The Cheapest Way To Read This Article!

Whether you use dial-up or broadband to connect to the internet, here's a look at the cheapest packages around.

For most of us, dial-up internet is a thing of the past, and that once noisy sound of your computer connecting to the web probably hasn't echoed through your house for years.

However, according to comparison site Broadband Choices, 1.48 million UK households still use dial-up to get online. And, while broadband continues to get cheaper for us consumers, this isn't necessarily the case for their dial-up counterparts, who are often left with uncompetitive deals.

For some, there is nothing to be done. Households located too far from an exchange won't be able to get the ADSL connection needed to get broadband.

Others aren't located in a 3G area, so are unable to use alternatives such as a dongle, and some just can't afford to pay for other alternatives like a satellite connection.

And some may only use the internet on occasion, but still want online access, with dial-up packages offering pay as you go options which may suit them. And of course, there are still many who are too lazy to shop around to find the best deals.

In any case, if you use dial-up, it's still important to get the best value out of your deal. Here are the best value dial-up packages available at the moment:

Source: Broadband Choices

As you can see, if your choices are limited, there's not much value to be had I'm afraid. However, you should decide whether you are an occasional user, or if you prefer to surf for slightly longer.

Bear in mind that BT charges 6p each time you connect to its dial-up service, so if you surf for more than an hour a day, then a fixed monthly plan may be better for you.

Of course, as I mentioned earlier, broadband packages are getting cheaper, and the difference between the cheapest dial-up (BT) and broadband service (TalkTalk) is a noteworthy £87.02 in the first year.

So if you are able to make the switch, it makes sense to do so. Here are the cheapest broadband packages currently available:

As you can see, TalkTalk is the cheapest of the five, offering 8Meg broadband plus a generous 40GB download limit for just £4.99 a month.

However, in order to qualify you have to switch your home phone line rental from BT to TalkTalk. If you don't fancy doing that, other options such as AOL and Orange will give you broadband without needing to switch your landline.

From the horse's mouth

If you are interested in getting broadband for the first time, or are considering switching your service, Broadband Choices has also just published its twice-yearly broadband customer satisfaction survey.

Out of 4,200 households interviewed, Sky broadband was the pick of the bunch, coming up trumps in all six of the satisfaction measures including quality and reliability, download time of files and web pages, and after sales support (though I have heard from some Fools that this isn't exactly stellar).

TalkTalk took second spot, and was noted as having one of the most improved services, with Virgin media taking third. BT came fifth in the survey.

The sky's the limit

Sky broadband starts from free for Sky TV customers subscribing to a package costing from £17 a month. This includes a 2GB download allowance and speeds of up to 2Mbps.

However, if you are considering Sky broadband, you would still need to fork out for phone line rental, which currently costs £10.50 a month (with paperless billing and payment by direct debit) with BT, or £10 if you choose Sky Talk line rental.

This means that the true cost of its basic option adds up to at least £27 a month, which includes one Sky TV mix and free evening and weekend calls. Other options for bypassing BT altogether can be found in this article, which looks at your potential savings if you cut BT out of the equation.

My own pick

One other broadband provider I'd personally recommend is O2 broadband. Although the sample of customers in the survey was too small to be included in the results, O2 scored a massive 94% for customer satisfaction compared to overall leader Sky's satisfaction rating of 86%.

O2's broadband starts from £12.50 for its standard 8 Meg package, or, if you're already an O2 customer costs £7.50 per month. This includes unlimited downloads, plus 100 free web texts per month.

However you currently get online, the most important thing to remember is to shop around. If you currently have a dial-up connection and are able to switch, it makes sense to do so unless you are the lightest of users.

As for the rest of us, there's no harm in looking around every 12 months to see if you're getting the best deal, as if you don't -- both you and your wallet could be losing out.

More: How To Switch Broadband More Easily / Save £203 A Year With A Dongle