What are broadband only deals?
A 'Broadband Only' deal is a standalone offer without the bells and whistles of other services such as TV and phone calls.
Nowadays, these are less widespread than some other types of broadband packages.
As TV deals have become increasingly popular, we've found that many of our visitors searching for ‘Broadband Only’ are actually looking for broadband and landline deals without a television package.
There’s no getting away from it that some broadband deals require a phone line to work and are rarely sold without you having to pay line rental
For that reason, you’ll see that many of the broadband deals listed on this page include a phone line, but don’t come with any other services.
What are my options for a broadband deal only package?
There are three different types of Broadband Only deals you’ll find listed on Broadband Genie:
Broadband Only
These are internet-only packages where you only pay the provider for broadband. This gives you the freedom to choose a different phone company for calls.
Broadband and phone deals
The most common type of home broadband package is broadband with a phone line, where you pay a single provider for both broadband service and phone line rental.
This might not be what you had in mind when you searched for ‘Broadband Only’. But for many
It’s very acceptable to keep a landline phone unplugged and just rely on your mobile network instead. This is because the deals are available without inclusive calls. This is the cheapest option if you only have a phone line for broadband.
If you use the phone regularly, you should look into getting an inclusive call bundle for included weekend calls or anytime calls, as this could significantly reduce your overall spend.
Broadband without a phone line
These are broadband only services that don’t include a telephone service and don’t need an active phone line to function. Out of all the broadband providers, BT Broadband and Virgin Media are the biggest to offer this service right now.
Full fibre (FTTP) packages don’t need a functioning phone line. This is because this service relies completely on fibre optic cables rather than traditional copper phone lines. Plenty of providers now offer full fibre deals, from smaller companies like Community Fibre and Hyperoptic, to household names such BT, Vodafone, Sky, and TalkTalk.
More providers, such as BT and Plusnet are also starting to offer digital lines for their standard packages (SoGEA) which means there's no need for a telephone line. And subsequently, no line rental to pay!
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What’s FTTP?
Full Fibre broadband is also known as ‘Fibre To The Premises’, ‘Fibre To The Home’. This is often shortened to FTTP or FTTH. They’re all the same thing!
Instead of copper telephone wire making up the final part of the journey from that green cabinet on the street, fibre optic cables are installed right up to your home.
It’s amazing the difference in speed this small data journey can have. With full-fibre broadband you can expect to receive speeds of 1Gb+.
The downside is full-fibre is only available to a small percentage of homes in the UK, and it’s taking a good while to get everyone up to speed.
The rollout of full fibre is still ongoing across the UK, though. And there is a chance it’s not got to your home yet. You can always check whether you have access to a full fibre connection by popping your address into our deals checker. This will give you the best up-to-date information on the packages available to you.
Which providers offer Broadband Only deals
There’s a good selection of internet service providers offering Broadband Only deals. These include:
What are the best broadband only deals?
Add your address into the top of this page for a full list of great deals available to you. Alternatively, here’s our top 4 favourite Broadband Only deals:
Is a ‘Broadband Only’ deal right for me?
Unless you do not have an active phone line, we'd recommend you keep your options open: Search for deals that require an active phone line and you'll have more deals to choose from. These packages will often offer the lowest prices.
If you're lucky enough to be able to get full fibre broadband, these faster speeds can provide fantastic bang for your buck. Most of these packages will be broadband only, with the option to add calls and TV too.
What are the cheapest broadband only deals?
The deals below show the cheapest broadband only deals available.
A word of warning, though. Cheap doesn't always mean ‘best value’. A fibre optic broadband deal costs little more than standard broadband nowadays, and you can find that you’re expected to pay a larger setup fee before activation. Plus, a speedier internet connection can be really useful (we'll explain more in the next section).
To learn more about the cheapest broadband deals on the market, visit our cheap broadband page.
What should I look for when comparing a cheap broadband only package?
Download speeds
Wondering what broadband speed you need? You can use the following average download speeds as a rough guide.
- ADSL: These are usually the cheapest deals but also offer the slowest speeds. You’re likely to get given a very basic Wi-Fi router too. Standard broadband is only really suitable for an individual streaming or a couple of devices browsing the web.
- 35Mb fibre broadband: A superfast fibre broadband connection is usually enough for a small household, with 1-3 devices streaming at the same time.
- 67Mb fibre broadband : A good option for medium-large households. Can support multiple heavy users at the same time (e.g. streaming or gaming).
- 100Mb+: These ultrafast speeds are usually found with full-fibre or Virgin Media deals. This kind of speed is suitable for the heaviest users: large households with many devices streaming, gaming, or video calling simultaneously. If average speeds go up to 1Gb, this is known as ‘Gigabit broadband’.
For more help, you can read our easy guide to broadband speeds.
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What does ADSL mean?
ADSL stands for ‘Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line’. It’s broadband technology that allows the transfer data across regular telephone lines. You can make calls at the same time as being connected to the internet.
An ADSL line will, at minimum, allow for a broadband connection of up to 8Mb. These days, that’s pretty slow and won’t allow you to do much other than emailing or basic web searches.
ADSL2+ is now available at nearly all exchanges across the UK with slightly faster data transfer rates of around 10-11Mb.
Monthly price
The fixed monthly cost of the package. If your deal includes a phone, you can assume the line rental is bundled with broadband in the monthly price.
A fibre package might only be a bit pricier per month than a slow ADSL service. Many providers are phasing these slower packages out completely to new customers. The extra speed will almost always be worth it.
Effective monthly cost
Check out our deals table for a clear view of what your ‘effective monthly cost’ will be. If a package includes a voucher when you sign up, or any other special offers we’ll take this off the total price of your contract. We’ll then divide this total up by the number of months in your contract. This is the ‘effective monthly cost’. Rewards can be a great way of reducing the total expense.
Contract length
The total length of your deal and the time you agree to commit to a broadband service. No-contract deals (also sometimes referred to as ‘rolling monthly deals’) are available. However, in the long run, longer contract lengths mostly end up working out more cost-effective. You’ll generally pay less per month for a 24 month contract than you will for a 12 month contract.
Just be sure to consider your circumstances before you commit to a bargain buy. Can you be certain you’ll still want this service in two years’ time?
Will I save money with a broadband only deal?
Here are some things to consider:
- Broadband deals that don't include a TV deal will almost always save you money vs. a broadband and TV deal.
- Broadband deals that don't include a calls package are sometimes cheaper than equivalent deals with free calls package included (not 100% of the time, though)
- If you're going to frequently make landline calls, it works out cheaper to include a free calls package rather than pay as you go.
- Broadband without a phone line options (such as BT and Virgin Media) may not be cheaper than similar deals from other providers who offer broadband through a phone line.
Is a broadband bundle deal a better option?
Bundling TV with broadband can be a great way to save money, provided you actually need the TV service. It's often cheaper to get your broadband, home phone, and TV services from the same provider.
Can you save money paying line rental upfront?
Plusnet and BT used to offer something called 'Line Rental Saver' where you could pay the line rental portion of your package upfront for a reduced cost. Unfortunately, these offers have since been discontinued, and no other providers offer this option.
My property doesn’t have access to a phone line. Can I still get broadband?
A number of the people coming to this page may well be looking for broadband without phone line, because they logistically can’t get a phone line, or they simply don’t want to pay for one to be installed. We have a dedicated broadband without a phone line page, but we'll also answer some of the key questions below.
Can you get fast fibre broadband without a phone line?
You can get fibre without a phone line. But, all will require a line of some sort to be installed in your property
- BT Fibre: BT fibre optic deals are available without active telephone service - but if you do not have fibre line to your house, you will need one installed (see below).
- Full fibre/FTTP: Have a direct fibre line installed to your house to get reliable, fast broadband. Many full fibre packages only include phone services on request, and some may not offer it at all.
- Virgin Media: You can get Virgin cable broadband that will offer very fast speeds without phone service.
Is mobile broadband a good alternative?
Mobile broadband can be a good option if you’re looking for a broadband only deal and are unable to get a line installed. You can even get dedicated 4G and 5G home broadband packages now, but only if you live in an area with a strong signal.
Read our guide to mobile broadband at home for more on using it as an alternative to home broadband.
Frequently asked questions about Broadband Only deals
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Can I get broadband without phone line rental?
Many broadband services need a phone line to function. There are some broadband deals that don't need a phone line, but options are a little more limited.
The biggest names to offer broadband without line rental are BT Broadband and Virgin Media. They both still require a fixed-line, but you can get broadband without the ability to make phone calls.
Full-fibre (FTTP) services can also provide broadband without phone line rental. The catch is that this isn’t yet available to everyone in the UK at the moment. Enter your postcode into our Full Fibre Broadband Deals comparison table, and we'll tell you if FTTP is in your area.
Find out more in our guide to line rental.
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Do I need a phone line to have broadband?
You don't, although most providers will require a phone line to offer you most of their best broadband options. There are plenty of alternatives, though. BT and Virgin Media are the most common, while FTTP deals are also a good option if available in your area.
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Do I still need a landline if I don't use the phone?
Similar to the above, most broadband providers will use an active telephone line to provide you with a broadband connection. So unless you are with a no-landline provider (e.g. Virgin or BT) you'll still need your landline, even if you don't use it for calls.
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Can I get broadband without any cables, lines, or wires?
Most broadband deals require a physical network connection, but there are some options for getting wireless broadband without any kind of line. This includes 4G and 5G broadband, and satellite broadband. Visit our guide to wireless broadband for more information on this topic.
Expert Summary
If you’re looking for a ‘Broadband Only’ deal, think carefully about what you actually want.
Many standard and fibre broadband deals need a phone line to work, so you’ll still have to pay for line rental even if you’d rather not use a landline. These deals are also often relatively cheap.
As full fibre broadband (FTTP) uses a fibre optic cable rather than a landline, you can often get great, fast and unlimited broadband without having to sign up to a phone or TV package or pay line rental. However, the overall spend for this is likely to be more than a standard broadband with line rental deal, where any calls or streaming subscriptions cost you extra.
In short, although it sounds like the best way to get a bargain, broadband only deals can regularly end up being a false economy unless you’re certain you don’t need any other services that provider offers. Don’t fret though, most providers will allow you to upgrade within a contract period if you realise you do want to add on phone or TV services.