Be Value Broadband

Review of Be Value

FORMERLY known as Be Lite, the Be Value package has taken a serious speed deceleration (down to 8MB from the previous 24MB), but has become - rather pleasingly - an unlimited broadband package, as opposed to its previous 4GB usage limit.

Top class contender

Despite the reduction in speed, Be Value remains a top-class contender as one of the best value, high performance 8MB packages on the broadband market, not least because it offers 1.3MB upload speeds (great for online gamers) and comes in at under fifteen quid a month.

On the downside, you are contracted to the Be broadband service for a full year (the other Be packages do not have a contract period, although they do require 3 months' notice) and after that you will have to give 1 months notice before cancelling.

So how does the Be Value package stand up against similar 8MB unlimited packages? Very well, it appears.

Free wireless Be Box

While there is a £24 connection fee, you will receive a free wireless 'Be Box' modem, which acts just like a souped-up wireless router.

Be Value's 1.3MB upload speed will be music to any online gamer's ears, and useful too for anyone who uploads things such as movies, pictures etc. to the web.

If you want super fast upload speeds, however, you should look at the Be Pro package instead which offers opt-in upload speeds of 2.5Mb.

Good value for money

While Be broadband may have suffered some bad press in it's first year, we're pleased to see it operating very reliably now and while we prefer Be's 24MB broadband packages, this Be Value up to 8MB package is both pleasingly stable and very good value for money.

A little more detail

Broadband

			Special Note..	Any good?
Package Name:		Value	-
Connection Type:		ADSL	-
Max Speed:		8Mb	-
Usage Limit:		Unlimited	Fair use policy applies
Hardware:		Be-Box wireless router	Free when you sign up online
Anti-virus Protection:		No	Email anti-virus available as part of security/email/webspace bundle (£2 per month)
Firewall:		No	-
E-mail Account:		Yes	Up to 5 email addresses as part of security/email/webspace bundle (£2 per month)
Webspace Provided:		Yes	100MB of webspace. Only as part of security/email/webspace bundle (£2 per month)
Domain Included:		No	-
Backup Dialup:		Yes	-
Consoles Supported:		All major consoles supported	Ideal for online gaming, but not as good as the other Be 24Mb packages

Payment, Installation and Contract

Payment Method(s):		Direct Debit / Credit Card
Activation Fee:		£24
Installation:		Free
Minimum Contract:		12 months
Line Rental:		BT line rental required
Support:		24/7 support hotline

Actual User Ratings

Be Unlimited won a recent ISPA (Internet Industry Awards) for the "Best Sumo Consumer Broadband" package. An ISPA spokesperson said, "The judges felt that Be Unlimited were "pushing the broadband boundaries" by offering consumers an innovative service through ADSL 2+ technology which aims to reach speeds of up to 24MB."

At a Glance

Our Rating
Max Speed	8Mb
Usage Limit	Unlimited
Monthly Price	£14.00
Set Up Cost	£24.00
Min. Contract	12 months

	Bundle details:
	Phone: Not included
	TV: Not included
	Mobile: Not included

	It is best suited for:
	Occasional users who may not need Be's excessive speeds, but still want a fast, unlimited broadband connection at a very reasonable price.

Customer Reviews

Add your own review of Be broadband...

Remember, the customer reviews below are subjective (and are not the opinions of ChooseISP.co.uk).

Simon from Tunbridge Wells writes... 19/04/2008

"Customer service is almost as bad as Tiscali! but once its up and running its fast (20% faster than pipex on the same kit) and reliable IMO the only real choice atm"

Adam from Reading writes... 23/11/2007

"Details opposite say no firewall. This is wrong. The Be Box (supplied with the Be connection) contains a hardware firewall which is a major win over the software firewalls provided by other vendors as it will protect the entire network not just the nasty windows machines. Be broadband is great :-)"

Bryan Christian from Halifax writes... 10/10/2007

"I use Be broadband for online gaming and I can tell you the extra speed makes SUCH a difference, especially the faster upload speeds. If you are a gamer I would think seriously about getting Be. Otherwise you'll just land up getting beaten by all those Korean guys who have like 100MB broadband!"