Broadband

How to Choose a Broadband Package

WITH so much competition in the broadband market companies are constantly introducing better deals, higher speed connections and lowering prices, in a bid to win your affections.

Follow our advice and you could enjoy super fast broadband speeds 24/7 for a price that doesn’t put a hole in your wallet.

Broadband is good for:

Once reserved for businesses and super geeks, broadband is now a feasible option for anybody, whether you use the Internet to check your emails, or to download entire movies. The options are there so that everyone can enjoy the Internet without having to pay a hefty premium.

The key is choosing the right package to suit the activities you use the Internet for and the amount of time you spend on it.

Light Web Users
If checking your emails and browsing a few websites every evening qualifies as your Internet use, you could be described as a light user. With basic use such as this, it wouldn’t be worth paying the extra money for a super fast connection. A bottom of the rung 2 -4mb connection would serve your needs just as well as a 16mb package.

Medium Web Users
Add occasional music downloads and perhaps some online video streaming to the above and you could classify yourself as a medium user. Higher speeds would prove beneficial for downloading and media streaming, so the basic packages may not cut the mustard.

Broadband is unsuitable for:

Living in the wilderness
Very remote areas without access to cable or a BT phone line may struggle to find providers to accommodate their needs. However, with the increasing development of wireless networking and satellite communications there is still potential for connection, albeit at a higher initial set up cost (satellite and wireless networking to remote locations usually requires installation of a dish/aerial).

Frequent house movers
If you live in rented accommodation, or plan on moving house in the near future, check out the contact terms as there will be set up charges and providers may specify a contract period.

Fortunately there are a number of excellent broadband providers who let you sign up for just a month, such as Plusnet, but remember that you will almost certainly have to pay an activation fee (usually around £47) and supply your own modem.

Look for:

The best customer service
Recent broadband reviews have suggested that larger companies are failing the customer in the field of customer service.

Outsourcing call centres to foreign countries, long periods on hold, late/no show engineers are all problems that make broadband incredibly slow. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, as smaller providers – who cant necessarily offer the best prices – have made up for their higher rates by providing much better customer service.

Watch out for:

Fictitious broadband speeds
Evidence has arisen that the broadband package speeds quoted by broadband providers rarely (if ever) live up their potential, with many users receiving less the half the megabit rate they have signed up for!

The average speed for Up to 8Mbps broadband connections is an embarrassing 2.7Mbps.

Providers have responded by saying that the speeds offered are the maximum achievable with the best connection, fastest PC etc. If you rely heavily on connection speed it may be worth upping the broadband package to err on the side of caution.

Don’t forget:

Broadband installation costs
Check out any additional costs you may incur for the installation and set up of your broadband. You may have to pay for equipment such as the modem, as well as the connection to the ADSL/Cable provider.

Generally, if you sign up for a 12 month or longer contract, activation fees are usually waived and they'll normally provide you with a free broadband modem too.

Remember also that if you are going to opt for an ADSL broadband package, you will need to have a BT phone line installed (£150) as this is how ADSL broadband is delivered. This does not mean you have to go with BT Broadband though, they simply install your phoneline.

The only exception to this is if you go for a cable broadband package from Virgin Media, but this incurs an installation fee of its own, albeit a much lower one (starting at around £25).

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