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Unlimited downloads with BT Broadband Option 3
Dear Michael, I am a BT Broadband Option 3 user.
BT advertise this service as “unlimited” but I have recently exceeded my fair usage allowance of 100GB a month. 100GB sounds a lot but as a family with multiple PC’s this is easily exceeded.
BT will limit my speed during the hours of 5.00pm am 12.00am for 30 days if I exceed 100GB download in a month. My family like to download and stream audio and HD content and BT's limit restricts our usage. If we download one HD film a day we will exceed their 100GB limit.
BT has recently announced that it will be rolling out 20Mb download speeds. However, their customer services department told me that they don’t intend to increase the fair usage policy.
Are there any Broadband providers that provide truly unlimited downloads?
Before committing to a contract I need to be sure that we will not be limited in our download capacity or speed.
Gary, via email on 22 July 2009
Our Broadband Expert says...
Dear Gary, there have been a lot of complaints surrounding the advertising of broadband packages as having “unlimited broadband” downloads, when the vast majority either have a set download allowance or a fair usage policy attached.
However, BT Broadband’s (www.BT.com) 100GB a month allowance is a very generous fair usage policy by most standards - with many providers offering less than half of this on an “unlimited” package.
While most people would struggle to download anywhere near 100GB a month, our internet habits are changing - with more people downloading HD content via the BBC iPlayer and other catch-up services, as well as legal movie download sites.
Truly unlimited broadband
There is currently only one broadband package that offers truly unlimited downloads and that is Sky Broadband (www.Sky.com) newly renamed Unlimited Broadband package.
| Supplier | Speed (up to) | Usage limit | Contract length | Monthly charge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband Unlimited + Talk Freetime (Existing Sky Customers) | 14Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £7.50 6 months free Ends Soon | Call Sky on 0844 241 1407 |
Following a recent speed upgrade, customers on Sky’s Unlimited package can enjoy speeds of up to 20Mb as well as truly unlimited downloads - with no cap and no fair usage policy.
However, you do need to be a Sky TV customer to sign up to its broadband service, and if you already download most of your movies and TV over the internet, this might simply be an unnecessary added cost.
Alternative broadband providers
Although all other broadband packages have either a set download limit or a fair usage policy attached, some ISPs are more generous than others.
Award-winning broadband provider O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) has a very generous fair usage policy that is rarely ever applied, and also offers discounts to its existing mobile phone customers - meaning that you can get download speeds of up to 20Mb, with uploads at up to 1.3Mb for less than £10 a month.
O2 won the BroadbandChoices.co.uk 2009 customer satisfaction awards.
| Supplier | Speed (up to) | Usage limit | Contract length | Monthly charge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The All Rounder (O2 mobile customers only) | 16Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £6.25 for 12 months Half-price broadband Ends Soon | Call O2 on 0800 954 1408 |
Be Broadband (www.BeThere.co.uk) is another great choice for heavy downloaders, as it was designed with online gamers and downloaders in mind. Be uses the same fast, reliable network as O2, and offers speeds of up to 24Mb, with uploads at 1.3Mb and 2.5Mb. Like O2, Be’s fair usage policy is very generous and has rarely been applied to customers, with the ISP promising an “unmetered, unrestricted” broadband service.
| Supplier | Speed (up to) | Usage limit | Contract length | Monthly charge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value (12 months) | 10Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £17.00 |
Download speeds
As you will know, the actual download speed you get will depend on a number of factors, and no matter which broadband provider you choose, you will never get your full advertised speed.
As well as factors like distance from the exchange and the quality of your line, issues like contention - how many other users share your line - and network traffic will also affect your download speed, thus affecting how much you will be able to download in a month.
This means that although you might not be limited by a fair usage policy, the amount you can download - or the time it takes to download a HD movie - might be reduced during peak times because so many other heavy downloaders are doing the same as you.
Use our free speed tester to see how fast your connection is running.
Monitor your downloads
While you look for a new package to Switch broadband provider, you can monitor your downloads to ensure that you don’t exceed your fair usage policy and have your speed throttled for the next 30 days.
Install our free Download Monitor to keep an eye on your downloads and make sure you stay within your limit. However, as you are using multiple computers you will need to install it on each and add up your usage.
Click here to Compare broadband providers, see a full list of what’s available where you live with a breakdown of first year costs, download limits, traffic management policies and any hidden costs.
NB Best buy tables are always current.
Examples in the text of the article 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
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