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BE broadband

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Overview

  • Good straight-forward range of packages, including one tailored specifically to the need of gamers
  • Flexible 3 month contracts available

Best selling BE broadband deals

Broadband Genie Home Broadband Awards

Broadband Genie Award Winner

BE Broadband performed very strongly across the board at the Broadband Genie Home Broadband Awards 2011, winning Most Innovative Provider and taking the runners-up prize for both Best Broadband Provider and Best Broadband Support.

In the OnePoll survey it polled a remarkably consistent second place in each of the five categories, maintaining a fantastic average and getting at least 70 per cent of positive responses in each of them.

BE Broadband also performed well in the speed test results, averaging faster than 5Mb through 2010.

About BE

BE Broadband has set its stall out as the gamer's friend. It claims to give its members "unmetered, unrestricted and unchallenged broadband", although it doesn't have the best coverage geographically - it will not supply broadband to you if you're in an exchange that hasn't been improved above basic ADSL speeds. That said, where it is possible to get its unbundled service BE record some of the fastest speed test averages in the business right now.

As well as its three standard ADSL+ offerings (Value, Unlimited and Pro), BE Broadband also now offers line bonding: a service where (for quite a fee) you can combine the speeds of two lines to get one faster broadband connection.

Advanced users can change their router's settings (it's called the BE Box), allowing gamers to make more of their connection. It also now also offering line bonding, where two copper telephone lines are combined to potentially offer double speeds on an ADSL2+ line. Late in 2010, BE Broadband added the option for its customers to also pay their line rental through the ISP, rather than to BT.

BE Broadband is proud of its community, having very active message boards, usergroup and IRC chat where it runs ideas past its users on a regular basis. The usergroup is a made up of BE users who volunteer their time and expertise to help other BE members.

The company started out as an independent internet service provider, going live in August 2005. BE Broadband was bought by O2 in June 2006, becoming part of the huge Telefonica group, but continuing to trade as a separate entity.

Customer reviews

Show all 49 BE Broadband reviews»

  • neutral

    by TDM at 17:20 on 30 Jan 2012 | registered | 2 postsReport abuse

    Be unlimited Gets so much good press ,because it is better than what most have experienced prior to it, and yes most are worse, so is why they are said to be the best
    But there are some that the move to BE is somewhat of a come down, certain aspects could and should be improved,

  • unhappy

    by z r at 16:09 on 30 Jan 2012Report abuse

    Was a great company, quickly going downhill and becoming like a large corporation. Presently with bethere, but looking to get the hell out.

    The below was a review by a bememeber
    "As an aside: Speaking of comparisons, when I'm behind on my payments BE let me know they'll just take it out next month, whereas BT send me letters demanding payment and threatening service restriction virtually from the outset. Charming.

    Back on topic: Overall a very pleasant indie company with a relaxed work ethic and a reputable service. I actually came here to see if there were any rival services which I was willing to risk signing up for, but since nothing stood out I'll be staying with BE for a little longer. Here's to being able to get on and worry about the important things in life, rather than if your internet is going to behave or not."

    sadly the company no longer behaves like decent indie guys, every since O2 took it over, there service has deteriorated rapidly. The website has huge problems and as a result refused to accept my new credit card details. How did bethere react, they sent me a letter threatening to send bailiffs round my house. Disgusting, the problem was entirely due to their website being written incompetently to begin with, that it refused to remember updated payment details. They knew that was the case, yet they still threatened to send the bailiffs on me. After i paid the bill and demanded my MAc code, they said they sent it. Nothing, they actually hadn't sent it. Complained again, this time they sent it, but offered me 2 months free if i stayed on with them for another 12months as an apology.

    So i thought maybe i should give them a second chance, so code gets cancelled. Now they tell me, if i accept the 2months free, my service charge will go up to the new rate of £20 per month, which means in effect i will actually be paying them £60 more a year, even after the 2months free.

    Talk about being gobsmacked, a 2months free that actually costs you £60, maybe they have been smoking too much pot, or more likely ever since they were taken over by O2 the corporate suits and lawyers have started manipulating condescendingly their customer base.

    When i first started i was paying a premium for bethere, but i was getting the service i was paying for, now i get 3rd world country trcikster style service for a premium price. Frankly if i am going to be treated like dirt, i might as well pay dirt cheap prices. So this unhappy cusomter is looking to move and take all of his friends and colleagues with him.

    given that when bethere started i got them over 2 dozen customers (who probably then got them many more), maybe I'll be able to persuade a few dozen to leave with me, here's hoping i can, as an *-u to bethere.

  • happy

    by Craig at 23:36 on 23 Nov 2011Report abuse

    So I've been with BE for 3+ years and the service is entirely underrated. As a tenant in a shared house I've seen a lot of people sign up to various broadband plans with providers and it seems while many of them struggle with routers, customer service and temperamental connections, BE's service has been fine the whole time with zero drop-outs at a reliable lag-free 6MB/s. As a gamer I often get to watch other people complaining about supposed lag spikes, usually right before they get munched by whatever hostile polygons are in vogue for that month.

    The customer support is always friendly/informative and in my experience has never 'cut out', additionally I used the ticketing system exclusively to set up my connection from a public library when I moved the service to a new house, so no trouble there, either. I've never come across a site BE has 'blocked' and would be interested to see one, along with an ISP who makes it clearer that the speeds it advertises are usually only estimated maximums.

    It's a shame BE have increased their fee to £17/month (I still pay £14!) but they do offer a landline serive for £10/month with calls costing 4.5p/minute, compared to BT's £13.90/month and 7.6p/minute peaktime. (I understand BT are pushing their prices up yet again soon).

    As an aside: Speaking of comparisons, when I'm behind on my payments BE let me know they'll just take it out next month, whereas BT send me letters demanding payment and threatening service restriction virtually from the outset. Charming.

    Back on topic: Overall a very pleasant indie company with a relaxed work ethic and a reputable service. I actually came here to see if there were any rival services which I was willing to risk signing up for, but since nothing stood out I'll be staying with BE for a little longer. Here's to being able to get on and worry about the important things in life, rather than if your internet is going to behave or not.

  • neutral

    by real advice at 16:46 on 12 Jul 2011Report abuse

    Overseas support, disconnections, regular faults with connection, phone support which cuts you off as its overseas and VOIP based, a web support ticket system that thinks your message is Java code, Live chat system that cuts off midway, Proxy system in place that regular blocks entire sites. DNS servers that are slow and known to have outages.

    Yes there is no capping, or throttles, though with all the issues they have it would be preferable.

    Ring 0808 101 34 30 and choose option 6 before you join ask a few questions just to get a rough idea how the rest of the product is.

    A monkey and a bit of string would give you better broadband service and support.

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