In September 2005 a process known as "local loop unbundling" (LLU) started in the UK. The process, which was instigated by the regulator, required BT to allow competing companies to install their own equipment in BT telephone exchanges. This means that they do not have to sell-on BT's wholesale broadband service and can therefore offer very competitive prices. The result has been nothing short of extraordinary.

There are now over 6 million "unbundled" phone lines with about 30 different companies providing broadband services to households and businesses. As Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards notes: "In just four years, unbundling has gone from a flicker on the dial to a major competitive force in telecoms....This has delivered the dual benefits of driving up broadband take-up and driving down prices."

The downward pressure on broadband prices has been enormous. In September 2005, the average cost of broadband over a copper home phone line was £23.30 per month, but today it is only £13.61 for an equivalent service. This is a whopping 42% reduction and directly results from the competition unleashed by the LLU process.

TalkTalk was one of the first companies to take advantage of LLU and sent shockwaves through the market with their "free" broadband offer (when you bought a home phone call package) in April 2006. Since then, a host of companies have sharpened their pencils, to drive down the cost of their broadband services.

As a result you can now buy broadband and phone bundles starting from as little as £6 per month (excluding line rental). The digital TV providers have got in on the act too. Sky for example offers free broadband for Sky TV subscribers who also take a Sky Talk calls plan.

Recent research from broadband and digital TV comparison service simplifydigital.co.uk shows that many consumers are still failing to take advantage of the potential savings. Their research shows that those who bundle their digital TV, broadband and home phone services from a single provider save an average of £360 per year. So called "triple play" packages start from around £20 per month for all three services. Sky, Virgin Media, BT and Tiscali all have great value triple play bundles. Virgin Media's entry level bundle is just £14 per month (excluding line rental) and Sky's is just £16.50 (excluding line rental).

New deals launch almost every day, so it is vital to check that you are on the best broadband deal, remember deals vary widely by postcode.

About Simplifydigital
Simplifydigital.co.uk offers a unique service in the UK, providing a free and impartial consultation for anyone looking to save money and compare broadband, compare digital TV, or compare home phone services.

Simplifydigital cuts through the confusion; offers the widest range of digital service providers available (including Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, AOL, Orange, 02, Top UpTV etc); and manages the customer through the install of the services.




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The history of broadband is the history of the Internet, which went from an experiment to a trillion-dollar, worldwide industry in 30 years. The Internet preceded broadband by a few years, starting in the 1950s as a US Defence Department project to enable university computer systems to communicate with one another for national security purposes. As human nature would have it, the university computer people began using the project to communicate with other people.

By 1983, the Internet was being accessed by dial-up modems over ordinary telephone lines. Mushrooming expansion of Internet users worldwide led Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to develop faster rates of data transmission, and broadband was introduced in 2000. It soon led ISPs to compete for customers, bringing the price of broadband service down and making it the most popular form of Internet access.

Broadband is 10 times faster than dial-up, making more applications available, such as downloading movies and music, digital photo processing, interactive games, and of course, numerous business opportunities. A glimpse at some Internet milestones shows the progress broadband has brought: 1979, first e-mail service (text and numbers, no graphics); 1981, text-only bulletin boards; 1985, America Online launched; 1990, DSL (digital subscriber line) prototype invented, video transmission envisioned; 1992, computer bulletin boards; 1993, commercial Internet begins, first ISPs introduced, Berniers-Lee invents World Wide Web; 2001, cable companies have two-thirds of all broadband subscribers in U.S.; 2003, 18 million U.S. households have broadband; 2006, Facebook and YouTube introduced; 2007, millions of UK households have broadband.




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For an inexperienced customer it is a real challenge to choose the right broadband provider among such a wide range. Which company is better than the others? Should I choose Orange, Demon, AOL, Talk Talk, or BT?

Vodafone or Virgin Media? Let us try to and see if we can suggest how we would go about selecting a reasonable broadband connection. First of all, you have to define what type of broadband service you are going to want to use. Normally people fall into two types of it: the home or business broadband and then the more flexible mobile account. What can you gain along with the provided broadband connection? They often try and tease you in with offers for extra free minutes, free megabytes, free keyboards, laptops etc. In order to discover the best broadband supplier we suggest that you start by looking through competitive and comparison websites. You can find full and detailed information on the comparison website, as they are dedicated to gather all the providers and compare services, product and quality alongside that of the price list. Thus this should have identified to you the most valuable and the cheapest broadband provider. This should have cut your time considerably from that of searching and trawling the internet, as all companies are pooled and compared together. What should you take into account while selecting the right company?

Before signing a contract paper consider the following things as network coverage in your area, rapidness of connection and downloading, terms and conditions of service, period time of deal. If connectivity is spasmodic, it's better to not hire this company as you will only be getting upset every time the line disappears. The quality of service support will depend on how good the professional team is as well as their working experience in this particular area. Again, compare, analyse, check, summarize and then make your decision. Also it is good to ask other people in your area of their adventures in choosing who they are using as their broadband provider. It can often tell far more very quickly, than any of the most alluring and sparkling banners or advertising promotional campaigns. Once you have chosen a company, ask as questions you wish and make sure they provide you with answers. For example, ask about data allowance. It is the amount of data that a provider can transfer. This amount differs from one provider to another, there are often land maybe more limits when transmitting.

Please be careful don't miss any points in contract; otherwise you will pay for it in the long-term. Your main aim is to get fast and qualitative broadband services at a good and reasonable price. However do look carefully and examine all and be sure not to fall into the charlatan's trap. Do not sign a long- term contract when you are not sure, ask and ask some more until you are sure. It is better to wait and see rather than being sorry... Depending on what you need whether telecom microwaves, microwave radio links, hybrid WAN or any other managing wireless networks, examine what is displayed at the comparison websites and select a good all round suitable provider.



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