TalkTalk launched their “free broadband for all” offer in April 2006 and where they went, others followed. Orange and Sky both unveiled similar, popular packages - but although they're cheap, are they good value for money?
And today, it’s not just broadband that comes for free; line rental, laptops and even PlayStation 3s are all being given away to customers willing to commit to ever longer broadband contracts.
Of course, nothing is really free. But since most households are already paying around £11 a month for their line rental, as well as the cost of digital TV or home phone calls - which BT (www.BT.com) customers will find are not the most competitive - “free” broadband offers are almost guaranteed to save you money, simply by cutting out the additional £14 or so a month you would have to fork out for your internet connection.
But money isn’t the only thing that you need to take into account. Free broadband got off to a poor start and a subsequent bad rap - TalkTalk (www.TalkTalk.co.uk) was so inundated with subscriptions that it was unable to connect many people for weeks at a time, and connection speeds for both TalkTalk and Orange (www.Orange.co.uk) were poor.
However, Sky (www.Sky.com) was more successful in its free broadband launch, having learnt from previous mistakes, and across the board, free broadband is now better value than ever.
Talk2 or Talk3 International Call Plans at £5.89 or £9.99 month respectively plus TalkTalk line rental for £10.50
This will include local and national calls (depending on time of day), as well as calls to 36 international destinations on TalkTalk’s list, including all of Europe, Australia and the US and even American and Canadian mobiles on the Talk3 Plan
It has a top speed of 8Mb, and a very reasonable download limit of 40GB
Any Sky TV package, starting from £16 for one mix, up to £21 a month for all six
A choice of up to six digital TV mixes, plus the option to add Sky Talk Freetime which offers free UK evening and weekend calls for no extra charge
You get an up to 2Mb broadband connection with a download limit of 2GB
£30 set-up cost and have to pay BT line rental on top
Any catches?
Although it’s important to remember that when you get a free add-on, you might not always get the highest quality service, TalkTalk has injected a whopping £15 million into improving its once poor customer services, and Sky has won a number of awards for its reliable broadband service - its free broadband won the bronze medal in the BroadbandChoices.co.uk welter weight ISP of the year award.
Free broadband experienced some serious teething problems, but as the offers have become more established, the services they offer have stabilised and massively improved.
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “Free broadband has come a long way since TalkTalk first launched the revolutionary product. Of the two options available, TalkTalk and Sky, customers must choose between a more reliable up to 2Mb connection, with a relatively low 2GB download limit, or a far less reliable up to 8Mb connection - which might not be far off Sky’s actual speed - but with a much more generous download limit of 40GB.
“So it’s not just about cheap broadband. People need to think about how they will use their broadband. If they only need it for very light-weight activities like checking emails and online banking, Sky’s free broadband would be fine. However, if they want to download movies and music, they’ll need a higher download limit like the 40GB offered by TalkTalk.
“But free broadband isn’t the only way to save these days, so anyone wanting to cut their costs should also check out the free line rental and hardware offers on the market, which might come with a more suitable broadband package,” he advised.
Are there any other freebies available?
TalkTalk’s free broadband revolutionised the market, spurring competitors to offer not only free broadband, but also free line rental from Tiscali (www.Tiscali.co.uk), laptops and more recently, computer consoles too from AOL (www.AOL.co.uk). Mobile phone operators like Orange and O2 (www.O2.co.uk) who have branched out into the broadband market have also taken advantage of their considerable customer bases by offering discounts to mobile customers who sign up to their broadband packages.
Tiscali Broadband & Phone, starting from £14.99 a month
Unlimited up to 8Mb broadband connection (subject to a fair usage policy), free UK evening and weekend calls, free weekend calls to 10 international destinations and line rental
£30 set up fee and you have to live in a Tiscali local loop unbundled area
The Home Starter and Home Max packages which normally cost £12 and £24 a month respectively are only £5 and £15 a month for Orange mobile customers
Up to 2Mb broadband and a download limit of 6GB with Home Starter, or unlimited 8Mb broadband (fair usage applies), the same call package, and inclusive line rental with Home Max
You have to be on an 18 or 24 month mobile phone contract and have to pay BT line rental on top
O2 mobile contract customers get £5 a month off any of O2’s broadband packages, normally costing £12.50, £15 and £20 a month
Speeds of up to 8Mb, 16Mb or 20Mb with unlimited downloads (fair usage applies) for only £7.50, £10 and 315 a month respectively
You have to pay BT line rental on top
“When choosing your new broadband package, compare prices and then weigh this against the kind of service that you want. There’s no point saving on a service that you can’t use in the way you need,” concluded Mr Phillips.
You can compare over 100 broadband deals on BroadbandChoices. Or Contact us if you’re still unsure.
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