Renting and 12 Month Superfast Broadband

physicsgirl

Hi, I have a couple of (potentially stupid) questions which I'm hoping someone might be kind enough to answer.

I'm moving out of my parents house into a new flat (:j but :eek: to the cost of renting) and wanting to get superfast broadband with unlimited downloads as we don't want a tv so will be Netflixing/iPlayering a fair amount.

1 - is it likely the landlord will let us get fibre optic cable installed? There's a BT line in currently, but I'm guessing no cable as it's a 92-year-old living there currently and for the last 13 years (though I could be wrong, don't want to be ageist)

2 - approximately how much could it cost us to get the cables installed and how long might it take from calling to having working broadband?

3 - do any of the providers offer 12 month contracts/might it be possible to negotiate a 12 month contract with them (our Tenancy contract is 12 months and we're more likely than not to be moving after the 12 months)

If it helps SamKnows says the following services are available in our location:

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)

Any advice welcomed!

vikingtraveller

i live in a rented flat and for the fibre broadband all they do is swap the main telephone box in your house (where you'd normally plug in a microfilter) to a new BTopenreach one with 2 sockets, one for the internet and one for the phoneline, they just setup your copper line to run via the green fibre cabinet on/near the road and thats that

i ordered sky fibre and had to wait a week for it to be installed

also usually with ISP's if you do move they can sort it out for you so you can have the internet in the place you move to, but may have to pay a charge for BT openreach to fit new fibre socket at new property if it doesn't have one



hope this helps

macman

Are you talking about VM cable service or BT-based FTTC? Both are available to you.
The former will require a new cable run to the property which the LL might object to (for example if paving has to be lifted and reinstated).
FTTC will not-the fibre run ends at the street cab. The existing BT copper line supplies the property as before.

Cycrow

you can jsut ask the landlord if they mind. Most arn't bothered about getting cable installed, as many tennants will make use of it anyways.

For the cost of installing, this would depend what you go for, sometimes they have special offers on and reduce the costs.

why are you only planning on living there for 12 months?

StuC75

contract length could be the stumbling point.. most are 18 months..

though virgin does have links to student 9 month deals (which revert to rolling 30days after that so dont lose it at the end).

Assuming you are then continuing to rent on your own after 12 months, then most should have some form of moving service - where they will transfer the service on to your next property - usually subject to fresh term being entered into?..

The problem there though would be if you went with virgin but moved to an area where they couldnt provide full service.

When you do sign up look out for the Quidco \ Other Cashback sites for what you could get - I recently signed for infinity and got £80 cashback and a sainsbury gift card on the way for a fair amount too!..

physicsgirl

macman wrote: »

Are you talking about VM cable service or BT-based FTTC? Both are available to you.
The former will require a new cable run to the property which the LL might object to (for example if paving has to be lifted and reinstated).
FTTC will not-the fibre run ends at the street cab. The existing BT copper line supplies the property as before.

I had no idea that was the difference between them, thanks for the info, so the landlord wouldn't have anything to object to if we went for BT fibre optic as it wouldn't be making any material change to the property?

physicsgirl

StuC75 wrote: »

contract length could be the stumbling point.. most are 18 months..

though virgin does have links to student 9 month deals (which revert to rolling 30days after that so dont lose it at the end).

Assuming you are then continuing to rent on your own after 12 months, then most should have some form of moving service - where they will transfer the service on to your next property - usually subject to fresh term being entered into?..

The problem there though would be if you went with virgin but moved to an area where they couldnt provide full service.

When you do sign up look out for the Quidco \ Other Cashback sites for what you could get - I recently signed for infinity and got £80 cashback and a sainsbury gift card on the way for a fair amount too!..

Yeah, all the one's I've seen are 18 months, and I've a friend who had to pay the last 6 months of a contract she couldn't use because Virgin didn't supply the area she moved to. I'm guessing London has pretty good coverage, but when I know there's a high chance of moving (BF has a job starting next Sept that could be based anywhere in London) it seems silly not to get a 12 month contract if possible.

Do they usually charge you to transfer the service to another property? Or is it just having to sign up for another 18 months?

I had no idea the 9 month student ones reverted to 30 day rolling, that's a distinct possibility, I'm guessing they'll be more expensive than 18 month ones though, plus I haven't seen any Quidco/TCB offers for them...

macman

physicsgirl wrote: »

I had no idea that was the difference between them, thanks for the info, so the landlord wouldn't have anything to object to if we went for BT fibre optic as it wouldn't be making any material change to the property?

Yes-but you'd have to confirm that with him/her. The only material change is the fitment of a fibre modem near the master socket. Which is not 'permanent'. I'd beware a BT package though, as the only one with minimum term of 12m is Infinity 1, which is capped at a lowly 40GB per month. All the other BT tariffs require an 18m minimum term.

princesslizzie

I'm having the same problem at the mo re rental contract for 12 months and internet!

StuC75

Look to be pennies different - not sure how they enforce \ check if signed up?

http://store.virginmedia.com/broadband/student-broadband/student-broadband.html

ability to move probably varies and probably depends if any work be needed at different property..

Cashback deals would just work through the standard links - virgin at the moment is upto £200 -- Assume you're familiar with how to use such sites?..

physicsgirl wrote: »

Yeah, all the one's I've seen are 18 months, and I've a friend who had to pay the last 6 months of a contract she couldn't use because Virgin didn't supply the area she moved to. I'm guessing London has pretty good coverage, but when I know there's a high chance of moving (BF has a job starting next Sept that could be based anywhere in London) it seems silly not to get a 12 month contract if possible.

Do they usually charge you to transfer the service to another property? Or is it just having to sign up for another 18 months?

I had no idea the 9 month student ones reverted to 30 day rolling, that's a distinct possibility, I'm guessing they'll be more expensive than 18 month ones though, plus I haven't seen any Quidco/TCB offers for them...

physicsgirl

princesslizzie wrote: »

I'm having the same problem at the mo re rental contract for 12 months and internet!

Can you get Sky in your area? I can't see anything about a 18month minimum contract length for their fibre optic, potentially a possibility.