Ask Our Expert

Broadband download limits

Our Broadband Expert says...

Unfortunately it isn’t possible to set a limit on the amount that you download - and if you do go over your allowance with BT Broadband (www.BT.com) you will be charged £1 per extra GB.

Monitor your downloads

However, there are steps that you can take, such as monitoring your downloads to help you avoid going over your limit.

Install our free Broadband Download Monitor - it lets you see how much you’ve downloaded over the month and even lets you set an alarm to make sure that you don’t go over your limit.

You should be aware though; the Broadband Download Monitor tracks how much each individual computer has downloaded. This means that if you're using more than one computer, over a wireless broadband connection, that you'll have to monitor your downloads separately on each PC and add them up to see how much you’ve used altogether.

Switch broadband package

An even easier way to make sure that you don’t go over your limit is to switch to a package with a higher download allowance or “unlimited broadband” downloads - though you will be subject to a fair usage policy.

If you have a 20GB download allowance on your BT package, then you must be on Option 2. You can upgrade to Option 3, which offers “unlimited” downloads, though this will cost you more each month and there are cheaper alternatives.

Set download allowances

Boosting your download allowance doesn’t have to break the bank; TalkTalk Broadband's (www.TalkTalk.co.uk) Essentials package, which comes with 8Mb broadband and a generous 40GB download allowance, costs just £6.99 a month and even includes free local calls and evening and weekend UK landline calls.

And if you find that you need an even bigger download allowance or a faster download speed, you can add a Boost to your package to push your speed to up to 24Mb or double your download allowance.

Alternatively, TalkTalk’s Pro package offers up to 24Mb broadband all the time, and "unlimited broadband" downloads for just £14.99 a month and comes with inclusive anytime UK landline calls and cheaper calls to mobiles.

“Unlimited” downloads

O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) is a great option if you want to go for an “unlimited” broadband package. It has won a host of awards for its fast, reliable broadband and excellent customer service, and also offers great discounts for existing O2 customers.

O2’s packages come with either up to 8Mb or 20Mb broadband and its fair usage policy is very generous - perfect for a family of downloaders, gamers and online TV streamers.

Compare broadband providers

Switching broadband provider can save you up to £135 on your bills as well as getting you a package better suited to your needs.

Compare broadband packages using our comparison calculator to find the best deal - with a download allowance that’s right for you.

NB Best buy tables (orange background) are always current.

Examples in the text of the article (white background) are correct at time of publication.

Ask us a question

If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at OurExpert@broadbandchoices.co.uk