Leaving TalkTalk... Alternatives: NOW Broadband, Onestream, Vodafone, Shell Energy?

james00744

Current price: Over £37 a month

Speed: Approx 38mb/s

I used to pay around £23 so a big increase in just a few years.

I read on a recent thread that people have found NOW Broadband to be good... £22.42 a month with speeds of around 63mb - I won't get that, but will surely get faster than 38?

However, CityFibre were recently on my road (moved on about 3-4 weeks ago), so I wonder whether I should wait it out? I live in a block of flats, so does it need to be connected to every flat, or just the building? When I check it says the landlord hasn't yet given permission.

400ixl

Why do you believe you will get higher speeds with Now Broadband (or any of the other FTTC ones you listed? All use the OpenReach infrastructure so will very much likely both give the same speed. At 38mbps you could sacrifice a very small amount that you won't notice and get a 34mbps which can be a few £ a month cheaper.

Have you actually checked the Now will provide to your address. Last time I looked they showed up on the comparison sites, but when I went to their site and did a check they wouldn't do the service.

CityFibre will be FTTP and will have higher speeds, likely for a higher cost and will take you off of the shared network and onto a private network. Have you checked when Openreach are likely to upgrade your exchange?

james00744

Have you checked when Openreach are likely to upgrade your exchange?

Where do I find this out? Their website just says "Not yet available"

400ixl

https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/where-when-building-ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband will give an idea if it is planned in the next 12 months.

moneysaver1978

As you live in a block of flats, is the telephone line connected directly to each flat or do they all route from a single point within the block?

I ask because we used to live in a flat and the broadband was terrible - the freeholders hadn't provided permission in time for G.Network to install - annoyingly, our building was the only one with no fibre in the whole street! We switched to 4G mobile broadband and it made a huge difference for us. Switching suppliers (e.g. from TalkTalk to Now) probably won't make much of difference.

Might be worth checking if you can get a 5G mobile broadband service with the likes of Three or Vodafone. Then when/if CityFibre is available, it is a lot easier to switch.

james00744

moneysaver1978 said:

As you live in a block of flats, is the telephone line connected directly to each flat or do they all route from a single point within the block?

I ask because we used to live in a flat and the broadband was terrible - the freeholders hadn't provided permission in time for G.Network to install - annoyingly, our building was the only one with no fibre in the whole street! We switched to 4G mobile broadband and it made a huge difference for us. Switching suppliers (e.g. from TalkTalk to Now) probably won't make much of difference.

Might be worth checking if you can get a 5G mobile broadband service with the likes of Three or Vodafone. Then when/if CityFibre is available, it is a lot easier to switch.

Pretty sure they route from a single point downstairs. It certainly does with the TV as sometimes when someone is in checking something, the Sky goes off until they have finished.

james00744

400ixl said:

https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/where-when-building-ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband will give an idea if it is planned in the next 12 months.

After entering the postcode it just says I'm connected to the exchange. If I go to the fibre checker it says "Not yet available"

HaroldWhistler

As someone mentioned above, until Full Fibre (FTTP or FTTH) comes to the property/area from any provider (using any underlying network like Openreach, Hyperoptic, CityFibre etc etc), your best bet might be to opt for 4G Mobile Broadband by way of a Mifi device (usually around £40-50 on Amazon) or Router (with an input slot for a SIM) and getting an Unlimited Data SIM card from a network provider with a good signal in your area. The SIM card can be on a shorter contract as well, perhaps even 30 day rolling with more price competition than FTTC broadband. 

With a good signal, your speeds would likely be comparable with those received currently. It would also give you maximum flexibility to join a new Full Fibre package when it does come (from anybody), rather than getting stuck in a contract (with potential CPI increases as well) for FTTC broadband.