Cheap broadband

Cheap broadband explained

Cheap broadband deals really couldn't get much cheaper. As the credit crunch shifts up a gear, belt-tightening and penny pinching are more important than ever before and internet service providers (ISPs) are responding with the cheapest broadband deals ever.

The cheapest broadband deals now start from free. Yes that's right, free broadband! From the cheapest broadband packages to the more expensive bigger bundle packs, many broadband packages now offer a free introductory period.

Competition for your business has never been so tough. So in order to make their broadband packages as attractive as possible in these hard times, ISPs have had to start offering some really cheap broadband packages, with loads of freebies thrown in for good measure.

Combat the credit crunch with budget broadband bundle offers

For those of us looking to cut back on our monthly bills, choosing a cheap broadband starter pack for less than £10 per month, could mean you get everything and leave you with more cash to spend on other things.

If you sign up to some broadband packages you may not have to pay a penny for as long as six months - though of course, you should remember you will have to pay at some point, so you may want to make sure you budget for this once you have to start paying for your broadband!

Some of the most appealing cheap broadband packages are those that give us great deals on something else on top of our broadband. Cheap broadband is increasingly becoming more about a whole home entertainment package, and ISPs have cottoned on to the fact that budget broadband deals are what we want. The cheapest broadband deals are the budget-boosting deals that allow us to save money on our other household utilities, and at the end of the day, that's what we we're all after.

Cheap Broadband gets you started

Taking out a cheap broadband package is great if you're not sure which package is right for you - particularly if you're new to broadband. It's good to know you can always upgrade from the cheapest package later on, whereas you may have to wait until the end of the contract to downgrade or in some cases pay a fee.

Some of the cheapest broadband deals on the market are basic or starter packs. These cheap broadband starter packs usually come with a free wireless router as well as free home phone calls. This means that cheap broadband can not only offer you a great monthly deal, but will also provide you with everything you need to get set up for broadband on a budget!

Benefits of cheap broadband

• Light users or browsers Some of us only want to use the internet at the weekends or in the evenings, just to check-in on our email inbox and maybe browse a few internet shops. Cheap broadband packages are a great way for light internet users to have access to emails and online shopping from under £5 per month.
• Beginners If you're just getting started with the internet and you're really not sure how much you're going to use it, it's really not worth signing up to an expensive long term contract. You may well find that you are a techy in the making and end up becoming a heavy internet user, but it definitely makes sense to sign up for a cheap package - you can always upgrade later! You will find cheap broadband starter packs for less than £5 per month.
• Students If you want to save your pennies for books or beers, then finding the cheapest broadband deal will be a top priority! Several of the top ISP's cater to your needs with cheap broadband deals designed to appeal to students' requirements. With dedicated student deals making broadband cheap as chips, why would you pay more?
• Modem owners If you already own a wireless modem, you can get a cheap broadband package and save money on hardware. UK Online allows you to use your existing modem or router at no extra cost! It does recommend that you use the Netgear wireless router, but you can buy this seperately to the cheap broadband package.

Top 10 Broadband Awards for value broadband in the UK

While we all want the cheapest broadband deal we can find, we like to know that the deal we have represents good value, in other words, we want to know that we have got a great deal because we are saving money AND getting a great product.

In our recent Top 10 Broadband Awards 2009 Plusnet stole the show and took away the prize for Best Value Home Broadband while TalkTalk took away 2008's Top 10 Broadband Awards for value broadband.

When awarding these prizes we decided that instead of rewarding the ISPs with the cheapest broadband deals, we would reward the ISPs that offer the best value to their customer. To make sure we gave the award to the right company, we looked at all the cheapest broadband packages on the market and took into account all extra costs and fees, including set-up charges. We also looked at entire first year cost and hardware costs.

Low cost broadband providers:

Cheap AOL Broadband deals

AOL's cheap broadband packages are great if you are just starting out with broadband. Its cheapest broadband package comes in at less than £5 per month and is great value for money. Even AOL's cheap broadband packages come with a free wireless router. And if you go for the Wireless Flexi Off-peak or Wireless Flexi Anytime options you will also get free off-peak or anytime phone calls thrown in.

