Broadband Bundles
A broadband bundle combines your broadband, phone and TV into one package. Bundling them together like this can make paying your bills less complicated and cheaper.
While shopping for broadband deals, you’ll find options that bundle other services, like your home telephone or TV, with your internet for one set monthly fee.
By bundling your broadband, phone and TV package together, you’ll only have one supplier to deal with. And it might work out cheaper too.
The main attraction of bundled products is cost and convenience.
Buying a home phone plan and TV package together with your broadband service could prove cost effective compared with sourcing them separately.
Bundling is also convenient, as you’ll only have to deal with one company for multiple services, rather than separate providers.
Before you decide on bundling your broadband, think about what kind of services you actually need.
Firstly, consider the broadband speed your household requires and your budget.
How many people use the internet in your house? What do they need the internet for: leisure or business? Activities like gaming and video publishing typically require a faster broadband service.
If you do opt for a faster speed, remember that the advertised speed isn’t always the speed you’ll get.
If you have a household of heavy internet users, you may want to think about the benefits of unlimited broadband.
A bundle probably won’t be right for you if you don’t want a landline. But some cable packages don't require you to have a home phone, as they don’t use a phone line to provide a connection.
Once you know what kind of broadband you want, you can think about how to bundle your service.
The best place to start is by thinking whether you want a phone and broadband bundle, or phone, broadband and digital TV package.
Be cautious during your search, as it’s easy to spend more than you originally intended if you’re sucked in by a good deal.
If you don't want or need a landline or digital television, adding them could mean an extra unnecessary cost, so understand your own requirements before settling on a package.
If you’ve opted for a standard ADSL broadband connection, you'll still need a landline, even if you don't intend to use your home phone.
Do you want a subscription digital TV package such as Sky or Virgin, or is Freeview sufficient?
A bundled TV package is likely to offer you an attractive range of entertainment options, but there are cheaper – or free – alternatives.
Online streaming services like BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 mean you can watch programmes without subscribing to a digital TV package. You still need a television licence to watch BBC and live TV, though.
The cost of digital TV is likely to increase significantly if you add sport and movie packages.
You could instead use services like Netflix or NowTV as alternatives for watching films, series and documentaries.
Don't forget to take activation and installation costs into account when you compare broadband bundles. What looks like the most suitable offer could end up being more expensive than you expected.
Once you've chosen a bundle, make sure you check the terms and conditions of the contract, including the duration and cost.
Most providers will upgrade you mid-contract, but are unlikely to agree to a downgrade at a reduced cost.
From the outset, avoid adding services to your bundle that you know you won’t use.
If you're not keen on a 12-24 month contract, you could take out a rolling one, but this flexibility will probably come at a cost.
Ask yourself these questions: