Be dramatically cuts 24Mbps broadband prices

By Bruce Stevens Staff Writer Friday, 12 October 2007

Is Be broadband special offer any good? The Be Pro package The Be Pro package details are: £22 per month (was £40!) Up to 24MBps download speed Up to 2.5Mb upload speed No download limit 3-month contract only Free static IP address Free 24/7 customer support Our verdict on the Be Pro broadband package: “The Be Pro broadband package is currently the UK's fastest broadband package. When it used to cost £40 a month we thought it was great but best suited to businesses and hardcore gamers (because of its fast upload speed), but at £22 this is far and away the best broadband package available today. With just a 3-month contract, you'd be mad not to at least give it a try.” - Jeff Stephens, ChooseISP's Broadband Reviews Editor The Be Unlimited package The Be Unlimited package details are: £18 per month (was £24!) Up to 24MBps download speed Up to 1.3Mb upload speed No download limit 3-month contract only Free 24/7 customer support Our verdict on the Be Unlimited broadband package: “We never thought we'd ever see 24Mbps broadband for under £20, but here it is. Be have improved remarkably over the last year and we have to admit, we are huge fans of the service. The minimum contract is just 3 months, so you can safely try Be out for yourself and see.” - Jeff Stephens, ChooseISP's Broadband Reviews Editor Other Be broadband news See our other recent news about Be broadband: Be Broadband versus O2 Broadband: Which is better? Be and O2 are offering the best new broadband packages around. But with just a gnat’s hairs width between them how do you know who will give you the best deal? Julie Kukiewicz puts them in the ring together and dings the bell! Interested in a Be broadband package? You can sign up here...

SPEEDY broadband providers Be have dramatically slashed the prices of their two uber-fast 24Mbps broadband packages, making high-speed broadband more affordable than ever.

Be has reduced its Be Pro 24Mbps broadband package from £40 per month to just £22.

The more popular Be Unlimited 24Mbps package has also been reduced from £24 down to £18.

The price cuts bring 24Mbps broadband down to the same price as many 8Mbps broadband packages, and in some cases even cheaper.

“We believe this astonishing drop in price for 24 meg broadband is going to have a much bigger impact on the UK broadband market than one would think,” says Jeff Stephens, broadband reviews editor at broadband comparison site ChooseISP.co.uk.

“Be has thrown down the gloves. With their 24Mbps broadband prices now as low as - or in some cases lower than - many 8Mbps broadband packages from other providers, competitors are going to have to scramble to either match Be’s speeds, or lower their prices even more.”

Matching Be Broadband’s 24Mbps speeds is not going to be easy for now, but with the prospect of the next generation of ADSL – called ADSL2+ - to begin rolling out early next year, other broadband providers will soon be able to offer speeds equivalent to those offered by Be.

Ironically, what is now the fastest broadband speed available in the UK, may soon become the low-end standard as Virgin Media continue to trial 50Mbps broadband speeds.

“These are exciting times for UK broadband. A year from now, this move by Be will largely be irrelevant, but for now it is bound to shake things up a bit. And us broadband users will be the winners,” said Mr Stephens.

See full reviews of Be’s two cut-price broadband packages here:

Review of Be Pro
Review of Be Unlimited

Common questions about Be Broadband

Is Be broadband any good?
Yes, our feedback from Be broadband customers over the last year has shown that Be's shaky start is now well behind them. Their 24/7 free technical support has proved to be helpful when problems do occur and we're impressed with their short 3-month contract period which gives you a get-out should things not go your way.

Is Be broadband the fastest broadband in the UK?
Currently, yes it is. Over the next year, we are likely to see other broadband providers roll out their own ADSL2+ broadband packages (which will also be up to 24Mbps) and Virgin Media is promising 50Mbps soon, but for now Be is the fastest broadband provider in the UK.

Is Be broadband the cheapest fast broadband?
With Be's new cut price packages, yes it is. Many broadband providers are charging more than this for 8Mbps packages and in some cases even 2Mbps packages.

Is Be broadband the best broadband package for online gaming?
Because of the high upload and download speeds (especially the Be Pro package), many gamers feel that Be offers the best package for online gaming and online games. Other gamers will argue that Plusnet's Broadband Your Way Pro package which is designed specifically for online gaming is better as it prioritises gaming traffic and offers low latency and ping, but their max speeds are only 8Mbps, compared to Be broadband's 24Mbps.

I have read bad reviews about Be. Should I be worried?
The thing to remember is that ALL broadband providers get bad reviews and have angry users. Review sites are piled high with disgruntled users from every major broadband provider. Why is this?

• People really only tend to write reviews when they are angry, so review sites are always going to be a bit skewed. It is a law of broadband review sites that bad reviews will always outnumber good reviews.
• Broadband sometimes breaks, and when it does, getting it working again can be a real pain. This applies across all providers.
• Almost all broadband providers (except the really expensive ones) have just adequate technical support, so often these guys can drive you nuts, prompting you to write a bad review.

Interested in a Be broadband package? You can sign up here...

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