Any suggestions on whom to go for? Any to avoid for blocking sites like the pirate bay or with three strike rules?
Well, I can tell you for sure that bSkyb blocks TPB and similar. Not that it matters, since there is an easy workaround for that.
When I was in London, Studentcom were good, really good, but I'm guessing by their name and the packages they provide, they only give their services to companies and not individuals.
Ok, I'll avoid bSkyB unless stuck. Studentcom look interesting but I don't think they are there out as far as where I am, I'll be out in Essex.
Pretty much all the major ISP's I've dealt with block TPB and such as standard now. I've not come across any with 3 strike rules and such though. P3nt may be the man to ask here.
Essentially there are only two - BT and Virgin
Every other service is leasing BT lines so, unless it's fibre (this brand new thing that BT only just invented - honest guv) your intertrucks will be driving down rusty old copper wire with all the problems associated. Virgin have a much more mature infrastructure and can offer speeds far in excess of the standard "Infinity" offerings so I'd go with them but I don't think they're everywhere yet.
Everyone has to block on the divine order of our king and his employers the RIAA. Learn to proxy or you no longer have the right to uncensored internet.
Studentcom never blocked TPB. I'm not sure how they got away with that, but they did.
Quite useful, when it turned out my DVD player wouldn't play The World At War, as I could just download it from there. With their theoretical 20 mb/s download speed (more like 2-5 mb/s, but considering at the moment I have a 900 kb/s speed download, that's nothing to complain about) I had an actually working copy in no time.
Also meant I could arrange my TV viewing without having to figure out the settings on my abysmal television.