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Really Slow Broadband Speeds
Dear Michael, I have been with ToucanSurf for over two years and although my contract is up, I'm unsure of which provider is best for my needs.
At present I am only getting a 285Kb download speed and 157Kb upload speed (though I don’t know what this means).
It has never been any faster even after several calls to Toucan’s technical support. I have been told it is due to the distance from telephone exchange yet my neighbour has told me that he gets 8Mb with Orange.
I currently pay £14.99 a month for my broadband, £8.99 for Toucan line rental and have the Talk All You Can package for £3.75, so I pay a total of £22.73 a month - is this a good deal?
Val, via email
Our Broadband Expert says...
Hi Val. If you’re paying £14.99 a month for your broadband, then you’re actually paying for an up to 8Mb service, even though you’re only getting 285Kb and Toucan (www.Toucan.com) does actually offer a slightly cheaper 512Kb service for £13.99 a month.
Both download and upload speeds - the speeds with which you can take things from, and add them to, the internet - are affected by a number of factors including distance from the exchange, congestion on the lines and the type of hardware that you’re using.
Although your neighbour says that he is on an 8Mb package, he definitely won’t be getting 8Mb, as it’s almost impossible to achieve these advertised speeds. He can install our free speed tester to see what he’s really getting.
However, considering the very poor speed you’re achieving, I would definitely say that you should consider switching. By doing so, you’ll most likely be able to get a better deal as well as a faster connection.
TalkTalk (www.TalkTalk.co.uk) offers very competitive deals, with its “free broadband” offer, and you could get up to 8Mb broadband, line rental and very competitively priced phone calls - including inclusive international calls - for only £16.39 a month. Alternatively, if you’re in a cable area, Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com) offers some of the most reliable broadband connections in the market, and it’s currently upgrading all of its 4Mb customers up to 10Mb for free. Virgin Media’s L Broadband currently costs £8 a month for the first three months when taken with a phone line, £16 thereafter.
Super fast broadband
| Supplier | Speed (up to) | Usage limit | Contract length | Monthly charge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plusnet Value + Talk Evening & Weekend | 16Mb | 10GB | 12 months | £3.24 for 3 months £25 cashback Ends 6th June | Call Plusnet 0808 189 1376 |
| The All Rounder + Evening and Weekend calls (O2 mobile customers only) | 16Mb | Unlimited | 12 months | £6.25 for 12 months Half-price broadband Ends Soon | Call O2 on 0800 954 1408 |
| More Broadband and Calls | 16Mb | 40GB | 18 months | £9.00 (for 3 months)£25 Gift CardEnds soon | |
| TV Essential + Broadband and Anytime Calls | 16Mb | 10GB | 18 months | £17.00 Online Exclusive£25 Gift CardEnds soon |
Visit SamKnows.com and enter your postcode to find out just how far you are from the exchange and what type of speed you should expect, and then do a Postcode Search on BroadbandChoices.co.uk to see what deals are available in your area.
Take a quick broadband speed test
NB Best buy tables (orange background) are always current.
Examples in the text of the article (white background) are correct at time of publication.
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