AOL's cheapest broadband deal - for just £4.99 per month get:

• Up to 8Mb download speed (depending on line & location).
• A wireless router.
• Zero hassle set-up.
• Easy-install pack with step-by-step instructions.
• 2,500 experts to talk to for free-phone technical advice, 8am till midnight.
• No hidden charges.
• There’s no set up fee, just BT line rental required.

Cheap Virgin Media broadband deals

Though not available to everyone, Virgin Media's M cable broadband package is one of the cheapest broadband deals around. For less than £5 per month you get unlimited downloads, a connection of up to 20Mb, free weekend calls, modem and PC guard. You do have to pay £11.25 for your landline, though, so if you're looking to really save the pennies, it's possibly not the best cheap broadband package out there.

Virgin Media's cheapest broadband deal. £5 per month gets you:

• Up to 20Mb service.
• No download limits.
• PCguard2: Protect your PC with anti-virus, firewall & pop-up blocker.
• A modem to connect you to the internet.
• Help when you need it, online and on the phone.
• Wireless Router (one-off cost £40).

Cheap TalkTalk broadband

TalkTalk Essentials is a great deal, giving you a free wireless router, off-peak calls and inclusive broadband. Starting from just £6.99, you can add as many boosts as you want to your package from just £4 each in order to create a cheap broadband deal that's just right for you!

TalkTalk's cheapest broadband deal. £6.99 per month gets you:

• Up to 8Mb Broadband.
• 40Gb download limit.
• Unlimited inclusive evening and weekend calls.
• Free wireless router.

Cheap O2 broadband

Despite not always being the cheapest ISP out there, O2 has responded to the credit crunch with a really competitive cheap home broadband deal for O2 customers. O2's Standard deal comes in at just £7.34 per month if you're an existing O2 customer - great for those of us looking to make savings across the board.

O2's cheapest broadband deal - for £7.34 per month get:

• Up to 8Mb download speed (subject to location).
• Up to 1.3meg upload speed.
• McAfee security software.
• 100 free web texts per month.
• Up to 10 e-mail addresses.

Cheap BT broadband

BT offers some great credit crunch beating bundles that give you cheap broadband, TV and home phone.

BT's cheapest broadband deal. £7.78 per month gets you:

• Free BT Home Hub.
• Up to 20Mb download speed.
• Basic Security.
• 10GB monthly usage.
• 250 WiFi minutes each month.

Things to consider when buying cheap broadband

Something that seems like a great cheap broadband deal could actually turn out to be a false economy if it doesn't give you everything that you want. When signing up for a cheap broadband deal you should consider several things:

• Speed
• Download allowance
• Contract length

It is also worth checking whether there are any hidden costs that come with cheap broadband deals, some ISPs will make money from you by selling you a cheap broadband package then adding in extras at a cost, for example:

• Introductory periods: How long does the headline price last and what is the price when this finishes? It's worth bearing in mind that some of the cheapest broadband deals out there are half-price for the first three months and then will cost you twice the advertised price for the rest of the 12 or 24 month period. You should always check out any price conditions. At Top Broadband, we try to clearly label any price conditions on our comparison tables so you get a good idea of how much the deals will cost you in the long term.
• Excess usage costs: If you go beyond your monthly allocated allowance what price do you pay? The cheapest broadband packages are great value for the average internet user, if you know that you are a heavy internet user and that you are likely to repeatedly go over your download limit, it may well be worth investing a little more money to get a bigger download allowance than what's included in the cheapest broadband packages.
• Set-up charges: How much does it cost to set up your contract? Most ISPs don’t charge anything for set-up but it’s worth finding out, particularly if you are installing new hardware.
• Hardware costs: Do you have to pay for a router, and if you do, do you have to have router? You may already have a working router at home. If you do, it’s worth finding out if you can use it with your new plan, instead of paying for a new one. Delivery charges Make sure you find out about all delivery costs if you are going to have new broadband hardware sent to you in the post. Most of the major ISPs will send you everything you need for free, but it’s worth checking so you don’t get stung for P&P.

For more information on broadband charges, see our guide broadband charges

With the current economic climate forcing everyone to make cut-backs and savings, it could be well worth your while to switch to a new broadband provider. Finding the cheapest broadband deals is easy using the table above. As utility bills go sky-high and it's reassuring to know you can find a great cheap broadband deal to make savings without sacrifcing your connection!

Rather see cheap mobile broadband deals? You can compare cheap mobile broadband deals here: cheap mobile broadband