Broadband & home phone

Broadband & home phone explained

Top broadband providers know that when you’re choosing a broadband connection for your home you want it to be practical and low maintenance. Because of this you’ll find that most internet service providers (ISPs) will offer you packages that combine broadband and a home phone connection.

You can get competitively priced home phone calls with excellent quality broadband in great package deals. Not only will you have just one monthly bill, but you’ll also benefit from excellent broadband and home phone extras such as free off-peak calls.

Broadband and home phone providers:

• BT broadband and home phone deals could tempt anyone looking to save money on calls when taking out a home broadband connection.
• TalkTalk broadband and home phone deals offer inclusive UK and international calls, with optional "boosts" or add-ons available to customers wishing to customise their connection.
• AOL Broadband broadband and home phone deals are available on one and 18 month contracts with inclusive calls at off-peak times as well as anytime call packages.
• Virgin Media broadband and home phone deals include free evening and weekend calls with selected packages. The company also specialises in digital TV and mobile deals.
• Post Office broadband and home phone deals can help drive down the costs of making calls by including line rental in their call plans.
• Sky broadband and home phone deals have a range of landline call packages in addition to their suite of digital TV bundles.
• Tiscali broadband and home phone deals incorporate weekend or anytime calls to the UK as well as a host of international locations.

In most cases, phone lines are owned by BT. This means that other ISPs pay BT for the right to provide you with their internet and phone connection through the BT network. Be careful, though, as some ISPs still require you to pay line rental to BT which bumps up the monthly cost. Other providers use free line rental as an incentive, so watch out for this if you are keen to lower your monthly outgoings.

Broadband and home phone packages:

With so many ISPs providing broadband and phone packages, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Many consumers prefer to stick with a company that they know, like the telecommunications giant BT. Choosing BT is often the most hassle-free option, particularly if BT is your existing home phone provider.

Moreover, BT provides very competitive deals, with free evening and weekend calls coming as standard even with BT’s cheapest packages.

Key features in home phone deals:

• Cost of landine rental
• Number of free minutes given each month
• Time when free calls apply (evening and weekends or anytime)
• How long are calls free for? First ten minutes or first hour? Know when to hang up
• Do you wish to make mobile and international calls from your landline? If so are discounts on these calls available with the home phone package you're looking at

Award-winning broadband & phone deals

TalkTalk led the pack in winning the award for best broadband and phone package in Top 10 Broadband's 2009 awards. To find out more about the awards and why TalkTalk took home this prize please see our best broadband and phone page.

Cheap broadband and phone deals from Tiscali and TalkTalk

There are plenty of other ISPs keen to get a piece of the pie and they provide similar deals for a low cost. If you’re looking to save money then check out ISPs such as Tiscali and TalkTalk. These companies offer competitive broadband speeds with generous download limits while keeping monthly costs down. The downside is that free off-peak calls are sometimes limited to a certain number of minutes per month on the cheaper packages.

However, TalkTalk has fewer restrictions and with their two broadband/phone packages. You can choose free off-peak or anytime minutes depending on your phone usage and how much you’re willing to spend each month. And, as they’re one of the cheapest ISPs on the market, you’re guaranteed that whichever package you choose you’ll be getting a great deal.

Is Price a key factor in your broadband decision? Compare the cheapest broadband packages here Cheap Broadband

Short contract home phone deals

Perhaps what you’re looking for in a broadband phone bundle is the freedom to use the internet and your phone without having to watch out for hidden costs. If so, your best bet is to go for an ISP like Plusnet, Orange or AOL Broadband.

All of these ISPs offer packages which include free anytime minutes with their broadband, so cheap chatting isn’t restricted to evenings and weekends. Additionally, Orange gives you the option of unlimited broadband usage, allowing you to access the internet whenever you like, for as long as you like.

Your contract with Plusnet or Orange will include a free modem; while Plusnet will also provide free connection and a free wireless router. With Orange’s Home Max package you’ll receive its state-of-the-art LiveBox Modem which is discreet and efficient, allowing you to make the most of using your home phone and broadband simultaneously.

In addition to this, Plusnet offers a one-month contract. This gives you the freedom to try its packages for a short time, so if for any reason you’re not satisfied you’re not tied into a year-long contract.

Compare all short contract broadband

Broadband, phone and TV (Virgin Media, Tiscali and Sky)

If you want to minimise the hassle of organising your home communication system, you may find that the broadband whizz kids Virgin Media, Tiscali or Sky are best suited to you. These ISPs provide high quality, efficient broadband and competitive deals on phone calls. Virgin Media for example offers free weekend calls as part of its cheaper packages. And if you upgrade to a Broadband Bundle, you’ll benefit from free evening calls as well.

Tiscali also offers impressive broadband, TV and home packages. However it's Sky and Virgin Media who really own this area. What makes Virgin Media and Sky unique are their 3-part communication packages which provide digital TV alongside the broadband and phone services. To find out more about this take a look at our Broadband and TV section.

Broadband phone combinations

Though home phone usage has fallen by the wayside to a great degree since the take-off of mobile phones, there are a number of ways in which using your home phone can save you money. If you regularly make international calls it is much cheaper to make calls from your home phone.

In a scenario where you are calling overseas for business or pleasure, TalkTalk's global talk phone broadband bundles are worth considering.

The majority of ISPs will supply you with your broadband via an ADSL connection. This means that you access the internet through your existing phone line, so it makes perfect sense to receive your home phone and broadband services from the same provider. Because of the wide availability of ASDL connections, you’ll be able to opt for this sort of broadband and home phone bundle package wherever you live in the UK.

For more information about what you need for an ADSL broadband connection check out our guide to ADSL broadband - What is ADSL Broadband?.

Compare all ADSL home broadband deals here ADSL broadband

Compare all broadband bundles here Broadband Bundles