Best unlimited broadband deal?

BadlyDrawnGirl_2

We currently have a Sky phone and Internet package (mainly for the phone rates, since we have immediate family members in the States, France and New Zealand and we call them frequently) but every month our bill has been going up and up and yet our service has stayed the same, so because we're moving to a new house we're going to switch providers. We've sorted ourselves out with Skype for the moment, so our big concern is the Internet connection.

Since we don't have television, our only source of entertainment is BBC iPlayer and World of Warcraft (yes, we both play - it's a cheap way of keeping us from spending loads down the pub every night). So we really do need a broadband connection which doesn't have a ridiculously low bandwidth limit.

I'm used to providers in the States where basically every Internet plan is unlimited, so I really don't have a clue where to start looking. Are there any providers which give you uncapped bandwidth for a FAIRLY reasonable price? (If it makes any difference, we're in Wales.)

Cheers!

kwikbreaks

O2 LLU if you can get it. Check here - http://www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php

If not what other LLU options are available?

BTw based product will always either have high contention, low download caps, or be expensive because BTw charges are exorbitant. Some have all 3 "features" (e.g. BT themselves).

As an aside you'll still need a TV licence.

BadlyDrawnGirl_2

kwikbreaks wrote: »

As an aside you'll still need a TV licence.

Why? We don't watch any live TV.

As for LLU, according to the site you posted it is available within our postcode. I've never heard of it though (and I'm fairly tech-savvy)! What is it?

kwikbreaks

To get broadband there has to be some equipment added at the exchange. BT installed their kit in just about every exchange in the country but to avoid creating a total monopoly they had to allow other operators to install their own equipment in the BT exchanges. This is called Local Loop Unbundling because the wiring from the exchange to customer premises is known as the Local Loop and unbundling because err.. well because.

Whether or not any operators bother to install their kit depends on whether they think they can get a reasonable return on their outlay. As many smaller exchanges wouldn't have enough potential customers for BT + all the other operators to make any money they may only have BT or possibly BT + one other operator.

The reason LLU is important is because BTw have installed kit all over the place including lots of financially non-viable exchanges (or maybe just because they are greedy !!!!!!s) they charge reseller ISPs a shedload of money for the bandwidth used to connect customers back to the ISP so those ISPs will either cram on lots of users to a limited bandwidth pipe or will severely limit how much they can download. BT are slowly changing over to newer kit but their pricing isn't significantly different from the initial set up of one 622Mbps pipe costing over £1m a year to the ISP.

LLU operators arrange their own backhaul from the exchange to themselves and that is vastly cheaper so they can be more relaxed over what bandwidth their customers use. Or just make a lot fatter profit in the case of many.

On the TV licence front - you'll start getting snotty letters about your premises being unlicenced and eventually a visit from one of their bods to check. The letters say that just having the ability to receice the BBC via iPlayer means you must have a licence. I know because I got loads of them and abortive visits while my house was empty apart from the builders. I would have told them the situation if their letters were not so rude but I decided to let them keep coming and getting no reply. They have no right of entry you see.

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I just checked their website and it says so long as you don't watch it live you don't need a licence. That isn't what it said in the letters????

BadlyDrawnGirl_2

Thanks for the explanation. I just read up a bit about it myself and it seems to just be the last mile or so of cable from the exchange to the person's house being resold by third-party providers which gives them more control over the pricing structure. O2 definitely seems to be the cheapest package, though most of their quotes are for "existing O2 customers" - is it worth it for us to switch over to their mobile service? Currently we just have a pay as you go Vodafone SIM card.

And as for the TV license, they can send us letters until they're blue in the face - we know our legal rights and as long as we don't watch live TV we are fully within them.

kwikbreaks

With O2 for the £5 discount you have to top up a PAYG phone with at least £10 within 3 months of the bill. I believe it is quite easy as they remind you by text but I just got my with a £10 sim only contract to replace the vodafone one she had - that way I can't forget.

I had a bit more of a read on their site and I probably got the wrong end of the stick from their letters which I didn't read over carefully as I knew I didn't need a licence there. The letters only gave the options to write or call an 0845 number too but I see you can declare you don't need a licence on http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/what-if-a-tv-licence-is-not-needed-top12/ It was mostly their aggressive tone that made me decide to let them waste their time and money though until I eventually swapped my licence over when we moved in.

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Nearly forgot - there is usually a substantial cashback on offer through Quidco for signing up plus free months - I got 3 months free + £70 but I think it has been even more generous sometimes.