Confusion! – Which Broadband Only Deal Is The Best For Me?

When you mention broadband only deals it does not mean that you will not have a telephone line.  You can find suitable deals if you already have a landline and only require the broadband service.  This type of deal is not easy to find and may ultimately cost you more than opting for a deal which includes the telephone line.

Deals with ADSL Broadband Only

If you have an existing telephone line, you will probably be able to obtain an ADSL connection.  For example, if you currently have your telephone line with BT and you require an ADSL connection, you can contact Sky, Plusnet or O2, among others, to obtain an ADSL broadband connection.  In this case you will have to pay your telephone line rental and call costs to BT and your broadband connection cost to another provider.  This will more than likely not be a cost effective option as most of these providers offer you a special deal if you have both services with them.  You should do thorough research regarding the cost options involved in obtaining broadband only deals for ADSL connections.

If you want broadband only without a telephone line, then you will be limited to cable, satellite or mobile broadband.  There are pros and cons attached to all these options and you should ensure that you are fully aware of these before you make a final decision.

Cable Broadband Only

Virgin Media used to be the only top provider able to offer you broadband without the need for a telephone line.  However, many other major service providers now offer this service.  The fibre optic network that it offers is separated from the copper phone wires that ADSL connections require to connect you to the internet.  Cable broadband makes use of underground fibre optic cabling to provide you with an internet connection.  This cabling is normally installed along the road in front of your residence.  If you choose to use cable broadband, all that is required if it has not already been done, is for the cables to be extended to your house.  Virgin currently supplies more than half of the UK’s fibre optic broadband services; hence it is the forerunner in this section of the market.  Virgin’s cable network offers the fastest connection speeds in the UK, with speeds of up to 100Mbps, or sometimes higher.  It also offers an unlimited data allowance on all its cable deals.

For end users who are on a lower budget or who not have the requirement for speed, it offers slower connections.  You will not need to get a telephone line if you opt for fibre optic broadband and this is often a cost saving on its own.

Mobile Broadband – 3G

By opting for a strictly mobile broadband connection, you will not require a landline at all.  With the introduction of smart phones, most consumers have found that they no longer have a need for a landline.  The mobile phone packages that are available nowadays offer high level data allowance, along with free minutes and texts that suit most people’s needs.  This gives you the opportunity to do away with the cost of a landline.  The one problem with mobile broadband is that if you are a moderate or heavy internet user, you will require a higher data allowance level which will increase your cost.

Before you even consider this option, you should make sure that you find the provider who offers the best network coverage in your area.  You can do this by going online and running a mobile broadband coverage check for each service provider.  Once you have determined who the most suitable provider is, you should check the deals that they offer. 

There is a choice of different packages, such as:

·         Pay as you go deals

·         One month rolling contracts

·         12 month plans

·         18 month plans

·         24 month plans

Most of these deals offer between three and fifteen gigabytes of data per month.  With three gigs of allowance you can surf the internet for around 30 hours, download about 14 average length videos, download about 96 average length music tracks and send about 3000 basic emails.

If you opt for this type of broadband connection, you should make sure to stay within your data allowance limit as excessive use charges could be applied and these are extremely expensive.  Most service providers allow you to purchase additional data if you require it.

Mobile Broadband – 4G

The introduction of 4G mobile broadband has opened the door to an alternative to normal fixed line broadband connections.  The speeds that you are able to obtain on 4G are very similar to those obtained via copper wire broadband.  This will eliminate the need and extra cost of a landline.

The network coverage related to this service is currently limited and there is one provider.  With this limited competition in this market, the costs for 4G are still relatively high.

The Last Resort – Satellite Broadband

Satellite broadband should be a last resort as far as broadband only deals are concerned.  This type of connection is normally a last resort for people who live in remote areas.  They often fall outside the telephone network, have limited 3G connections, some of them have no 3G connection at all, hence their only recourse is to opt for satellite broadband.

This type of service is normally less reliable and slower than ADSL and cable broadband, however, it costs more.  It does however eliminate the need for a telephone line.  As far as satellite broadband is concerned, it is not always the actual connection that is expensive, but rather the extra costs such as installation that boosts the price. 

Once you have made a decision as to your exact requirements and whether you need a broadband connection, but you wish to eliminate the need for a telephone line, the choice of service provider should be quite simple.  If you already have a telephone line and you decide to get an ADSL connection, you will be well advised to check if the broadband only deals are really worth your while.  It is often cheaper to transfer your telephone to a suitable provider who offers you the best bundled deal.