Plusnet Value Broadband (& Phone Bundle)

• The UK's cheapest broadband with decent service!
• Cut-price line rental and no setup fee with Plusnet home phone
• 10GB usage allowance
• Up to 20Mb download speeds
• 12 month contract or no contract options

Plusnet broadband review: Value

ARMED with a reputation for great customer service and innovative products Plusnet have surprised us all yet again by coming up with the UK's cheapest broadband.

Plusnet's Value package also offers a line rental deal which is cheaper than BT's and includes the same free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines.

Plusnet Value Broadband

Plusnet's Value broadband has recently upgraded to offer speeds of up to 20Mb and their service has a reputation for being reliable.

While the speed you will actually be able to achieve depends on the your exchange (up to 20Mb only applies at ADSL2+ exchanges so check your estimate speed on the Plusnet site) as well as the quality of the cables available in your area and the distance from your exchange.

Plusnet Value has a usage allowance of 10GB, more than enough if you usually just look at websites and rarely download or stream video content.

As an added bonus, however, Plusnet Value's service is completely unlimited between the hours of midnight and 8am. So, if you are in the habit of occasionally downloading large files then you could leave it overnight without using up your allowance.

You also get a good-quality wireless router free (+ £6.99 for p&p) when you sign up online and protection for your computer with firewall and spam protection.

A Choice of Two Call Plans

There's a choice of two call plans with Plusnet Value and the one you decide to take up will decide the price of your broadband bundle. Whichever one you choose you'll duck the £25 set-up fee.

With both, you also get a basic voicemail package, free calls to other Plusnet phone customers, Plusnet support and 300 inclusive minutes to 20 international destinations.

You also have to pay for line rental but, at £11.25 a month, this is cheaper than the BT rate. Of course, you can keep your line rental with BT if you want to - but Plusnet don't offer a call plan if you do.

The cheaper of the two is the Evenings and Weekends deal which, as the name suggests, offers free calls to UK landlines in the evenings and at weekends, and the 300 international minutes can only be used in the evening or at the weekend.

UK landline calls are charged at 4.5p per minute in the day and UK mobiles 12.5p per minute in the day and 7.5p per minute in the evenings.

The more expensive Anytime package - an extra £5 a month - again, as the name suggests, offers inclusive anytime minutes to UK landlines as well as a 25% discount on those expensive mobile calls, and the 300 international minutes can be used anytime of the day.

Different Contracts

You can choose between a 12 month contract and no contract.

No contract broadband will entail extra costs: a one-off set-up fee of £25 and your router, if you need one, will cost £40 for a wireless router and £20 for a wired router (as well as the £6.99 postage and package fee).

You will need to give just 10 days notice before leaving no contract broadband and you won't face any penalties.

Offers Based on Area

While the prices that have been quoted so far apply to 80% of UK households it might be that you fall outside of a low-cost area.

These areas are defined by BT and are as a result of the exchanges that you happen to live nearby. You can check your availability by entering your postcode at the top of this page.

If you do happen to be in that unlucky 20%, however, there is at least an offer for you. Plusnet will offer your first three months at the market 3 price (£6.49).

All in all, Plusnet Value offers excellent value for money and a friendly, reliable service for both broadband and home phone.

A little more detail...

Broadband		Special Note...
Package:	Value	-
Connection:	ADSLMAX	Telephone line
Max Speed:	Up to 20Mb	-
Usage Limit:	10GB (Unlimited off-peak)	Additional usage costs £5 per 5GB. Cannot be pre-paid.
Totally Unlimited:	Yes	midnight - 8am
Hardware:	Wireless 4-port router	Connect up to 10 devices
Internet Security:	None
Online Gaming:	All major consoles supported	Usage limit not suitable for online gaming, unless between midnight - 8am

Home Phone
Summary:	Optional choice of call plans Optional Plusnet line rental
Choose a package option to see more details