How To Choose Your First Broadband

Looking for a home broadband plan and not sure where to start? Not to worry, we're here to help. Choosing the right broadband plan can be easy, as long as you know what you're doing. Follow these simple steps and you'll be online in no time.

What Kind of Broadband Should You Choose?

The first step is maybe the most difficult one. There are various kinds of broadband, and you need to decide which is right for you. What are your options? Here we'll outline the pros and cons of each form of broadband connection. After assessing the pros and cons, visit usave for broadband comparison.

ADSL broadband will use the existing telephone wires in your house to move data. This is the most common choice of broadband options, thus it tends to be the cheapest. Speeds are pretty good as well. In order to get ADSL, you must have a home landline (you don't necessarily need the phone, but you will need the wiring that brings phone service into your house), so if you don't have a landline, ADSL won't be for you.

Cable broadband will use the same wiring as that which brings cable television into your house. This is the second most popular choice in the UK, and so is still very affordable and speeds are similar to those on ADSL. You will need a cable TV connection, so if you don't have this, you might want to opt for another choice.

Fibre optic broadband uses fibre optic cables to move data extremely fast. You'll find that fibre optic choices are more expensive than the first two options, but you will get much faster Internet speeds. You will need to live in an area that has a fibre optic connection though, and not all parts of the country qualify. You can find there's an accessible network by going online and searching your postcode on the website of any fibre optic provider.

Mobile broadband is generally only used at home when there's no other option, i.e. no phone, cable, or fibre optic lines are available. You sign a contract with a mobile operator and get a SIM card and a device that allows you to connect your computer to the Internet using that operator's 3G network. Speeds are slow, and prices can get high if you're big Internet users, but for some households, there's no other option.

The final choice is satellite broadband and this really should be a last-ditch attempt, satellites are really only used in extremely rural areas where there is no other option. Speeds are slow and prices are high, plus you'll need to install a satellite dish. In this case, if you face any internet error then this Top PC Tech website may help you a lot.

Which Providers Offer Service?

Once you've decided which kind of broadband you want, then you'll need to find out which companies service your local area. This information is easily found with a quick Internet search, or you can go to the website of all the major providers and enter your location to find out whether or not they'll provide service to your area.

How Much Data?

The final big step in your decision-making process, though there are some smaller concerns that we'll address below, is to decide how much data you want. Plans come in three broad types, capped, unlimited and truly unlimited. Remember that everything you do on the Internet uses data, so these limits are basically a limit to the amount of Internet you can use.

A capped plan comes with a set amount of data each month. A one-person household that needs the Internet simply for surfing and emailing should be fine with around 2 GB of data a month. The average two users household that likes to download a film or some music will be better off with around 10 GB or so. Obviously, the higher your data limit is, the more expensive your plan is going to be.

If you don't want to deal with data limits, then you can get an unlimited plan, though this will be more expensive. A truly unlimited plan lets you use the Internet however you want. An unlimited plan will be subject to a fair usage policy, which means that the company can slow your speeds down during busy times or if they think that you're using too much data.

Should you decide on a capped plan be aware that there may be consequences if you use more than your monthly data allowance. Your Internet may be cut off or speeds slowed down, and some companies will charge you extra fees on top of your normal bill to pay for extra data.

Comparison Shop

The next step is simple. Go online and find a broadband tariff comparison site, the one at uSwitch.com is pretty comprehensive. Enter the data limits (or unlimited/truly unlimited) that you're looking for, and select the companies that provide service in your area. You'll then get a list of packages that might suit you, and you can decide based on price, though there are a couple of other things you might want to think about.

Other Issues

While you're comparison shopping and looking at plans you might want to keep a few things in mind. Broadband Internet comes at different speeds expressed in Mbps (20 Mbps, for example). The faster your speeds, the faster your Internet service will be, though faster plans usually cost more money. You might want to look at speeds when you're comparing plans.

You may also want to look for additional services. Many companies offer free installation as well as free equipment, such as a wireless router, to help you make the most of your connection. The equipment generally won't belong to you, and you'll need to return it at the end of your contract, but these offers are very convenient and lower your initial investment. Some companies will also offer broadband with free gifts, such as a tablet computer, which can be a nice incentive.

Finally, there are different contract lengths as well. Usually, longer contracts are cheaper, but remember that breaking a contract can be expensive, so only sign up for as long as you can realistically keep the connection.