How to Compare Broadband - A Quick Guide to Broadband Comparison

By Bruce Stevens Staff Writer Monday, 5 November 2007

How to Compare Broadband How is ChooseISP helping you compare broadband deals? Compare Broadband Only Deals (ie. Internet only) Compare Broadband & Phone Deals (ie. Internet and Phone) Compare Broadband Bundle Deals (ie. Internet, Phone, TV and/or mobile) Related Guides on Comparing Broadband See our other recent related guides about how to compare broadband: 8 Great Reasons to Compare Broadband Don't rush into signing up for a broadband package just because of the glossy adverts you've seen, explains Helen Storey. You must compare broadband first, and here she reveals 8 great reasons why it's a good idea to compare broadband before you sign up. 5 Things Everyone Forgets When They Compare Broadband Prices When you compare broadband prices you can easily land up choosing the entirely wrong package for yourself. Julia Kukiewicz examines the 5 things you must not forget when you compare broadband prices. How to Compare Broadband Speeds Want to compare broadband speeds? Neil Hawkins highlights the things to remember when comparing broadband speeds from different broadband providers. Seven Highly Effective Habits for Comparing Broadband Want to compare broadband? Follow these seven highly effective habits for comparing broadband deals and you’re sure to find your perfect broadband partner.

WHEN you compare broadband packages, finding the exact right broadband package for your needs is a little like finding the needle in the haystack. Or more accurately, it’s a bit like finding the hay in the needlestack!

With thousands of different broadband packages to choose from, even the most detailed broadband comparison table can still prove a daunting prospect.

So we have compiled a quick guide to compare broadband packages and help you find the right broadband package for your needs.

Are you going to compare broadband by price? Or compare broadband by speed? Or compare broadband by the packages’ download limits?

These are the three biggest categories of broadband packages and are ultimately what sway most people’s decision towards choosing a broadband package after making a comparison.

Compare broadband by price

To the novice broadband user who is unaware of the technicalities and intricacies of different types of broadband, the temptation to compare broadband packages by price is a great one.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this either. A quick price comparison of broadband packages can paint an accurate picture of what is on offer across the broadband spectrum, and in many cases can offer clues as to what you get for your money.

The downside of comparing broadband on price alone is that you aren’t really comparing like with like. A 512kb broadband package with a 2GB usage limit is naturally going to be cheaper than a 24Mb unlimited usage broadband package.

There is clearly more to broadband comparison than price alone.

The Top 3 Cheapest Broadband Packages
1. Virgin Media £4.50 Broadband
2. O2 Broadband Standard (for O2 mobile pay-monthly customers)
3. TalkTalk Free Broadband with Talk 2 International

Compare broadband by speed

Not necessarily. Certainly, a comparison of broadband packages by speed will help you sort the rabbits from the hares and, perhaps most importantly reveal the middle-ground packages which most sensible broadband users will plump for.

But to compare broadband by speed alone is a mistake.

While a decent broadband speed is a necessity if you are to enjoy the benefits that come with a broadband connection: fast loading web pages, ability to listen to online radio, quick download of songs, catching up on on-demand TV, there is a point at which any more speed becomes redundant.

For almost all web activities, a 2Mb connection will never seem slow. Up to 8Mbps is perhaps more than most of us would ever need.

The only users who would benefit from comparing broadband by speed alone are those who truly require fast speeds, such as businesses who transfer large data files; gamers who need the speed to avoid being blasted by 14-year old in Tokyo or those who download or watch TV and movies online.

The Top 3 Fastest Broadband Packages
1. Be Unlimited Broadband - 24Mb
2. Virgin Media Broadband Size XL - 20Mb
3. UKOnline Premier Broadband - 16Mb

Compare broadband by download limits

The broadband package’s download limit will ultimately define just how much you can use your broadband connection before being penalised for it.

Penalties for exceeding download limits can range from having your speeds drastically reduced until the end of the month, having your extra usage added to your bill or, in extreme cases, being asked to leave the broadband provider altogether.

The downside to focussing on download limits when you compare broadband packages is the fact that unless you are very technically minded, a download limit doesn’t mean very much.

When the average person compares broadband packages, does he or she really know the actual difference between a 10GB download limit and an 20GB? Or do they realise that ‘unlimited’ doesn’t actually mean unlimited and that there is always a fair use policy in place?

So if you are going to compare broadband packages by download limit it is worth using a broadband usage calculator (like the one on the ChooseISP broadband finder tool) to work out just how much data you’ll be downloading in a month.

This will help you make an informed decision about which package from the broadband comparison list is best suited to you.

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