How to get the best Broadband deal from your Internet Service Provider
Many Internet service providers (ISPs) come up with bundled broadband plans in order to attract customers. You can choose to have an ADSL home bundle without a modem, an ADSL bundle with a wireless modem, naked broadband bundles, bundles with unlimited Internet access and calls, while some offer Internet connection, phone line, and plus TV. With so many options, how can you get the best deal that will fit you and your family’s Internet activities and your lifestyle and budget? Take a look at some of the broadband bundles to see which option is the best for you.
Broadband connections in General
Before we discuss the bundles, let us take a look at the different broadband connections available today. As you already know, broadband is high-speed Internet that is always on. It is several times faster than the traditional dial-up Internet. It is one of the most popular forms of Internet access and is offered in different forms.
ADSL and ADSL2+
ADSL broadband service uses a telephone line to bring Internet connection into your home. It is 10 times faster than the dial-up connection. ADSL+2 is faster, with speeds that can reach a maximum of 24Mbps. In most areas, this is the current popular type.
Naked DSL
You do not need a telephone line when you want naked DSL, but it uses the same telephone line to bring the service to your home. Thus you only get pure DSL service, with a VoIP telephony option thrown in.
Cable
This is more prevalent in major metropolitan areas. It uses coax materials to deliver high-speed broadband service. With the flexibility of coax, this is ideal for broadband bundles that include VoIP, home phone, pay TV and broadband Internet.
Wireless
This is one of the fastest growing alternative broadband service to ADSL. It makes use of ‘hotspots’ and ‘towers’ that are strategically placed to ensure wider availability.
Mobile Broadband
The mobile variation of the broadband functions similarly to wireless Internet. The only difference is that this is portable, allowing users the flexibility and freedom of having broadband Internet access while they are on the move. It could be in the form of network card or a USB modem or adapter.
Satellite
In some regional, remote or urban areas, the only way to get Internet access is via satellite. Speeds could be much slower than regular broadband access but the rates are getting more affordable.
Which Broadband Deal should I Choose?
Now that you have an idea of the many types of broadband services, let’s discuss how to choose the best broadband deal for you.
Standalone or bundled package
A bundled package may include a home phone with the broadband service. Or it could include family entertainment in the deal. It gives better value as you only have one provider to deal with. A standalone service means you only need broadband Internet connection, such as naked broadband because you do not want to use a home phone or landline as you depend on your mobile phone.
Standard or superfast speeds
Standard means that you are either getting an ADSL or ADSL2+ line. Superfast broadband is fibre-optic broadband, the latest among the broadband services that offers speeds that are 9x faster than standard broadband. It still is not that widespread. It also has a higher price tag and you’ll normally be tied-in to an 18-month or 24-month contract, compared to other services that offer no contracts.
Capped or unlimited
You should consider your Internet habits. How much data do you actually need? Most ISPs offer capped deals, meaning you have a monthly quota, and anything in excess of that will incur additional charges. There are also ISPs that offer unlimited data allowance. Of course, unlimited means that you pay more, so if you want to save, a capped package is better. A 2GB capped data package might be too little if you use the Internet to download and upload volumes of data each month and often stream videos, movies, and audio or play online games. If you only need to use the Internet for a few hours each day, you do not need a package that comes with a 10GB or 20GB data allowance.
Getting the best broadband deal from your ISP is more about learning your Internet habits and usage. Determine first how much data you need each month and your budget as well. You can choose a provider that offers broadband Internet packaged with home entertainment so you can deal with one provider only. Or go naked if you only need Internet access.
