What broadband?
Wondering what broadband provider to switch to and how to get the best deal? What Mobile has teamed up with consumer advice website Broadband Genie to bring you our What Broadband guide to home broadband prices and packages.
There are so many different home broadband providers and packages out there that it may seem, at first, a little daunting to find the right one for you. Unlike your mobile phone, where you can sample several providers thanks to pay as you go and one-month rolling contracts, most home broadband packages require you to sign up to the service for anything up to 24 months, so it's important to spend some time researching and tracking down a deal that not only fits your budget but also meets your needs. A look through our What Broadband guide will put you well on your way to finding that perfect home broadband package.
Find a package at the right price
Most of us are being careful with our budgets at the moment, keeping a close eye on monthly outgoings. The good news is there are a wide variety of different home broadband packages available to suit all budgets. Remember, you will be obliged to keep up these monthly payments for the duration of your subscription, so think carefully about how much you can realistically afford to spend.
All broadband offers listed on What Mobile show the price of the package clearly as a bright red label. Watch out for the small print underneath this red icon too though, as it will tell you about any offers currently available for new subscribers. This could be anything from perks for customers already signed up to the provider’s mobile phone service, to an introductory incentive for cheaper monthly bills.
It’s advisable to also check the prices mentioned in the 'Setup' column. Quite a lot of providers include set-up for free, but it’s quite common to have to pay extra on top if you are setting up a package that includes a phone line.
Find out more about the broadband service providers
If a cheap price or exciting extra has caught your eye, you may be tempted to consider signing up to a provider you know very little about, or haven't had a contract with in the past. You don’t have to stumble into your decision without any guidance though; What Mobile displays a star rating next to each package. The score out of five gives you a good idea of the popularity of the package.
Why should I be concerned about 'Speed' and 'Downloads'?
Connection speeds and download limits vary between providers and packages, and could mean the difference between a sluggish broadband service or a speedy connection that allows you to download content in a jiffy. However, people use their broadband for different reasons, so think about what you will be doing with yours on a day-to-day basis before splashing out on more than you need.
If you often download movies or music, it could be worth opting for a package with a faster speed so you’re not playing the waiting game every day. Around 8Mb used to be the norm for a pretty swift broadband connection, but Virgin Media upped the ante by launching a 50Mb service in December 2008. Unfortunately, not everyone can get kitted up with a super fast broadband connection; all sorts of factors such as location and the distance from your local telephone exchange can make a difference. So,when you think you've found the right package and clicked through to the provider’s own website, it's worth searching their site for a quote on the sort of speeds you can expect in your area.
Download limits, or caps, are equally important. Every bit of content you load in a web browser, plus everything you download (email attachments, video clips, songs, online forms etc) use up some of your data allowance. The higher your download cap, the more things you can download without worrying about being charged more. Some providers do offer ‘unlimited’ download limits, meaning you can pretty much download whatever you like without incurring an extra fee. But even with these, the contract small print will normally contain a clause saying you can’t go overboard, such as downloading films 24/7.
What about extras?
Finally, keep an eye out for the What Mobile ‘Extras’ column. Sometimes some really great deals pop-up here that give you the opportunity to add a few goodies to your broadband package. This can be anything from free weekend UK landline calls or calls to mobile phones, a bundled wireless router or maybe additional Wi-Fi minutes for when you want to connect to the internet while away from home. These little extras could make the difference between two deals.
Remember, broadband deals change all the time, so if you are heading towards the end of your current contract or are thinking about switching providers, it can pay to check back here regularly!
Powered by Broadband Genie