UK Broadband information and advice

Details on UK Broadband, and a look at what the UK Broadband providers have to offer

What is Broadband?

A broadband connection (ADSL) provides high-speed Internet access over a standard phone line. The advantage of a broadband connection over the older dialup service, is that Broadband is considerably faster, and is 'always-on', meaning that once you're logged on, your PC is online until the PC is turned off again.

Broadband offers high-speed Internet access and allows telephone calls and a permanent Internet connection to share a single phone line simultaneously.

What do I need?

Broadband coverage in your area. Each broadband provider allows you to enter your phone number or postcode to check availability. A basic test is done on your line, and when you sign up, a more comprehensive test is carried out.
A Broadband (ADSL) modem or router. These cost from around £50 (PC World) - although many Internet providers, including BT Broadband, provide you with a free router when you first sign up to their service. If it's offered, try to get a free wireless router with your Broadband package.
Microfilters. When Broadband is enabled, the broadband signal is available via any extension socket in your home as well as the main point. You'll need to use a filter to cut out the Broadband "crackle". You need a filter on every phone socket that has something plugged into it - this includes phone handsets, fax machines and your Sky box.

Check your likely download speed:

To get a feel, try a check with BT first... enter your phone number and postcode at the speedchecker: bt.com/btbroadband - then, check some of the other providers to find the best deal.

UK Broadband Internet Providers compared

Below is a comparison of the major Broadband suppliers in the UK:

	Package	Available nationally	Download speed (up to)	Monthly payment²	Phone support call rates	No. free security features	Usage guide³
BT Total Broadband	Option 1		20Mb	£15.65	Local	8	5Gb
	Option 2		20Mb	£20.99	Local	11	8Gb
	Option 3		20Mb	£24.99	Local	11	Fair usage policy⁴
AOL	Wireless		8Mb	£14.99	National	8	10Gb
AOL	Wireless+		8Mb	£19.99	National	8	40Gb
Tiscali	Broadband		8Mb	£14.99	National	1	Fair usage policy⁴
Orange Broadband	Starter		2Mb	£10	50ppm	4	6Gb
	Select	⁵	8Mb	£20	National	4	Fair usage policy⁴
	Max	⁵	8Mb	£24	National	4	Fair usage policy⁴
Virgin Media	L		10Mb	£30	Local	5	Fair usage policy⁴
	XL		20Mb	£35	Local	5	Fair usage policy⁴
	XXL		50Mb	£50	Local	5	Fair usage policy⁴

Notes: 1. Calls charged at 0845 rates (up to 4p per minute on the BT Network). Mobile and other network costs (non-BT telephony provider costs) may vary. 2. Standard subscription price per month. 3. This is the total amount of data you can download (receiving emails, web pages and files) or upload (sending email and files) through your broadband connection each month. 4. A Fair Usage Policy applies to prevent over use of the service. 5. 8Mb cannot be offered UK wide although lower speeds should be possible.

