Can you help me lower my telecoms bill?

Jolly_Roger

I pay too much for my telecoms bill, but can I really replace like with like at a better price?
I have a Virgin Media cable broadband link which costs me £31.75.
I have a BT line and limited calls package which costs £26.50. However, I have to have this type of telephone connection, because for work purposes I have to plug in a box that finds the cheapest international call tariffs, for which I am billed separately by another company.
Logically, I would bundle everything into the cable link, but, as explained, this is not possible. I have to be able to pick up the phone in my office and call anywhere in the world without having to worry about the cost of the call (hence the box).
I wouldn't mind paying the extra for the Virgin Media connection, but as well as using it for work, I also watch streamed sport (cricket, American football), but often find the signal throttled during busy periods. I'm supposed to get 30Mb, but most often get just 10Mb (sometimes much worse).
It strikes me that VM is just robbing me.
But is there a cheaper alternative that anybody can identify?
Thanks for your help.

gonzo127

go here and put in your BT land line details

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/broadband_checker

and let us know what it says of course not pasting your details (in this forum) should be something like this

The following services are available in your location:

• BT Wholesale ADSL
• BT Wholesale ADSL Max
• BT Wholesale WBC (21CN)
• AOL LLU
• TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
• Sky Broadband / Easynet LLU
• Orbital / VFast Wireless

Jolly_Roger

• BT Wholesale ADSL
• BT Wholesale ADSL Max
• BT Wholesale WBC (21CN)
• BT Wholesale SDSL
• BT FTTC
• AOL LLU
• O2 / Be LLU
• Bulldog LLU
• TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
• Sky Broadband / Easynet LLU
• Tiscali LLU
• Tiscali TV (via Tiscali LLU)
• Virgin Media (Cable)

Notmyrealname

Sign up to Sky Phone and Broadband LLU. No throttling.

Jolly_Roger

I'd rather have nothing to do with Sky, thank you!

baby_frogmella

I renewed my contract with TalkTalk with yesterday and negotiated on a new 12 month contract: £5.25 for Plus Package + £9.50 line rental = £14.75 per month which includes truly unlimited internet + unlimited UK landline/0870/0845 calls + line rental. No reason why you can't get the same as a new customer. Yes TT do have a bad reputation but its just their phone support which is pants, they have competent forum support and best of all, their broadband (LLU flavour) runs full speed 24/7

Jolly_Roger

Talk Talk in this area gives a vey poor service indeed and many people I know have recently ditched it. But thanks for the observation!

giraffe69

Talk Talk in this area gives a vey poor service indeed and many people I know have recently ditched it. But thanks for the observation!

So that's Sky and talk talk out then. Are we all queuing up to have any more suggestions shot down in flames?

santer_2

How does the box compare with sites like 18185 and 18866 etc

http://www.18185.co.uk/index2.php

http://www.call18866.co.uk/index2.php

Orange have their 30 international destinations included option

http://best-value-broadband.orange.co.uk/b/broadbandsignup/

gonzo127

ok first thing first,

why on earth does your BT landline cost so much?
as currently line rental is £14.60 a month (when paying monthly, cheaper paying year up front) and their unlimited anytime call package is £4.90 making it 'only' £19.50 and not the £26.50
of course you can add in the international call package for an extra £5.20 a month or the friends and family international for £1.05 but it still doesnt come to £26.50 and these add on could be silly if you use your box for international calls which might bypass the add ons and charge you for things that should be free. anyways might be worth checking out whats actually included in your bt package

secondly - BT infinity might be a good idea for your broadband, as it should give higher speeds than normal broadband (although in some instances it isnt that much faster if you are a long way from your street cabinate) but their headline package is doing upto 80mb down and upto 20mb up, it is also sold as unlimited with no traffic management on anything, other that P2P traffic, this is £26 a month (£20 for 3 months) and going through quidco gives £50 cashback. if you dont need unlimited they do a capped package (40gb a month) which is £18 a month (£9 for 3 months) of course both of these are cheaper than the current £32 a month for virgin.

otherwise although you said you would prefer not to have anything to do with Sky their offering is well priced with line rental at £12.50 a month, unlimited anytime calls to UK and 20 other international destinations for £5 a month extra and sky fibre unlimited (40:10 speeds and unlimited usage) for £20 a month giving the whole package for £37.50 a month, not including £75 cashback through quidco

kwikbreaks

Take a look at Vonage which runs fine on cable without ant phone lines at all. I have a UK only package - £5.99 for 2,000 UK minutes but they do international packages too. You could probably have a personal box and a work box if you wanted.