Broadband Advertising - Is it Clear and Transparent?

When it comes to broadband, the industry seems fairly simple.  All we need to consider, it would seem, are the speeds of the broadband, the allowances that we will get and the price.  The reality of the broadband industry is that it is a bit more complex.  The situation regarding misleading advertising has improved slightly, but it’s still far from clear and transparent compared to how it could and should be.  There are good companies such as Plusnet Broadband and Sky Deals, and then there are the “less good” companies that really do try and cover up all of their costs and hook you when you don’t read the fine print.

This article will look at some of the things that you should be aware of when it comes to comparing different broadband deals, to ensure that you get the best deal available for your particular circumstances.

It all Starts with your User Profile

It really is important that you understand your usage profile in order to get the best deals for you.  If you are looking at Sky Deals and already have Sky TV, it may be that you actually don’t need to pay out anything in addition to your existing expenses.  This is because SKY Deals include a Sky Broadband light package which offers 2GB of data per month at decent speed and at no additional costs. 2GB is a good allowance on a mobile phone and that will give you an idea of what you can do with it.

However, if you are looking for a lot more data and consume internet data on a regular basis through streaming of movies, multiplayer gaming, downloading large files and talking to friends overseas, it’s important that you get a much bigger data allowance.

Fair Usage Policies

When it comes to data allowances, though, you must consider the truth behind the package and not just the headline rate or limit.  Some companies will tell you that you have unlimited broadband, but then, in their fair usage policies, will dictate a certain limit as a cap that you should not use over.  For example, TalkTalk Broadband have packages that are labelled ‘unlimited’ but only allow 40GB of data per month.  In context, this means that you could download 7 or 8 high definition movies in a month and then run out of your data allowance and start getting into trouble with the provider.

The majority of providers do actually have some sort of fair usage policy.  Some are fairer, at 100GB per month, like Tesco Broadband, but any fair usage policy on an unlimited package is counter-intuitive and against the spirit and meaning of the phrase ‘unlimited broadband.’

It’s refreshing to find companies that don’t have such policies.  There are unlimited Sky Deals that are truly unlimited.  There are also offers from BT Internet, BE Broadband and a single offer at the top end of the range from Virgin Broadband that comply with what it says on the tin. 

Line Rental and Additional Costs

It’s important also to look at the additional costs that may be inherent in your package.  For example, Tesco advertise some extremely affordable offerings, but they do not include line rental on the bottom line.  It’s only when you see the asterisk and read the fine print that you realize that you have to fork out another £12 to £15 per month in order to actually get the connection.

Then there are all the other extras that may come into force, such as costs for delivery of routers with ADSL, itemised billing fees, additional fees for payments that are not made by direct debit and lots of very direct fees that really should be included in the headline rates.  As well as all these, there are lots of indirect costs.  For example, if you are on a limited package with certain download allowances, providers may charge you extra fees if you go over your data amount.  BT Internet starts to charge £5 for a 5GB above and beyond your package - this means you could pay an extra fiver just for watching another high definition movie.

Some of the other UK providers are also quite sneaky in their pricing of technical support.  If you phone their standard customer support numbers, you’ll be charged a very low rate or even nothing.  But then, when you want to talk to someone about technical issues with your router or connection, you may well be put through to a premium rate number that costs a fortune.

Watch out for all these things, or you could end up paying a lot more than you expect.  Understanding the different costs inherent in a package will help you compare like for like and ensure that you get through the minefield that is ‘broadband advertising’, and discover Sky Deals, BT Deals, Tesco Deals and deals from other companies that really do suit your purpose and that you are happy with.

Top Tip

When you are looking at Sky Deals or any other company offering, ensure that you check the speeds that you will actually get in your local area.  There are some very good services on companies such as uSwitch, which provide the opportunity for you to run a post code check and find actual speed test results of real people in your area.

This can be the best way to find the true connectivity speeds attainable on ADSL in your neighbourhood.  Without this information you are left to the mercy of the internet service providers, and what they state you “might” get.  Normally, internet service providers will be very non-committal in their estimations of the speeds that will be achieved in reality on your line.