The four major providers when it comes to broadband, home phone and digital television are BT Broadband, Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk Broadband (www.TalkTalk.co.uk), which is the new owner of Tiscali TV.
All four providers have different advantages over their competitors; BT offers an essentially free service to which you can add monthly packages and on-demand shows, Sky offers excellent digital TV, Virgin Media has the fastest broadband and a great catch-up TV service while TalkTalk offers some cheap bundles.
Broadband speeds - Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com) offers the UK’s fastest broadband package with speeds of up to 50Mb. Virgin Media consistently ranks high in broadband speed tests and was voted the best Bundle Services ISP for Download Time in theBroadbandchoices.co.uk 2010 and 2009 customer satisfaction surveys.
TV channels - Sky (www.Sky.com) and Virgin Media offer the biggest selections of channels in their packages, and Virgin Media has an extensive on-demand offering, including BBC iPlayer direct to your TV, while Sky has a massive 37 High-Definition channels - and is even launching its own 3D channel in 2010. Call Sky on 08442 410582 to find out more (existing customers should call 08442 414 141 for account enquiries).
Phone rates - Most packages come with inclusive calls on weekends, weekends and evening or anytime. Choose a plan which reflects how you use your phone. If you make most of your calls on your mobile, a cheaper Weekend-only plan could work for you. However, if you love to talk or spend time at home, an Anytime plan may work best.
Line rental - You will also have to pay line rental with these providers. BT (www.BT.com) line rental starts from £10 a month when you pay a year in advance, though the usual direct debit cost is now £13.90 .
Remember, cheaper doesn’t always mean better - you simply need to think about what your priority is.
Is it better not to bundle?
If you want all three services, but are worried about the costs of call charges, as BT, Sky and Virgin Media don’t offer the most competitive rates, then you might be better off taking your home phone line from someone else.
Price wise, it’s very hard to beat TalkTalk’s call costs when it comes to big bundle providers. However, its TV service is not available to anywhere near as many customers as the other big three providers.
As with all such deals, you really need to take your needs into consideration. If you doubt that you will even use one of the services and are just getting it because it’s a good deal, then don’t - unless it really is still cheaper than the next competitor. Be realistic with yourself and don’t be tempted into signing up for something that will just be a waste of money.
What’s the future for bundling?
If you love the idea of bundling and want to take it to the next level, then Virgin Media can offer the ultimate in bundling. As well as offering home broadband, home phone and digital TV, Virgin Media also supplies mobile broadband and mobile phone packages.
The development of BT’s Openzone wireless network, and its Fon service, means that BT customers can connect mobile phones, PDAs and laptops no matter where they are, using a combination of BT’s mobile broadband and inclusive wireless broadband minutes.
No matter what the next stage in bundling is, consumers won’t be turning their backs on bundles any time soon - the ease and savings that can be made are just too tempting.
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