TalkTalk has today announced that it has amended the terms of its cheap home phone and broadband Essentials package. It was a move widely expected by broadband experts after Ofcom announced it would allow BT to charge providers higher rates for renting its network.

But what may have surprised people is how little TalkTalk’s deal has changed. First and foremost, the £6.49 price point has been retained, meaning that it remains one of the most competitive home broadband deals on the market.

Meanwhile, the reduction of the call duration after which charges will be introduced for making UK evening and weekend landline calls has barely dropped at all. It now stands at 60 minutes, compared with 70 previously. And if it’s vital that you make a call that exceeds this length, you can always get around the problem simply by hanging up and making a new call.

That’s not to say that there aren’t a couple of very real price increases for the deal. The cost of renting a landline is going up, as are charges for making international calls. But the landline price rise is minimal; less than a pound extra per month. Meanwhile, we’d venture that overseas calls were probably among the least used elements of the package. And even after the hikes they remain well priced compared with rivals.