	BT Total Broadband - BT offer three packages with speeds of up to 20 Meg. BT has the largest Broadband infrastructure in the UK. Special offers: BT are offering a range of extras to encourage people to make the switch to Broadband. Currently they're offering: Free wireless modem - Get a BT Home Hub for wi-fi access in your home. BT Vision TV - Hard-disk recorder and access to on-demand content on your telly (BT Vision details) Free wi-fi - Inclusive Wi-fi minutes from BT Openzone and BT Fon wifi hotspots Free storage - Back up your important files to a secure website with Digital Vault Free security - Norton PC antivirus & firewall software on most packages Mobile Broadband dongle - Optional BT Mobile Broadband Free Technical Support - 24/7 0800 support number BT offers the following Broadband options, all with speeds up to 20 Meg: Option 1 - £7.78 for the first three months. 10 Gig monthly transfer allowance. Includes free BT Home Hub, plus BT Vision. Option 2 - £13.69 for the first three month. 20 Gig monthly transfer allowance. Includes virus checker, a free wi-fi BT Home Hub, plus BT Vision. Option 3 - £18.59 for the first three months. Unlimited monthly transfer allowance. Includes virus checker, a free wi-fi BT Home Hub, plus BT Vision. Anywhere - £23.48 for the first three months. Unlimited monthly transfer allowance. The top-of-the-range package. Everything included, plus a BT ToGo handset - this is a powerful smartphone that uses Wi-fi or the mobile phone network for surfing, emailing and PDA functionality. More on BT ToGo. More details at www.bt.com/btbroadband
Sky Broadband	FREE: Free Broadband from Satellite TV firm Sky Digital Sky Broadband has three packages: Base: Free Broadband for Sky customers - Speeds up to 2 Meg. Everyday: Up to 10 Meg Broadband - £5 a month Unlimited: Up to 20 Meg for £10 a month - NO fair use policy! All packages come with a free wireless router To get Internet at these prices, you need to get your digital TV from Sky, and to be signed up to Sky Talk, the home phone service. Sky Talk offers free evening and weekend calls, and you can keep your existing line and number. For full details of Sky's Broadband service, see our Sky Broadband Info page, or go to packages.sky.com/surf
	TOP DEAL: Tired of paying a fortune for your Broadband? Switch to Plus.net - £5.99 for their basic broadband serfvice. You don't get all the bells and whistles such as a digital TV service, but if you just need a low-priced broadband service, then this is for you. 10 Gig a month allowance, speeds of up to 8 Meg, from £5.99 a month with free setup. 80% of the UK can get Plus.net - Can you? Check at www.plus.net.
	FASTEST: Virgin Media is the UK's cable Internet provider, taking over from Telewest and NTL cable. As well as offering a cable Internet service, they also offer Internet to customers outside their cable coverage area. Here's a summary of what Virgin offers: Size: M: Up to 10 Meg download speed, with no download limit - £5 a month for the first 3 months, with Virgin Phone Size: L: Up to 20 Meg download speed, with no download limit - £10 a month for the first 6 months, with Virgin Phone Size: XL: Up to 50 Meg download speed, with no download limit - £28 a month with Virgin Phone Virgin Media's Broadband services include: Free Broadband modem Free Internet security No download limits (Acceptable Usage Policy applies) 15 Virgin email addresses Virgin Media also offers digital TV, home phone and mobile phone - signing up for a package can bring great savings For more details, go to www.virginmedia.com.
	Be Broadband is not the most well known name, but they have a great selling point - Speeds of up to 24 Meg. The number of exchanges supporting Be Broadband is growing (slowly). Prices to join the Broadband revolution start from £14 a month for lightening fast Broadband. Check if Be is available in your area at www.bethere.co.uk.
	Former favourite of ours, Tiscali offers a simple Broadband package: Speeds of up to 8 Mbps. Unlimited monthly download - £14.99 a month - Special: £6.49 for the first 3 months Includes free connection and a free modem. A digital TV service is also available from Tiscali. See our Tiscali page or www.tiscali.co.uk for more information.

Broadband comparison tool

Below is a beta version of a Broadband comparison tool. Enter either your phone number or postcode to get a comparison of selected packages available in your area:

Installing Broadband

If you're looking to get Broadband, you'll need to be in an area of broadband coverage, have signed up with a company to give you Broadband, and have a Broadband modem.

Once you have signed up for your account, there's normally around a five day wait, while your provider makes the appropriate changes to your phone service at your local phone exchange. After that, you'll be switched on to Broadband. Here's a summary of what happens next:

If you don't have a Broadband modem, you'll hopefully have requested one - if you've gone with BT Broadband, you'll probably be sent a BT Home Hub (pictured). The modem will probably be posted or couriered to you.

Once you have your modem and it's your activation day, here's what you'll need to do to connected:

Start up the PC, and install the supplied software - it's the modem drivers for the Broadband modem
Plug the microfilter into the phone socket (you also need microfilters for other handsets/equipment in your house, as above)
Plug the modem's phone lead into the ADSL port of the filter
Plug the modem's USB lead into a spare USB port on the PC
From the Start menu, start up the supplied software, and enter the account details supplied by your broadband provider. You should just have a username and password - unlike a dialup account, there's no phone number

Summary of setup

PODCAST FEATURE: We looked closely at Broadband in Show 41 of our online tech radio show.
Listen to the show online, or download it to your Mp3 player.
Listen to Show 41 | What is FrequencyCast? | Add us to iTunes

Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question on Broadband in the UK? Check our Broadband FAQ

Broadband Links

Broadband FAQ - Your questions on broadband answered
Mobile Internet - How to get high-speed Internet on the move
USB Modems - Info on high-speed Broadband dongles for your laptop
Setting up Outlook email - Need help configuring Outlook mail? A basic guide
Dell computers - Information on ordering a Dell laptop or desktop
Broadband Compared - Generate a list of Broadband tariffs available where you live
ADSLGuide Speed check - Check the speed of your broadband connection
Broadband coverage - See what's going on at your local exchange
Wifi Webcam - Details of how to get a wireless webcam up and running
Voice over IP - Discussed in Show 8 of our podcast
Dial-up Internet - A page of information about UK dial-up ISPs

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