Vodafone join broadband fray

Last Modified: 08 Jan 2007
By: Channel 4 News

Vodafone today launch their "At home" broadband service into an already crowded market.

Interview with Vodafone's Andy Bord

Vodafone are about to join the list of broadband providers in the UK with their "At home" service.

The UK is one of the most liberalised and competitive telecoms markets in the world, but the fact is that there's no such thing as genuinely free broadband access. Your "free" internet service is subsidised by charges levied on ancillary services such phone calls or TV packages.

Nevertheless, some deals are undoubtedly more attractive than others. As a consumer, you have to decide whether the additional services you have to buy into in order to acquire "free" broadband match your requirements.

Here are some of the packages on offer -

Vodafone
Costing £25 per month, including line rental, customers will receive unlimited broadband and inclusive landline calls at anytime to any UK landline, as well as 25% off calls to mobiles.

Carphone Warehouse
CW's TalkTalk package gives you a free 8mg broadband service. In addition, subscribers have to buy into a landline phone service (typically, Talk3 at £8.99 a month) and pay an £11 line rental. Total (per month): £19.99

BT
BT offer a £9.95 monthly broadband connection, rising to £17.99 after six months. The package also includes a phone service (typically Option 3 at £9.95) and line rental at £11. Total: £30.90, rising to £37.89.

Telewest
Telewest don't require customers to take out additional services. Their 10mg broadband service begans at £27 a month, rising to £35 a month after one year.

Sky
Sky are offering free broadband with a download speed of up to 2mg. For an 8mg download speed you have to pay £5 per month, plus a £20 initial "activation fee".

In addition, consumers have to subscribe to Sky Viewing, a package of TV channels starting at £15 per month. Sky is offering unlimited landline phone calls at £5 a month, in addition to which users have to pay BT line rental at £11.

Virgin
Virgin have an 8mg broadband service at £14.99 per month, for which there is no activation charge. If you pay an £11 per month BT line rental, you're entitled to free calls in the evening and at weekends, plus calls charged at other times at 1p below the standard BT charge.

Tiscali
Tiscali are offering a free broadband connection, linked to £11 per month line rental, plus a typical landline phone package costing £21.99.