Broadband no landline

Our Broadband Expert says...

Because the vast majority of broadband providers use the UK’s copper wire network to get you connected to the internet, you almost always need a phone line.

With copper wire connections - also known as ADSL - your broadband is delivered via your phone line, so even if you don’t actually use it to make calls, you are essentially still using your landline and will have to pay up accordingly.

Cable broadband

But there is an alternative in the form of Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) cable broadband.

Because it uses its own cable network rather than the copper wire lines managed by BT Openreach, Virgin Media is able to offer standalone broadband packages without a landline.

It also uses this advanced network to deliver some of the fastest and most reliable speeds in the country. It currently offers four different speeds:

• Up to 10Mb broadband
• Up to 30Mb broadband
• Up to 50Mb broadband
• Up to 100Mb broadband

But as well as offering the fastest advertised broadband speeds, Virgin Media also delivers on its promises. When telecoms regulator Ofcom tested broadband speeds in May 2011, Virgin Media customers were receiving an average 90-96% of their advertised speed - compared to ADSL customers who got less than half their advertised speed.

But standalone Virgin Media broadband packages aren’t cheap. The 10Mb service currently starts at £16 a month for three months, then £21 a month - and obviously, the faster packages will set you back more.

But in addition to the superfast broadband speeds, you'll also be able to save yourself around £166 a year by ditching your landline.

Virgin Media’s cable network isn’t available everywhere though; only around half the country has been cabled. So make sure you don’t confuse its cable service with its National Broadband packages, which use the copper wire network, aren’t as fast and do require a landline.

Cheapest landine line rental charges

If you don’t live in a cable area but want to minimise the dent that line rental makes in your wallet, switch to a cheap landline provider.

Suppliers like Primus Saver offer line rental for as little as £6.49 a month when you sign-up through Homephonechoices.co.uk. You can then add your ADSL broadband on top.

Or, if you're an O2 broadband (www.O2.co.uk) customer, you should think about switching your line rental too. It offers a landline-only package - without any unnecessary calls - for just £7.50 a month, and if you make sure you don’t even have a phone plugged in, you can guarantee you won’t run up any bills.

If you compare these prices against the £14.60 charged by BT broadband (www.BT.com), the UK’s biggest broadband and home phone provider, you can see just how much of a saving you can make by switching.

Rolling broadband contracts

If you want broadband without a landline because you want to avoid signing a 12 or 18-month line rental contract, you might want to consider a one-month contract.

Both Plusnet broadband (www.Plus.net) and O2 offer rolling broadband and landline contracts.

Mobile broadband (no need for landine)

If you really don’t want a landline - or for some reason can’t get one - then mobile broadband might be an option for you.

Because your dongle connects to the mobile network to get you online, you don’t need any sort of landline and can even surf the web while you're out and about.

However, you won’t get an unlimited download allowance and will have to keep an eye on your data to make sure you don’t go over your limit and end up with a big bill.

At present, Three mobile broadband (www.Three.co.uk) offers the most generous mobile broadband download allowance at 15GB a month - though this will cost you from £15.99 a month on a 24-month contract.

Most other packages offer far lower allowances of 3GB or 5GB a month - so you'll have to curb your downloads and resist a Doctor Who marathon on the BBC iPlayer.

You also need to check your coverage before you choose a mobile broadband provider and package; this will affect where you can use your dongle, the quality of your connection and the speeds you get. But because coverage can vary massively in different parts of the country, it’s important you run a mobile broadband postcode search before committing.

Although you can usually cancel your contract in the first week, fortnight or month if your coverage is really poor, you might want to consider a one-month or pay-as-you-go mobile broadband deal to get a taste of the service instead.

Compare more broadband providers at Broadbandchoices.co.uk.

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