Connect plans and customers who use phased-out UPC plans.
Verdict by moneyland.ch telecom expert Ralf Beyeler
Even after its broadband upgrade, cable network operator UPC remains one of the most expensive broadband service providers. Customers will benefit from the higher connection speeds, but they still pay significantly more than users of comparable plans from UPC’s competitors.
Particularly where optical fiber networks are used, there are other service providers who deliver higher broadband speeds for less money. Another disadvantage of UPC’s connection is that – unlike those offered by most Swiss service providers – the upload speeds are still 10 times slower than the download speeds.
An advantage of UPC connections is that they offer high-speed broadband to households which do not have optical fiber connections.
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