EE fibre broadband - have I done right thing?

Dollardog

Since going on the Internet I was with Freeserve, which changed to Wanadoo, then Orange now EE.
I've only had the basic broadband package and my phone line rental has always been with BT, I was looking a while ago at changing the broadband to PlusNet but looked and it wasn't available at my postcode but have seen some bad postings lately so perhaps not a good idea anyway.
I've been so p'd off though with the slow connection on EE lately, and it seems to have got a lot worse in recent weeks, drastic measures need to be taken!! I watch I-player etc on my laptop but can't watch direct from website as it stops and starts all the time and even downloading now, it seems to do the same and download speed is ridiculous, again, stopping and starting then a program which keeps cutting off and has bits missing.
I got a call this morning offering me EE fibre broadband for £36.40 a month with free connection, anytime package and 1000 mins free calls to mobiles and abroad per month. This works out a lot cheaper than I am already paying - £10 EE for basic, £45 for BT, for what sounds like a lot faster service.
It is using a Brightbox 2 router which they said won a Which award. I have to say my experience of their first Brightbox was not good as I couldn't get it to work and ended up going back to my Livebox.


I just wondered what other people think of EE fibre broadband. What are your experiences of it?
It seems a minefield who to change to, plusnet has had some bad complaints recently and BT Infinity. I suppose that they are all as bad as the rest just wanted to hear the experiences of others.


I have a 14 day cooling off period anyway to have a think about it.


Thanks for reading.

espresso

No idea why you are paying BT £45 per month - not very MSE and that could easily be reduced!

What you have been offered at £36.40 is not a special offer - in fact if you look on their website here it would be cheaper.

Orange/EE or whatever they call themselves now, gave up on broadband provision and it is now simply a resold BT wholesale product.

Only you can decide if they are trying to rip you off by encouraging you to 'upgrade' to a more expensive product and get their sales commission!

JJ_Egan

Slow is that your wifi or a wired connection .

dgtazzman

We currently with Plusnet, but I would stay clear of anything that involves BT Open Reach after all we've been through the last 2 months.

They seem to have a huge shortage of engineers, fault resolution takes ages and there are scores and scores of complaints of engineers not showing up or appointments just being pushed back a week because an engineer is too busy or there is simply no engineer available.

I'd be inclined to stick to BT themselves, as they do seem to be able to press Open Reach harder than most. I won't recommend a certain provider as it would probably just be recommended the best of a bad bunch, just look at the online review websites. Zen internet does seem to come out better, but their prices aren't exactly the best.

kwikbreaks

dgtazzman wrote: »

I would stay clear of anything that involves BT Open Reach

That leaves Virgin Media cable and very little else. Anything delivered over a phone line (apart from in Hull) involves Openreach.

Dollardog

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Slow is that your wifi or a wired connection .

Wi Fi connetion

Dollardog

espresso wrote: »

No idea why you are paying BT £45 per month - not very MSE and that could easily be reduced!

What you have been offered at £36.40 is not a special offer - in fact if you look on their website here it would be cheaper.

Orange/EE or whatever they call themselves now, gave up on broadband provision and it is now simply a resold BT wholesale product.

Only you can decide if they are trying to rip you off by encouraging you to 'upgrade' to a more expensive product and get their sales commission!

Its not cheaper in that link, it works out more expensive, after the initial 6 months of half price, it goes to £31 +£15.40 per, plus its half price connection, £25 month, so that is 6 months @ £30.90 then 6 months @ £46.40 plus £25. I'm going to be paying £36.40 with no connection charge.


The only think I don't like about your post is where you say it is actually BT providing the broadband.

espresso

Dollardog wrote: »

Its not cheaper in that link, it works out more expensive, after the initial 6 months of half price, it goes to £31 +£15.40 per, plus its half price connection, £25 month, so that is 6 months @ £30.90 then 6 months @ £46.40 plus £25. I'm going to be paying £36.40 with no connection charge.


The only think I don't like about your post is where you say it is actually BT providing the broadband.

You will be committing to an 18 month minimum term contract.

BB package 36.4 x 18 mths = 655.2
line rental £15.40 x 18 mths = 277.2
Total = 932.4

or

BB package 10.50 for 6 mths = 63
21.50 for 12 mths = 258
half price connection 25
line rental £15.40 x 18 mths = 277.2
Total 623.2

You could save 184.8 - 132 = 52.8 by paying line rental upfront but you could have done this with BT so presumably you are not really trying to save on costs.

Your offer does not sound like a customer retention offer to me as £84 cashback is available for new customers taking an EE fibre package.

You are 'upgrading' for all the wrong reasons if your problem is your wireless connection. A fibre connection will make this even more noticeable, so you should resolve your wireless issues before considering any upgrade!

Yes EE fibre is provided by BT.

Dollardog

espresso wrote: »

You will be committing to an 18 month minimum term contract.

BB package 36.4 x 18 mths = 655.2
line rental £15.40 x 18 mths = 277.2
Total = 932.4

or

BB package 10.50 for 6 mths = 63
21.50 for 12 mths = 258
half price connection 25
line rental £15.40 x 18 mths = 277.2
Total 623.2

You could save 184.8 - 132 = 52.8 by paying line rental upfront but you could have done this with BT so presumably you are not really trying to save on costs.

Your offer does not sound like a customer retention offer to me as £84 cashback is available for new customers taking an EE fibre package.

You are 'upgrading' for all the wrong reasons if your problem is your wireless connection. A fibre connection will make this even more noticeable, so you should resolve your wireless issues before considering any upgrade!

Yes EE fibre is provided by BT.

Its the faster speed broadband they have offered which is normally £31 per month plus line rental of £15.40 for £36.40 per month including the line rental.
Where is he £84 cash back offer please? I'm not a new customer though so I don't think I could claim that, my broadband is already with them. They did say I could get it cheaper by paying the line rental upfront but I can't afford to do that so its not an option for me unfortunately.



Its actually both my wifi and wired connection that is slow, I just notice it more on wifi because that is what I use all the time.

I don't want Sky or Virgin, can't get PlusNet so not really a lot of choice, EE or Infinity or Post Office I suppose, but if they are all BT packages anyway, don't know which is best.

ripplyuk

espresso wrote: »

A fibre connection will make this even more noticeable, so you should resolve your wireless issues before considering any upgrade!

That's worrying me. Could you explain this espresso? I thought fibre would be better if your broadband speed has become slower.

Dollardog

Thanks espresso, I have just renegotiated with retentions and got a further £7 per month off.
Like ripplyuk above though, I thought fibre would be better as the guaranteed speed is faster so please can you explain why it won't be?


Is anyone else on EE fibre broadband? Is it any good?