Broadband Suppliers

In the UK broadband can be provided in several ways, the most common being ADSL, 3G and cable. There are a huge number of providers who all offer a huge number of packages and services, and with so many sales-driven pitches it’s very difficult to know exactly what’s what.

ADSL broadband suppliers

ADSL broadband is provided through existing BT phone lines, and for this reason it is the most popular, and easiest to set-up, of all the connection types. Even though BT lines are used, many other companies supply ADSL broadband by renting space in BT’s telephone exchanges.

Through a process called Local Loop Unbundling (LLU), BT allows other suppliers to install their own software in BT exchanges and provide broadband to customers. Customers still need to pay a monthly line rental to BT as well as the broadband charges.

Key home broadband suppliers are:

• O2 broadband
• Talk Talk broadband
• BT broadband
• Virgin Media
• AOL broadband
• Be broadband
• Orange broadband
• Plusnet broadband
• Sky broadband

Cable broadband suppliers

Cable broadband is transferred along fibre-optic cables under the ground, providing a much faster and more reliable connection than ADSL or 3G, but only to selected areas of the UK.

The fibre-optic cable infrastructure for UK broadband is currently owned and operated by Virgin Media, which bought it from the NTL and Telewest group in 2006. The BT alternative, BT Infinity, uses existing phone lines with new VDSL (very high speed DSL) technology, capable of up to 100Mb over short distances.

BT and Virgin Media are the only cable broadband suppliers in the UK, and currently provide fibre-optic connections to around 15 million homes, although both companies aim to increase the provision to around two thirds of UK homes by 2015.

Cable broadband is available with phone and television packages from both Virgin Media and BT Infinity.

• Virgin Media
• BT Infinity

To find out if either of these providers offer a service in your area, check with the uSwitch broadband postcode checker.

Mobile Broadband Suppliers

Mobile broadband is provided over mobile phone networks using 3G technology. In the UK the major mobile phone providers all offer broadband packages via a dongle, MiFi or tethered mobile phone.

One of the most notable advantages of mobile broadband is that the contracts can run for one month only, offering a lot more flexibility than the 12 month contracts on fixed-line connections.

• Three Mobile Broadband
• Vodafone Mobile Broadband
• T-Mobile Mobile Broadband
• Orange Mobile Broadband
• O2 Mobile Broadband
• Virgin Media Mobile Broadband

Mobile broadband is an excellent solution for commuters, or those who spend time off-site or travelling, but is not particularly suitable for home connections. The emphasis is on mobility as opposed to speed - while 3G offers speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, the average is around 3.2Mbps.

In reality this can be lower still, and is heavily dependent on location and signal strength. For basic office tasks, email and keeping in touch this is fine, but for heavy web users or those who require a constant connection, it’s simply not quick enough.

Mobile broadband is also an excellent solution while abroad, and all companies offer packages and pricing plans for most countries. Data charges vary, and in some cases can be quite high.