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Short term broadband options
Dear Michael, I need broadband and phone at home. The problem is I may be posted overseas in about four months so I don't want to commit to long plan with large penalties for breaking the contract. I don’t have a phone line at the moment but am happy to get one. What do you suggest?
Anthony, via email on 5 October 2009
Our Broadband Expert says...
There are a number of options available to you, though if you choose one of the landline packages on the market you will have to have a landline installed - and commit to at least a 12 month contract on that, even if you have a commitment-free broadband package.
Mobile broadband
Because of the costs and constraints of installing a landline, the best option for you, if you want a no-contract broadband package is to go for mobile broadband.
Almost every mobile broadband provider now offers a rolling one-month contract - many of which offer the same value as longer 18 or even 24 month plans.
For example, 3 Broadband (www.Three.co.uk) offers a 5GB monthly download allowance for £15 a month on a rolling monthly contract, while Orange Mobile Broadband (www.Orange.co.uk) has some of the cheapest data bundles on the market, allowing you to buy 1GB of data for just £5 going up to 10GB for £20.
Short contract mobile broadband
| 1GB (1month) | Small 500MB (1 month) | iPad Micro Sim - 10GB (1 month) | 2GB (30 days) | |||||
| Monthly charge | £10.21 | £12.50 | £15.00 | £15.00 | ||||
| Dongle/Laptop costs | £10.20 | £10.99 | £1.95 | £9.00 | ||||
| Usage limit | 1GB | 500MB | 10GB | 2GB | ||||
| Speed (up to) | 7.2Mb | 7.2Mb | 7.2Mb | 7.2Mb | ||||
| Minimum contract | 1 month | 1 month | 1 month | 1 month | ||||
| 1st year cost | £132.72 | £150.00 | £181.95 | £189.00 |
Download allowances
Although mobile broadband allows you to get online without the need for a landline, you do have to be careful about how much you download. Exceeding your monthly allowance can be very costly - with some provider such as O2 Mobile Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) charging as much as 19.6p per MB.
If possible, you should always buy extra data if you think you’re going to go over your allowance - it will be far cheaper than paying out of bundle charges.
Pay as you go mobile broadband
If you’re worried that you won’t be able to stay within the limits of your download allowance, you could try a pay as you go mobile broadband package.
On a pay as you go package, you can only use data if you’ve topped up - once you run out of credit you simply won’t be able to go online until you top up again, eliminating the risk of excess fees.
Mobile broadband coverage
No matter which type of contract you go for, you need to check the mobile broadband coverage in your area before signing up to your chosen provider. Each provider has a mobile network that will connect you to the internet, but this will be stronger in some areas and with some providers, so make sure you’ve done a postcode search before making a commitment.
Fixed-line broadband
There are a number of home broadband providers that offer short contracts or even no-contract broadband packages. However, you will need to have a landline in order to get one.
Be Broadband (www.BeThere.co.uk) offers a choice of three, nine or 12 month contracts on packages with speeds of up to 24Mb and very generous fair usage policies that allow you to download much more than you could with a mobile broadband connection.
Although it doesn’t advertise its packages as having no contract, Plusnet Broadband's (www.Plus.net) new flexible contracts allow customers just to pay for the cost of any hardware they received, rather than forcing them to pay the outstanding cost of their subscription.
| Supplier | Speed (up to) | Usage limit | Contract length | Monthly charge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited (12 months) | 16Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £22.00 | |
| Unlimited + Evening and Weekend Calls (12 months) | 16Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £23.00 | |
| Unlimited (3 months) | 16Mb | Unlimited | 3 months | £25.00 |
Landline installation
If you do opt for a home broadband connection you could be charged as much as £122.50 to have a line installed by BT Broadband (www.BT.com) - and then be tied into an 18 month contract for the ISP’s line rental at £11.25 a month too.
Other providers do offer cheaper landline installation, such as TalkTalk Broadband (www.TalkTalk.co.uk), which charges £59.99 - but again you’ll be tied to TalkTalk for 12 months.
This means that it would be far cheaper, and easier, to go for a mobile broadband deal - even if you have to cut down on your downloading for a few months.
Read more in our Complete guide to mobile broadband.
NB Best buy tables are always current.
Examples in the text of the article are correct at time of publication.
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