It is astonishing that so few broadband providers realise how intensely irritated their customers have become by having to fork out £15 an hour for broadband technical support just to keep their £6 a month broadband working.

Since the beginning of April this year, BT broadband has been offering completely free telephone support with no charge at all for using their six most favourite chargeable numbers - that's now 99% of numbers instead of 92%.

BT's managing director, Gavin Patterson, estimates that broadband customers have been losing out as much as £70 million a year, quite a staggering amount.

In addition to BT, other innovative providers in the field are Be, O2, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and Fasthosts Broadband, since they all provide totally free customer and technical support.

Do some homework before you buy

It seems unlikely, however, that many other broadband providers will follow BT's lead and perhaps from one point of view that isn't such a bad thing.

Freephone technical support raises prices of broadband packages so why pay for something that you might never use?

Then again, you do pay to have access to the Internet and quite rightly don't expect to have to pay extra for what often turns out to be your broadband provider's mistakes.

So how much are you actually paying your broadband provider for technical support?

The short answer is that it's best to first do some careful research before you buy, taking care to check the small print, or clicking on the 'contact us' page of your broadband providers' website and navigating around until you find the often-hidden telephone numbers page.

When free is not always free

Be cautious of some broadband providers who advertise free support.

That always sounds wonderful until you find it is only the customer support line which is free and that premium rates are charged for the essential technical support.

If you can afford to wait, a much cheaper option to deal with your problem is to make use of an email or phone call, or - if things are going really badly with no result - even a letter (you know, the one that goes in an envelope).



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With the wide choice of fast broadband deals now available, there is no longer any need to struggle along at a snail's pace, regardless of what you are trying to download. You'll be absolutely amazed at the opportunities opening up for you around the internet.

Why is it worth taking a fast broadband package?

Fast broadband speed allows data to be transferred at a breathtaking speed, meaning no more frustrating waiting around for downloads or annoyingly missing out on game patches.

You should seriously think about faster speeds if you are a frequent downloader of movies or music, or even large files.

Online gamers stand to gain the most as the latency and ping times experienced are vital milliseconds lower, giving one that extra advantage over your opponent.

How fast is fast?

A 512kb connection was considered fast broadband a few years ago, but the newer fastest broadband packages are regarded as those above the average 'up to' 8Mb ADSL connection and use either fibre optic cable or ADSL2+ technology.

The highest download speed available on your broadband connection is measured in Megabits per second (Mbps), with latest technologies capable of providing broadband connections of 'up to' 24Mb per second.

It has been estimated that before the end of this year speeds of 50Mb will be reached, or up to as much as 200Mb employing the same technology.

How does one choose fast broadband?

It's important to remember that the ideal fast broadband provider is one which allows you unlimited download with no restrictive fair use policy to trip you up.

Here, you will find Be Broadband particularly lenient regarding peak time usage. Virgin Media has a traffic management policy, which means that you need to watch your peak time usage carefully.

If you exceed your allowance, Virgin Media will temporarily slow down your fast broadband connection and that would just be infuriating.

Another option worth thinking about is ADSL2+ providers, with their higher upload speeds of around 256Kb.

Be Broadband and O2 Broadband are two providers which offer even faster upload speeds up to about 1.3Mb.

While upload speeds are not of much use to the average web user, gamers, home office workers and file sharers will appreciate the added oomph of a faster upload speed.

A site that allows you to compare broadband deals by speed, will help make your choice for broadband speeds much easier.

Is my area enabled for fast broadband?

Not every BT exchange in the country is enabled for fast broadband and some broadband services are restricted to particular areas. Many broadband providers have in fact installed their own equipment in various local exchanges to be able to provide such high speeds.

It is advisable to check which services you are able to receive in your area with a postcode checker.



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There are a wide range of deals that the leading broadband providers are offering customers. There are so many that customers do not often know which one to choose with varying speeds at various costs available.

The connection speed required depends on what you plan to use the internet for. A 1MB connection is suitable for someone who uses their internet primarily for email and general surfing. However, if you want to stream music videos or download your favourite films then you will need speeds of 1Mb to 5Mb.

Modern technology has allowed more than one person in a house to surf the internet at the same time. This has made things a lot easier as fighting for the home computer is now a thing of the past. However, if like many other families, you have more than one person using the internet you will need faster broadband.

Broadband speeds vary and your internet activity will dictate the speeds you require. Playing video games and watching high quality videos will certainly require faster connection speeds. The area of residence plays a big part in the speeds you are able to receive. The broadband speed test allows you to get a good understanding of what speeds you should be expecting from you deal.

Deals will vary depending on the provider but one thing to ensure is the amount of data you are allowed to download will be sufficient enough. This is the most common way of customers receiving extra charges as they choose the cheaper broadband deals that do not cover them. Unlimited downloads are very popular and for a extra small fee, it eliminate the chances of you getting a nasty surprise when your monthly bill arrives.

With a wide range of options available, customers should search online for the best deals around as comparing the leading providers can ensure you get the best package for you.

To ensure you receive the highest broadband quality, ensure your internet speeds are sufficient enough for your requirements. The broadband speed test allows you to see the expected speeds for your area. Find the best broadband deals online and surf your way to the best deals.

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