Broadband and free line rental

For years, BT held a monopoly on home landline connections. But nowadays, you can get your landline through a number of other companies, including internet providers, who offer a range of cheap line rental deals.

Some internet service providers (ISPs) don't even require you to have a landline to offer broadband. Virgin Media's packages, for instance, run on cable as opposed to copper phone wires, so you don't need a landline. The upshot is that you can save a substantial sum of money because you don't have to pay line rental every month.

Broadband and free line rental packages:

Some broadband providers used to advertise free line rental packages. But thanks to new rules from the ASA — who conducted a study and found that most consumers couldn't work out the entire monthly cost of their broadband — providers now show all-in pricing. This means that, from now on, the price you see listed is the actual price you'll pay.

So instead of luring customers with promises of free line rental or free broadband, ISPs are moving to offer lower monthly pricing as a whole.

Don't need a landline at all for your broadband?

If you're someone who doesn't use their landline connection for anything other than broadband, you could cut your monthly bills down by getting your broadband without a phone line rental. You can do this by signing up for cable broadband packages offered by Virgin Media, which don't require you to have a landline at all.

In the era of mobile phones, Skype and other internet phone call services, broadband without line rental deals are sure to become more and more popular in years to come.

Mobile broadband

Mobile broadband is another option for those who don't want to pay landline on top of their broadband connection. This type of broadband uses mobile networks instead of phone lines or fibre-optic cables.

Compare all our best mobile broadband packages now.

Want to learn more about broadband with no landline? Read our guide on broadband without a landline.