Six Steps To Cheaper Broadband

A recent report suggests UK broadband is more expensive than most. Read our six quick tips to getting the best broadband deal.

If you want dirt cheap broadband then Scandinavia is the place to be. Sweden, to be a little more precise.

A recent OECD report looked at the price of entry level broadband in 30 countries and found that almost half enjoyed such a service for £10 or less a month. Sweden was the cheapest, costing a little over £5 a month. Denmark and Switzerland came a close second and third.

As you might expect, the UK didn't fare that well. We came in at around £15 a month, placing us at number 19 out of 30. Spare a thought for surfers in Mexico though. They came in last place, with a cost of £26 per month.

However, we can take a little comfort from the fact that the same report found we're paying less than average for both fixed and mobile phone services. Taken together at least, rip off Britain doesn't seem to apply to telecoms.

Blame it on BT?

Much of the blame for the UK's expensive broadband and low download speeds is usually laid at BT's feet. It's been slow to upgrade its network to ADSL 2+, which will raise the maximum download speed for most people from 8Mbps to 24Mbps.

Encouragingly, an article in the Financial Times today suggested that BT was looking to install fibre optic cables in towns and cities that could offer speeds of up to 50Mbps. The high cost of this investment could be a stumbling block however.

While we're waiting for these super-whizzy connections, we can make sure we're getting the best deal on our current broadband package. As well as price, here are six areas to consider:

1. Look at a combined deal

Many of the cheapest deals at the moment are those that offer a combination of home phone and broadband. Some deals roll in mobile and digital TV as well. The only downside is that analysing several services side by side can make it difficult to compare prices. Watch out for initial discounts and extras like connection fees.

2. Contract length

Typically you'll be asked to sign up for either 12 or 18 months. As you might expect, the cheaper deals often tie you in for those extra six months. There are also a couple of offers with 24 month contracts at the moment which give you a free laptop. See PC World and Carphone Warehouse for full details. How long these offers will last is unclear as they do seem a little on the generous side!

3. Speed

Broadband speed is measured in megabits per second (usually shortened to Mbps or Meg). I get by with 2Mbps connection but I'm not an online gamer and I tend not to download much in the way of audio or video files. If you're into these things, you'll probably want at least 8Mbps.

4. Download limits

The cheapest packages tend to have download limits, usually expressed in gigabytes per month (GB). Go over this limit and you'll be smacked with painful additional charges. I've got an unlimited deal, although I checked my usage recently and found I only tend to use 3 or 4 GB most months. Note that most unlimited packages still have fair usage clauses in the small print.

5. Stick or switch

If you've had broadband for a while, check to see if you're on the best deal that your current provider is offering. I've been upgraded a couple of times, but I've usually had to request to be moved rather than getting the latest offer automatically.

If you do decide to change to another broadband provider, rule changes which took effect this February mean this process is now a lot easier. With a few exceptions, providers are now obliged to provide you with a migration authorisation code (MAC). You give this to your new provider so that downtime between your old and new service should only be a few hours.

6. The customer service conundrum

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. I always think customer service is tricky to judge for a service like broadband. People seem to have no problems or an absolute nightmare, with not much in the way of middle ground. If you want to get the views of the Fool community on this area, try our Broadband and Internet services discussion board.

More: Switching Broadband Made Easier