Umm…is it a wine rack? 

Question One: Cheap Broadband – Too Good to be True?

Answer: Invariably, yes.

Why so?

Well, on the face of it, you’re entitled to believe you’ve picked up something of a bargain. Super fast broadband for under a tenner each month? Sounds like a great deal, particularly when you consider some ISPs charge up to three times that amount for what seem like relatively similar products, but…..

Question Two: Is ‘cheap’ a byword for ‘value’?

Answer: According to some I’m sure it is, but in broadband terms, not a chance.

When approaching the purchase of a broadband product, as either a newcomer to the game or a canny veteran about to switch, it’s important to focus not only on the cost of the package, but also how well that package suits your individual needs.

Opt for a cheap entry level package, sit watching i-player all day, then observe in horror as the escalating costs roll in, and wish you were on a more advanced package for just a little extra expense. It’s happened to the best of us, even me.

Question Three: What are the hidden costs I should be looking out for?

Here’s a rundown:

(1) Free laptops. Looks like a great concept on paper, but the mammoth contract lengths mean you could end up paying for your ‘free’ laptop numerous times. Choose a more tailored deal and you could buy yourself a higher spec laptop and still save money.

(2) Downloading beyond your set limit can be very costly, especially when you’re free roaming with a mobile broadband connection. Anything other than a bit of e-mailing and light surfing abroad is a huge no no. For instance, using your dongle in Spain with Vodafone will cost you an extra fiver a day, and for each Mb you use beyond the 15Mb limit, you’ll be charged another fiver. Incidentally, Skype and Instant Messenger aren’t included in the ‘fair usage’ policy, and to use these will cost you…that’s right….five pounds each. Costly isn’t it?

(3) Download penalties in the UK vary between £1.50 and £3.50 per extra GB.

(4) ISPs are often afforded the capacity to offer cheap deals because they connect customers to local loop unbundled networks (LLU). However, if you wish to migrate from an LLU, it may cost you a cease and re-provide cost of £60, or a £125 charge from BT to be reconnected to their service. Effectively, the savings you made are instantly wiped out.

(5) A number of ISPs charge up to 50p a minute for technical support. Thankfully, the BT group has seen sense, and now BT Broadband, Be* Broadband and O2 Broadband all offer free technical support.

(6) Connection and cancellation charges are an inevitability, but some are easier to stomach than others. Having your Sky broadband installed on a weekday rather than the weekend can save you £30! All you need to do is box clever.

(7) Some ISPs send you a free modem, and then charge you for the postage. Therefore, it’s not free. Check first.

Last Question: How do I monitor my downloading activity?

Easy, with the broadbandchoices free download monitor of course!