Broadband provider recommendations please

Appealing the STW massive for some advice…

Up to now I’ve been paying through the nose for BT telephone and broadband. I’m moving house and I’ve just cancelled with them due to having to commit to 18months or pay exorbitant home moving fees. Plus their service is ropey and way overpriced, I’ve wanted to leave for a while and am taking this opportunity to do so.

I’m after recommendations for a new provider for telephone and broadband. Sadly the new place is not in a fibre optic area otherwise I’d be getting Virgin with TV.

Requirements:
– Must be able to take ownership of the line and provide both without needing a BT line.
– Good value
– The telephone won’t be used, it is just to have a line for the broadband so calls packages are not important.
– Decent download limit – 40GB a month upwards
– Good service/reliability – will be used for home working over VPN regularly (once or twice a week)
– Good speed. The line from the exchange can apparently support 8-12mbps, this is way faster than I have now so would be well happy with that.
– 12 month contract max.

Virgin, Talktalk, O2 all seem to have decent value packages but I’ve no experience of their broadband service. Been happy enough with O2 for mobile.
I’d consider a sky package with TV, if it is really good value. I have just canned a full skyTV HD+ with sport and movies package to save money though so it would have to be an excellent deal.

I am an existing O2 mobile customer which does give me access to some decent deals with them.

What you got?

Cheers,

Stu.

O2 seem to go down well on here, Im with zen and I can’t fault them or the service I get from them.

Best provider I’ve used is BE, fully unlimited, brilliant customer service, not the cheapest in the world. They have a call package and line rental (I believe).

Recently moved to Sky, they’ve over charged me, there’s an unexplained phone call on my bill (we don’t have a phone), they’ve changed to date of my direct debit without telling me. Should be really cheap, but leaving me frustrated.

Wish I was still with BE.

Been very happy with PlusNet for around 15 years now, dial up to broadband .. they have my phone service now too.

I don’t have Sky/Virgin though, they are probably cheaper, but I doubt they are better.

Another vote for plusnet here.

I’m with IDnet who are pretty good. Not the cheapest but never had an issue.

O2’s LLU offering is Be Internet rebadged; that’s almost certainly your best option from what you’ve said here.

You’ve used the availability checker at http://www.samknows.com yes?

Cougar:

The following services are available in your location:

BT Wholesale ADSL
BT Wholesale ADSL Max
BT Wholesale WBC (21CN)
BT Wholesale SDSL
BT FTTC
AOL LLU
O2 / Be LLU
Bulldog LLU
TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
Sky Broadband / Easynet LLU
Tiscali LLU
Tiscali TV (via Tiscali LLU)

Cheers for that link.

If you can get cable i’d go for that 30 – 50mb and reliable service (so I’m told)

Primus for the phone line. They are BT wholesale reseller but charge something like £6 a month

http://www.primussaver.co.uk/line-rental.html

and then zen for the broadband

I’ve signed up to O2 – free broadband for 6 months as I am an existing mobile customer.
Phone is £7.50 a month.

So I’m paying £7.50 for 6 months, then £20 thereafter, 12 month contract. That is for phone and broadband, unlimited downloads.
Got money off a mobile internet dongle too, so I have something to bridge the 1 week gap til they can get in to install it.

Thanks for the suggestions.

With Virgin over here. Only downside is P2P is throttled between 12pm to 12am IIRC.

No problems at all.

As you have an O2 mobile phone it’s worth looking at O2 broadband as it’s hard to beat price wise.

You can also get up to £120 cashback via Quidco.

+1 for O2

You can also get up to £120 cashback via Quidco.

Gah! I’ve just signed up for it.