Thinking of getting fibre-optic but...

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BigBoss
BigBoss Posts: 170 Forumite
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edited 30 April 2015 at 11:50AM in Broadband & internet access
Is there any way to circumvent the silly activation fee or line rental?

Why on earth do you need line rental for cable broadband?

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  • kwikbreaks
    kwikbreaks Posts: 9,187 Forumite
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    Assuming FTTC fibre..

    Activation charge because an Openreach engineer has to connect up the line.

    Line rental because it is delivered over Openreach owned infrastructure from the exchane to you house - fibre to the cabinet and copper from there to your home.

    As Openreach are not a charity they charge for both the connection and use of their line.

    If you go instead to Vigrin media cable (also called fibre) you don't need to take the phone service but their pricing makes the saving tiny.

    By using a cashback site and checking who charges what for installation and line rental you can offset and minimise those charges.
  • BigBoss
    BigBoss Posts: 170 Forumite
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    Excellent thanks.

    I live in an area where there's no Virgin, so I can't use them.
  • littleboo
    littleboo Posts: 1,500 Forumite
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    deleted...
  • BigBoss
    BigBoss Posts: 170 Forumite
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    littleboo wrote: »
    deleted...

    What did you write?
  • MataNui
    MataNui Posts: 1,075 Forumite
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    There is currently no activation charge for Sky (if you have sky tv).
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,098 Forumite
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    edited 30 April 2015 at 3:12PM
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    It's not a cable service. It's FTTC, fibre to the cabinet. Then good old fashioned copper to your home.
    Everyone pays line rental, it's just that VM roll it into the overall pricing structure as pointed out above.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • ChiefGrasscutter
    ChiefGrasscutter Posts: 2,112 Forumite
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    BigBoss wrote: »
    Is there any way to circumvent the silly activation fee or line rental?

    Why on earth do you need line rental for cable broadband?

    ...and if you were lucky enough to live in an area which really does have true FTTP to your house - ie where the fibre really does come into your hallway, then its exactly the same.
    You will both pay an activation fee on the fibre and the montly fee will incorporate a fibre rental/fibre line maintenance component/capital expenditure return as well.
  • fishybusiness
    fishybusiness Posts: 1,263 Forumite
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    Is there any way to circumvent the silly activation fee or line rental?

    Aquiss........

    Cheaper Line rental too.
  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511 Forumite
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    Sky no activation fee and the possibility of a reduced line rental offer too as well as the current special offer on the fibre monthly fee.
    I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole

    MSE Florida wedding .....no problem
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