Switching broadband service provider is no longer the potential trauma it used to be. Instead, the complexity of the packages on offer is stepping in to fill the void.
Making sense of what’s best (a tricky task at the best of times) can be time consuming and inflict on the grey matter the sort of brain freeze usually only prompted by eating ice cream too fast. But help is at hand in quantifying the best broadband access deal for your particular circumstances whether you are intent on abandoning your current provider or getting broadband for the first time.
The latest broadband comparison web site to offer a quick and easy overview of what’s on offer is Firsthelpline.com. Their tool is more sophisticated than some, allowing users to enter such criteria details as their minimum download limit and speed of connection, before returning ranked results and links to more info and sign up pages.
Results, too, can be refined to show only those offering broadband only or bundled broadband deals that include voice and TV on demand.
top10-broadband.co.uk, meanwhile, draws from a largely similar basket of big name providers. They claim the UK’s top ten broadband providers are:
1. BT
2. AOL
3. Tiscali
4. Virgin
5. Telewest
6. NTL
7. TalkTalk
8. Pipex
9. Eclipse
10. Orange
Despite their name, top10-broadband.co.uk do actually present more than 10 options, in common with other comparison sites, including in ranked order multiple access deals from the same broadband service provider. Packages can be displayed as their top ten choices or in a fuller comparison format to let the user make their own minds up. Results can also be arranged by speed, download limit, contract length and monthly cost.
More comprehensive without a doubt, though, is thinkbroadband’s (formerly ADSLguide) ISP search. Here you enter the usual details but also such things as the need for a modem/router, migration support and parental controls to be supplied.
The weakness or strength, depending on your viewpoint, is that the results sift will frequently run into three figures. To get a more manageable number of ISPs to work with there is a comparison tool that allows up to six ISPs to be contrasted in one go. The comparable ISPs listed in this tool are only those with a “sufficient rating”.
The resulting output after the ISPs are selected is slightly disappointing, comprising three graphs with coloured columns for each ISP indicating their performance on speed, reliability and customer service. Some close study and note taking is required to make sense of it, particularly if you wish to compare more than six broadband providers.
Another comparison site to investigate is broadband checker, which carries out a live availability check and fetches details for ADSL, Cable and Satellite broadband deals from from several major service providers including Tiscali, BT, Orange, Virgin.net, AOL, ntl:home, Telewest and more.
Also worthy of attention for their features and functionality are:
http://www.uswitch.com/Broadband/Compare-Broadband.html
http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/
http://www.compare-uk-broadband.com/compare_broadband.php
http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk/
Like statistics, there are broadband comparison checkers and there are broadband comparison checkers. Just don’t expect them all – or any - to agree with one another.
* Due to a new ruling by industry regulator, Ofcom, broadband suppliers, as of February 14, will no longer be allowed to make life difficult for users wishing to switch provider. Until now, some broadband providers could – and did – put a spanner in the works by refusing to supply, or dragging their heels over providing, users with the necessary MAC, Migration Authorisation Code. Without this, users were forced to cancel one service completely before starting with a new supplier, which often resulted in being offline for several weeks.
With the MAC, users can move to a new provider and minimise the loss of service to a day or two. From Valentine’s Day, all ISPs must supply customers with MACS on request and free of charge.
