Broadband Guide

Broadband connection: the best way to get online

Updated: Monday 28 March, 2011

By Editorial - news@consumerchoices.co.uk

The internet offers a world of opportunities; from social networking to education and even cash savings by helping you find the cheapest deals online. So what is the best way to get connected?

No matter what your budget or your needs, we can help you find the right package.

Broadband down your phone line

The majority of broadband providers deliver your connection down your phone line. This means that you need an active landline to access the internet, which could cost you around £14.60 a month if you choose BT (www.BT.com), the UK’s biggest phone and broadband provider.

But shopping around can make a huge difference to your monthly cost, allowing you to get online -with line rental and even inclusive calls - for less than £20 a month.

These types of copper wire connections packages, offered by the likes of Sky broadband (www.Sky.com), TalkTalk broadband (www.Talktalk.co.uk) and O2 (www.O2.co.uk) as well as BT, now come with speeds of up to 20/24Mb.

However, research by telecoms regulator Ofcom found that these types of packages delivered a typical speed range of just 3-9Mb when tested in November and December 2010.

Fibre optic cable broadband

Although fibre optic connections aren’t available across the whole of the UK, those consumers that can access superfast broadband get far faster download speeds.

Ofcom’s research found that BT’s fibre offering, BT Infinity, delivered 78% of its advertised 40Mb broadband speed - far more than its older ADSL service.

But Virgin Media fared even better, delivering between 90-96% of its advertised speed. Even customers on the cable provider’s cheapest and most popular package - which offers speeds of up to 10Mb - typically delivers over 9.6Mb, according to Ofcom and Virgin Media’s own broadband speed tests.

However, Virgin Media’s cable network only covers around half of the UK, while BT Infinity packages were available to around 15% of homes at the end of 2010 - though it plans to extend this to two-thirds of the country by 2015.

Mobile broadband

If you don’t have an active phone line or only need occasional internet access, then a mobile broadband connection might be the right answer.

However, there are a few things you need to think about first:

• Speed - Actual download speeds tend to be much slower with a mobile broadband connection, typically averaging around 1Mb
• Download allowance - Data limits are also usually much lower than fixed-line connections. So if you want to spend time watching online TV or downloading music, you might soon use up a 3GB or 5GB allowance
• Coverage - It’s important that you run a postcode search with your chosen provider to make sure you'll have an adequate connection at home, in the garden or on your daily commute.

Choosing the right broadband connection

Before you choose your broadband package and provider, use our free, Ofcom-accredited price comparison service to see what’s available in your area.

Then you can simply sign-up online, taking advantage of the latest deals. If you've already got a broadband connection at home and are looking to switch provider, you should get your Migration Access Code (MAC) from your existing supplier so that you can migrate without a break in your connection.

If you're going to switch to Virgin Media however, you don’t need to get a MAC code as the provider uses a completely different technology for its cable connections.

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