Ask Our Expert

What is the best short-term broadband contract?

Our Broadband Expert says...

Martha, I don’t envy you - moving home is stressful enough without the challenge of deciding which broadband provider can best meet your needs. However, choosing the right package from day one can help avoid problems further down the line as well as save you money.

If you don’t know how long you’ll be staying at your address, a lengthy broadband contract might not be the wisest of moves. There are some great deals around these days and many providers offer no contract broadband on a “rolling” basis, instead of asking you to sign-up for 12, 18 or 24 months.

When choosing a broadband provider, the obvious starting point is price - and in some cases the cheapest deal may also be the best in other ways. There are additional factors it’s worth considering, though, such as the promised download speed, download limit and any fair usage policy.

You might also want to know what existing customers say about the different broadband suppliers. Remember that it is sometimes worth paying a little extra for better service. Ask people you know and read reviews online to compare providers on customer service, cost and reliability.

Since you mentioned Sky, we’ll start with that. Then I’ll run you through some alternative options and hopefully help you to make an informed and rewarding decision.

Should I choose Sky if I want unlimited, 20Mb broadband?

Broadband provider Sky (www.Sky.com) is still best known for its satellite TV service, but it has also proved itself as ahome internet supplier.

Sky offers broadband speeds of up to 20Mb, though you will need to be a Sky TV customer to take advantage of some of the deals. However, you may be able to save money by bundling your broadband, TV and home phone services instead of using separate providers for each.

As you’re looking for unlimited access, Martha, the Sky Unlimited package could be right up your street. This is one of the UK’s few truly unlimited packages - with no fair usage policy or traffic management in place - and you don’t have to take a Sky TV service.

However, you will be tied into a 12-month contract - costing £5 a month for the first six months and £10 a month thereafter. If you were to cancel the contract during the year, the remainder of the £90 annual cost would be charged in a single lump sum.

Don’t forget though, Martha - you will also need to be paying line rental. Sky charges £12.25 a month, which compares favourably with the standard BT rate of £14.60 .

If you’re looking for a home phone and digital TV provider too, you may be able to save money overall by bundling the whole lot with one provider. Sky was voted the best bundled broadband supplier in the BroadbandChoices.co.uk customer satisfaction survey 2010.

Can I get broadband without a contract?

The short answer is yes. There is no need to sign a 12, 18 or 24-month broadband contract unless that’s your preference. In recent times, a new breed of “no contract” broadband has emerged, giving customers more freedom to switch provider as often as they like.

These deals can be a great option if, like you, Martha, there is uncertainty over how long you’ll be staying at your current address. No contract broadband can also help people who want to switch provider as soon as a better offer comes along.

The beauty of short-term or no contract broadband deals is that, if you are only likely to need the connection for a relatively short amount of time, you won’t find yourself out of pocket by paying cancellation fees when you want to leave the deal, as is often the case with contracts that last for 12 months or longer.

However, it is worth remembering that even no contract broadband packages are not without their pitfalls - look out for the likes of connection fees, cancellation fees, line rental and whether or not you get a router thrown in, as well as any other charges and fees, when examining the small print of any no contract broadband deal before signing up.

A couple of no-contract broadband deals to consider:

Plusnet broadband (www.Plus.net) - With speeds of up to 20Mb, Plusnet offers two broadband-only packages - called Value (£6.49 a month) and Extra (£11.49 a month). Though not unlimited like Sky, they do come with data allowances of up to 60GB . To access the no contract option, you will have to pay as much as £40 for the router upfront - unless you have your own router to use - as well as a £25 one-off activation fee. You’ll need a BT or similar phone line to sign-up to these packages . You can cancel either package simply by giving Plusnet 10 days notice, which won’t incur any penalties. It’s worth remembering that Plusnet broadband allows unlimited overnight downloads - between midnight and 8am - which won’t affect your allowance.

O2 broadband (www.O2.co.uk) - If you’re dead set on getting an unlimited broadband service, O2 is another provider offering truly unlimited downloads like Sky. The All Rounder package gives you a download speed of up to 20Mb for £17.50 a month - or just £12.50 a month if you happen to be an O2 mobile customer.

If you’d rather not sign a 12-month contract, you will have to pay a one-off connection fee of around £30 for a 30-day rolling contract, which can be cancelled at anytime by giving O2 30 days notice. You’ll need a landline to sign-up to this package; if you switch it to O2 home phone your line rental will be included - you’ll simply pay for any calls you make. O2 generally performs very well on reliability and speed. It won the BroadbandChoices.co.uk customer satisfaction award in 2011.

Alternatively, you could enter a short-term contract like the three-month package from BE broadband (www.Bethere.co.uk), which offers fast, reliable broadband with speeds of up to 24Mb and unlimited usage. But you will need to pay a £25 connection fee and have a BT phone line. To cancel the contract early you will have to pay the monthly costs up until the end of your deal excluding VAT. Express termination - which cancels your contract within ten days - can also be requested at a cost of £40.85.

Shorter contracts and no contract broadband will usually work out more expensive on the face of it, but any extra cost can be negated if the package you choose gives you the flexibility you need and means you don’t need to pay a cancellation fee when you are ready to move on.

Good luck, Martha - hopefully this will help you find a suitable broadband option. Remember, you can compare broadband providers and view all the packages in more detail at BroadbandChoices.co.uk.

Ask us a question

If you have a general switching or provider query please get in touch with us here

Compare broadband deals

Save up to £363* when you include TV and calls with your broadband

CLOSE [X]

*Enter your postcode to find the best broadband deals in your area. We value your privacy, please see our privacy policy.

Why we need your postcode