Knowing which broadband provider is right for you is something
that is ultimately down to personal choice. But to give you an
idea, Simplifydigital's guide will look at the pros and cons for a
selection of broadband providers.
Broadband providers offer many different features with their
broadband packages. For instance, you could save money by taking a
broadband, home phone and digital TV bundle broadband package with
a provider like Virgin Media. Sometimes getting
bundle deals from broadband providers makes for cheap broadband as
the cost lowers with the more services you take. Some broadband
providers may offer free broadband with digital TV packages -
Sky Broadband currently offers this service.
Let's take a look at a selection of broadband providers and see
if they may or may not be right for you.
BE Broadband
Why Be Broadband may be right for you
* If you want a fast DSL broadband connection, you can't beat
BE's 24Mbps download speeds.
* All BE Broadband products come with a free wireless router,
unlimited usage and 24/7 technical support.
* The BE Unlimited package is great for heavy broadband users.
If you download a lot of movies or music, you will love BE's super
fast speeds of up to 24Mbps. This package comes with one static IP
address, which you will need if you want to run your own server, or
if you're into online gaming. This package costs under £20 a month
plus a one-off connection fee. There is no long term commitment, as
you can cancel at any time with 3 months' notice.
* If you're on a budget, consider BE Value. It
comes with speeds of up to 8Mbps, which is ample for everyday
browsing and checking your e-mail. You will have to sign a 12-month
contract, after which you can leave at any time with a month's
notice.
* If money's not a problem then BE Pro comes with the full
works. You get the same super-fast 24Mbps download speeds as with
Be Unlimited, plus up to 2.5Mbps upload speeds, twice the normal
speed. You get one static IP address at no extra charge with the
option to buy more.
To get BE broadband, you will need a BT line, the cost of which
is not included in the price.
Why BE Broadband may not be right for
you
* If you don't live in an unbundled area.
* Not everyone can get Be broadband. In
addition to having a BT landline, you need to live in an area that
has been 'unbundled'. It means that Be has set up its own
network. If you're unsure whether BE is available in your area,
give our expects a call.
* If you live far from the telephone exchange.
* While BE advertises download speeds of up to 24Mbps, most
people will not get that. The actual bandwidth depends on many
factors including the quality of the wiring and how far you live
from your local BT exchange. If you live 2km from the exchange, you
can expect to receive up to 15Mbps. If it's further, the speed will
be even slower. In that case you may be better off with cable
broadband from a supplier like Virgin Media.
Virgin Media
Why Virgin Media may be right for
you
* Virgin Media uses fibre optic cables - Virgin Media is able to
deliver ultra-fast broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps in the UK. The
ultra-fast broadband service is delivered over fibre optic cables
that can carry huge amounts of data and means you can enjoy a
brilliant broadband internet experience.
* Huge choice of broadband bundles.
* Virgin Media is the only provider that lets you watch
BBC iPlayer on your TV. So if you've missed your
favourite BBC show, you don't have to settle for watching it on a
computer monitor.
Why Virgin Media may not be right for
you
* If you don't watch much digital TV you may be better off going
with another provider who just supplies broadband packages.
Although the choice is ultimately up to you, in most cases Virgin
Media's bundles do save you money.
* UK Coverage - You won't have much choice in the matter if you
find out that Virgin Media is not in your area. Virgin Media is
normally only cabled into urban areas like towns and cities. So if
you live in a rural area you may not be able to get Virgin Media
cable. However Virgin Media offers the alternative Virgin Media
National service which uses ADSL. This means you could get the
broadband service from your landline. However you won't be able to
benefit from all of the services Virgin Media cable offers.
In conclusion
When you ask yourself the question "which broadband provider
is right for me?" you need to think of what you want from a
broadband provider. If you are a heavy internet user you may want
ultra-fast broadband from the likes of Virgin Media Broadband.
If you just want basic broadband and home phone services, you
may want to go with BE Broadband. You might even base your decision
on choosing BT for example, simply because you believe that they
have provided a reliable home phone service to you over the years.
Only you can make the decision, but if you need some more help,
then our broadband experts here at Simplifydigital are ready to
guide you through the maze of broadband providers.