Ask Our Expert

Second line broadband

Our Broadband Expert says...

Having a large number of people online at the same time can really slow you down, so having an extra line is a good solution. We've looked into the different options available to you.

50Mb Broadband

However, before you have a second home phone line installed and sign up with another broadband provider, you should consider upgrading to Virgin Media's (www.Virginmedia.com) up to 50Mb XXL superfast broadband package, which could provide you with all the speed you need.

Line installation

Unlike cable broadband, which you can use without home phone line rental, you have to have a line installed to use ADSL broadband.

So if you're sure that you want to have a second, ADSL broadband connection in your home, then you will have to have a copper wire home phone line installed.

The cost of this varies depending on the provider that you choose, with most companies tying you into a 12 or even 18 month contract on their line rental - which will set you back around £11.25 a month if you pay by direct debit and take paperless billing.

If you already have a copper wire line in your home, which has just been cancelled, you might be able to have it reconnected without an engineer visiting your property - in which case you might not have to pay.

BT Broadband (www.BT.com) is one of the most widely used providers for line installations, though it charges £122.50 as standard and you will have to take BT’s line rental for the next 18 months.

Alternatively, Plusnet Broadband (www.Plus.net) offers slightly cheaper installation at £105, and TalkTalk Broadband (www.TalkTalk.co.uk) will currently install a new line for just £59.99.

If you don’t want to be tied to your new provider for at least the next 12 months, then Direct Save Telecom (www.Directsavetelecom.co.uk) - which offers no contract broadband - is a great option.

It offers line installation at just £ 79.95, with competitively priced home phone and broadband packages on a rolling 28 day contract, though you will also have to pay a set up fee of £29.95 on your broadband.

Cheap broadband

If it’s a cheap broadband package that you're after - in order to minimise the added costs on top of your existing Virgin Media broadband, then a local loop unbundled (LLU) provider will be able to offer you the best deal.

Plusnet offers the cheapest standalone broadband package on the market, from just £5.99 a month - though this does go up to £11.99 after the first three months if you live outside of its LLU network.

This Plusnet Value package is a great choice for anyone trying to keep costs down, with speeds of up to 8Mb and a 10GB download allowance - though you will have to keep an eye on this if you do a lot of downloading or if other people will be using the connection.

Alternatively, TalkTalk offers one of the best value broadband and home phone bundles on the market, with a 40GB download allowance as standard, plus unlimited evening and weekend UK landline, 0845 and 0870 calls as well as free local calls and inclusive line rental.

You can then add a selection of Boosts, costing from £2 a month to boost broadband speeds as fast as your line can go - currently up to 24Mb on copper wire ADSL lines, double your download allowance to 80G a month or add internet security for up to three computers.

Fast broadband

If you're more concerned about broadband speeds than costs, then O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) and Be Broadband (www.Bethere.co.uk) are two of the fastest ADSL providers on the market.

Although ADSL can’t compete with Virgin Media’s superfast cable network, the actual speeds that customers receive can vary widely, so it’s important to do your research before signing a long contract.

O2 has won a host of awards for its fast, reliable broadband service, which comes with speeds of either 8Mb or up to 20Mb and “unlimited broadband” downloads, subject to a fair usage policy - and even offers a 30 day money-back guarantee to ensure that its customers really are happy.

O2 also offers discounts to existing customers, which can bring the cost of its 20Mb Premium broadband package down to less than 20Mb a month.

Be, which is owned by O2, is also a superfast, very reliable ADSL broadband provider, offering speeds of up to 8Mb or 24Mb on its packages - the fastest that ADSL broadband can currently go.

Compare broadband

To make sure that you get the best deal on your second line and your ADSL broadband, you should compare broadband providers to find out exactly what’s available in your area, and read our customer reviews to see what other people think of their ISP.

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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