Advice for UK Consumers

Internet Deals in the UK

A look at the best deals for Internet access, and a look at some options for website hosting in the UK.

Broadband Internet Service Providers

A broadband connection (ADSL) provides high-speed Internet access up to 120 times faster than the good old normal 56k modem that we were using in the 1990s.

Broadband enables both telephone calls and your permanent Internet connection to operate on the same phone line simultaneously. To get broadband, you need:

ADSL coverage in your area. Each broadband provider allows you to enter your phone number or postcode to check availability.
A Broadband (ADSL) modem. These cost around £50-£80. (PC World), but are supplied free by many providers.

UK Broadband Deals

Here's our look at some of the UK broadband Internet providers:

	BT Total Broadband - BT offers speeds of up to 16 Meg on all of their Broadband packages, and bundle a bunch of extras into their Broadband Internet packages, such as a free digital TV set-top box. BT's currently offering: Free Wi-fi modem - you can get a BT Home Hub for in-home wireless Internet access. BT Vision - Digital TV hard-disc recorder and access to on-demand content on your telly (BT Vision info) Free Wi-fi - Inclusive Wi-fi minutes from BT Wi-fi and BT Fon wifi access points Free calls - Free evening and weekend calls over Broadband Mobile Broadband - Optional Windows Smartphone or USB dongle Free technical support - Broadband help on an 0800 number Free security - Norton PC antivirus & firewall software on most packages BT offers the following Broadband options: Option 1 - £7 for the first three months for speeds up to 16 Meg. 10 Gig monthly transfer allowance. Includes BT Vision and a free wireless BT Home Hub. Option 2 - £7.50 for the first three months for speeds up to 16 Meg. 20 Gig monthly transfer allowance. Includes BT Vision and a free wireless BT Home Hub. Option 3 - £20 for the first three months for speeds up to 16 Meg. Unlimited monthly transfer allowance. Includes BT Vision and a free wireless BT Home Hub. More details at www.bt.com/btbroadband
	Virgin Media formed in February 2007, seeing Virgin.net, Telewest and NTL cable joining into one company. They offer three broadband options, all with no download restrictions: Size: M: Up to 30 Meg download speed, with no download limits - £7.25 for the first 6 months with Virgin Phone, then £14.50 a month - Details Size: L: Up to 60 Meg download speed, with no download limits - £9.25 for the first 6 months with Virgin Phone, then £18.50 a month. Size: XL: Up to 100 Meg download speed, with no monthly limit - £12.75 for the first 6 months with Virgin Phone, then £25.50 a month. Virgin Media's Broadband services include: Free Broadband modem 5 Gig of online storage Free Internet security No download limits (Acceptable Usage Policy applies) 15 Virgin email addresses You can also get digital TV, home phone and mobile phone - signing up for a package can bring great savings For more details, go to www.virginmedia.com.
Sky Broadband	Sky Digital entered the broadband marketplace in 2006, offering Free Broadband to subscribers of its satellite TV service. They're offering three packages: Inclusive 'lite' Broadband for Sky customers who get Sky Talk. Unlimited broadband also available for £10 a month with Sky Talk - NO fair use policy! Sky Broadband is supplied with a free wi-fi router. For full details of Sky's offering, go to sky.com/shop/broadband-talk
	Plusnet - Offering a no-frills Broadband service. Pay just £6.49 for up to 16Mbps, with a 10 Gig a month allowance. Straightforward service for those wanting a fast connection without paying a fortune each month. Plusnet is available to around 80% of the UK Awarded two "best customer service" awards in 2010 Check out the Plus.net offering at www.plus.net.

Dialup Internet Service Providers

Obviously broadband and fibre optic connections are the current trend for high-speed Internet access, but what about good old dial-up...

BT Yahoo (formerly BT Openworld / BTInternet): 150 hours a month of unmetered access via a freephone number. Payment of £15.99 a month payable by credit card or direct debit.

You can also opt for a pay-as-you-go scheme - setup is free, and you're charged by the minute that you're connected .

BT offers broadband access for less than £15 a month with free activation and a free modem. Take a look at the full BT Total Broadband tariffs.

Mobile Internet

You can now get high-speed Internet access without having to be connected to a fixed line. Here's how:

Smartphones - Devices such as the Apple iPhone and the wide range of Android OS handsets make mobile Internet connection a doddle
3G Dongles - USB memory sticks that plug into your laptop or netbook and give you Internet access over the 3G mobile phone network

For more, see Mobile Internet in the UK on our sister site, FileSaveAs

Domain names and web hosting

Names.co.uk offers a range of hosting packages, starting from £4.99 a month for a basic package. Their basic packages include free software and a large area of web storage space. Extras such as webstats are provided too.

Also of interest is their domain parking. If you're just looking to secure a domain name - perhaps you'd like firstname@surname.com as your email address, are thinking of creating a site soon and want to reserve a name, or you'd like a new webname to point to an existing website, then these can be bought for £9.99 for two years. Well worth checking out. Details at www.names.co.uk

1 & 1 Internet - Not recommended

If you're looking for a hosting provider - We advise you to stay clear of 1 & 1 Internet. They were favourites of ours... until they sent one of our team a totally unjustified debt collection letter for £10.45. Now, they've made it to our Beware page