One thing I like about the UK is the concept of regulated competition. The purpose is to ensure that there is always a competitive market place - so for instance in Internet technology, wholesale provider provides DSL layer 1/2 to multiple ISPs, who provide the PPPoA/E termination and value added services (e.g. email). There is often other technology available to the same addresses - cable, FTTP. The result is that for most addresses there is a choice of about 200 ISPs. The one I use (Andrews and Arnold) is expensive, but I have a /28 and a /48, I can run servers, the line is monitored once every second using their custom-build hardware, and I've had them ring me to say there is a fault on the line which will be cleared within half an hour. Also they implement the Shibboleet protocol. I pay for this, and for most consumers it would not be worthwhile - but that's the point. There is genuine competition with real differentiation between ISPs.

Small fibre companies have also been allowed to use Open Reach ducts and telegraph poles to speed up the fibre roll out. This has meant I've been able to get FTTP before Open Reach had brought it to my village.

I see that A&A have finally started offering uncapped data plans since August, good on them, since that originally put me off and I never signed up with them despite all the praise they get on HN