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Rural broadband options

Our Broadband Expert says...

Dear David, your options depend on whether or not your local telephone has been unbundled. Local loop unbundled (LLU) providers offer cheap broadband by installing their own equipment in the exchange, allowing them to bypass BT Broadband (www.BT.com) and pass their savings on to you.

Non-LLU options

Unfortunately, Dunblane telephone exchange has not been unbundled, meaning that you can’t take advantage of low-cost deals from providers such as TalkTalk Broadband (www.TalkTalk.co.uk), which also offers cheaper line installation than BT.

However, you do have more options than just BT. Although Virgin Media's (www.VirginMedia.com) cable network isn’t available in your area, its National Broadband - which uses copper wire ADSL connections rather than cable - is available, as are a number of other providers. Virgin Media offers three ADSL packages, though unlike its cable customers, you will still have to pay line rental costs. All of its broadband packages come with “unlimited broadband” downloads, subject to a fair usage policy.

Virgin Media’s National Broadband can be bundled with home phone and also mobile phone packages to help save money.

Plusnet Broadband (www.Plus.net) is also available in your area, though you won’t be able to take advantage of the cheaper costs afforded by its LLU customers, and again, will have to pay for line rental.

However, Plusnet is an award-winning provider, known for delivering reliable connections and fast download speeds. It currently offers two standard packages, one with a set monthly download allowance of 10GB, the other with “unlimited” downloads.

Like Virgin Media, Plusnet customers can also bundle their broadband with home phone packages.

Post Office Broadband (www.PostOffice.co.uk) is another option, and as the only broadband provider to accept cash payments for its service - over the counter in any Post Office branch - it’s a great tool for budgeting. It offers two broadband packages, one with a set download allowance of 5GB a month, the other with “unlimited” downloads, both of which can be bundled with a choice of two home phone packages.

Click here to compare all broadband providers available in your area.

Non-LLU broadband packages

Line installation

Because you don’t live in an LLU area, you only have two options when it comes to having your landline reactivated; BT and Madasafish (www.Madasafish.com) - both of which provide services to your postcode.

If it’s just a simple case of reactivating the disconnected line, you might be able to get this done for free, however, if an engineer needs to visit your property you will be charged.

BT currently charges £122.50 to install a new line, with a 12 month contract attached for line rental, though it has said that this fee only applies when a technician has to be called out and that “most people find they don't have to pay this”.

Madasafish charge slightly less at £115 for a new line, and also charge less than BT for monthly line rental; £9.78 a month compared to BT’s £11.25 a month.

Bear in mind though, that if you take line rental from Madasafish, you will also have to take one of its broadband packages, while line rental from BT can be combined with other ISPs.

Broadband with line installation

Mobile broadband

If you really don’t want to pay to have a line installed, or to pay monthly line rental for your ADSL connection, then a mobile broadband package might be a good choice for you.

Currently only 3 Broadband (www.Three.co.uk) offers a full speed 3G mobile broadband connection in your area, while Virgin Media and Vodafone Broadband (www.Vodafone.co.uk) both offer slower 2G services.

3 offers a range of mobile broadband packages starting at £10 a month for a 1GB monthly download allowance on an 18 or 24 month contract - which won’t stretch very far. Or, for just £5 a month more, you can get a much better 15GB deal on a 24 month plan, or a total of £20 on an 18 month contract.

You can also get a rolling one month contract for £15 a month, with a 5GB allowance and mobile broadband dongles starting from just £9.99.

While a mobile broadband contract can help you save £135 a year on home phone line rental, you do need to be aware of a few things.

As with all broadband connections, your advertised top speed won’t be the speed you actually get. Recent research has shown that average mobile broadband speeds are actually just under 1Mb.

Also, if you want to download or upload a lot of pictures and watch TV catch-up services like the BBC iPlayer and Channel 4’s 4oD then you will need to keep an eye on your download allowance, as exceeding it can soon become costly.

You can install our free Broadband Download Monitor to make sure you don’t go over your limit.

Compare broadband providers

Although your options are limited by a lack of LLU and limited mobile broadband services in your area, there are still more than 50 packages available where you live.

Use our free Postcode checker to find out exactly what’s available.

NB Best buy tables are always current.

Examples in the text of the article are correct at time of publication.

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

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