Shirley, QOS and shaping are two sides of the same coin.
Yes indeed, much the same technology is used for both albeit with technical differences in order to allow ease of implementation for either scenario.
"QoS" implies something done for the benefit of the customer.
"shaping" is not done for the benefit of the customer but for the benefit of the supplier. They'll try to tell you it's for "the benefit of the network".... but that's only true in a limited number of cases where they're not trying to find new ways to squeeze more customers onto the same pipes.
Anyhow, I've already digressed enough from the original topic at hand !
Huntandfish,
What I'm probably trying to say is this technical banter should never get as far as the villagers.
You should beat up your supplier now to uncover any technicalities that might affect quality of service, and get the T&Cs vetted by a lawyer who knows his bits from his bytes (yes it will cost a little bit of money now, but better then having to watch them point their finger at the small print when you quiz them later).
Then just submit a simple, plain English business case to your villagers, with the speed comparisons etc . Be weary of painting too rosy a picture, make sure they understand speed can vary etc... however your main focus should be on explaining the benefits of unbundling etc.
By the way is the supplier a large supplier or small specialist ? Just curious.