Your guides to broadband, TV and phone packages
Dan Howdle
There are many different factors to consider when choosing a broadband, TV and phone bundle that meets your needs.
Essentially, you’ll need to select the type of broadband required, the call package that best suits your requirements, and the TV channels that will appeal to your household’s hobbies and interests. That has become even more complicated of late with both the likes of Sky offering alternatives to satellite TV, and with many providers no longer offering landlines as standard.
Before you start comparing this type of deal, have a careful think about how often you imagine you’ll use a landline to make calls, and how much TV you and your household actually watch. This type of deal is only a money-saver if you actually make good use of what’s included.
If you’re thinking of switching to a combined broadband, phone and TV bundle, here are some important things to consider:
Broadband type and speed: At the heart of the package is your broadband provision – what type will suit you best and the average speed required to keep all members of your household online. If you’re not sure, our guide to broadband speeds will help you work out what speed you need.
TV: The TV element of your bundle will usually come in the form of a subscription service, with a number of different channels available. Select the channels that appeal to you, whether that’s sports or history, kids programming or home shopping. It makes little sense to pay for channels that don’t pique your interest, so choose wisely. You also now have a choice of a satellite dish or not thanks to the introduction of Sky Stream and Sky Glass. We recommend avoiding a dish!
Landline phone: While all providers will be able to supply you with a landline, many no longer do so as standard and you will have to add one at extra cost during the checkout process. What's more, Full Fibre lines are not analogue – in other words they can't carry a traditional landline signal. What they can do though, is provide a digital line, which like an analogue line will allow you to keep your old phone number. However, no Full Fibre packages come with a phone line as standard and you will need to add one during the buying process.
Mobile SIM: While a mobile SIM isn’t included in many broadband, TV and phone bundles as standard, some deals do offer a mobile contract as part of the package, adding yet another service with the potential to save you money. As with all elements of the deal, carefully check what’s included and what isn’t.
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What you'll get
Although you can usually save money with TV, broadband and phone packages, this type of deal has many variables, sometimes making it hard to find one that’s right for you.
Mixing and matching different services can be confusing, so here’s a basic overview of what’s included:
Broadband
ADSL: Also known as standard broadband, ADSL is slower than other services, with average connection speeds of 10-11Mbps. An ADSL connection is no longer fast enough for the vast majority of households, which is why providers now only offer it to households still waiting for fibre – households that can't get anything any quicker.
'Superfast' fibre broadband: Much faster than ADSL, fibre broadband can reach speeds of around 74Mbps, though most superfast fibre deals come with an average speed of between 36Mbps and 63Mbps. Superfast fibre is just about enough for most households, but as time marches on, it is starting to look rather slow when set against the needs of a modern home.
Full Fibre broadband: Full Fibre is defined by cables that are fibre optic for 100% of the journey between your home and internet servers, unlike 'superfast' fibre which is considerably slowed by the final span between your house and the green street cabinet being made of copper. Full Fibre can reach very, very high speeds (currently up to 1.6Gbps with EE Broadband, but can theoretically reach 10Gbps in future). The catch is Full Fibre is only currently available to around one in three households.
Cable broadband (Virgin Media): Currently, Virgin Media offers this service, which is much faster than superfast fibre, but not uite as quick as Full Fibre is at its top end. Unfortunately, cable broadband is also unavailable in some areas of the UK, with only around two in three households able to get it.
When choosing the broadband side of your bundle, one of the most important things to consider is speed. You can often save money by going for something slower, but then you may find yourself coming up short in terms of the demands of your household.
If you’re not sure what broadband speed you need, our guide to choosing the right speed for your requirements will help.
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TV packages
Streaming (IPTV): You may not have heard the term IPTV, but you’ve probably used it. That’s because IPTV covers all the on-demand internet TV services, from Netflix to BBC iPlayer. Some subscriptions, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, are available as part of a bundle these days, e.g., in Virgin Media’s Ultimate Volt bundle. Sky Stream is an IPTV service and offers a brilliant way of getting the Full Monty of Sky services without requiring a satellite dish.
Satellite: Offered by Sky TV, Satellite will give you access to hundreds of channels. A bundle will usually specify which one of Sky’s many services is on offer, such as Sky Entertainment, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema or Sky Kids. All of these are provided through Sky Q, which has a dizzying number of options. However, Sky Q is slowly being phased out, and new customers should consider the cheaper and more convenient Sky Stream service, which doesn't need a dish and only requires an internet connection.
Cable: Provided by Virgin Media, cable TV offers hundreds of different channels. It’s worth noting that Sky Atlantic is not available on Virgin TV, but other Sky channels are. If you have a suitable TV, cable can give you 4K UHD content, and Virgin Media's TV 360 box allows you to run most TV apps such as Disney+, Paramount+ and Amazon.
Freeview: If you have a TV licence and compatible box or TV set, then you already have access to Freeview. There are dozens of channels available, and all are free to view as the name suggests.
When choosing the TV part of your bundle, think about your hobbies and interests, choosing channels that you’re likely to find a lot of enjoyable content on. If you’re not much of a sports fan, ditch Sky Sports. If you live in a child-free household, selecting a kids channels pack makes little sense.
If different members of your family like to watch different channels on different devices at the same time, a multiroom TV option is your safest bet.
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Home phone
Pay as you go (PAYG): The most basic option for a landline, you’ll pay a set rate for any calls you make, but nothing if you make no calls at all. Charges for this type of provision can be high, so it’s best for occasional landline users.
Free weekends and/or evenings: Check the terms and conditions for this type of offer, as there will be set times when free call periods start and end. Calls made outside these times are likely to be charged at a high rate.
Free anytime calls: As the name suggests, all your calls are free regardless of when they’re made. If you use your landline a lot - for example, if you have a home business set up - this is worth considering.
International discounts: An international calling package gives you reduced rates when you call people in particular countries. If you have family living abroad, this can be a good idea. As ever, terms and conditions / restrictions will apply.
As many of us now have mobile phone contracts with unlimited calls, we often don’t use our landlines much - if at all. If you are a home phone fan, there are some great packages to be had that offer substantial savings, providing you choose carefully based on your individual needs.
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Providers
Many of the UK’s most popular broadband providers also offer combined broadband, TV and landline phone services.
Here’s a run down of what’s on offer from whom:
BT broadband: The brand offers broadband speeds of up to 900Mbps with a selection of over 150 channels to choose from via EE TV. Only BT broadband customers have access to EE TV, which was recently rebranded from BT TV (BT owns EE).
EE broadband: There’s little difference between what’s on offer from BT and EE because they are both the same company, and both use EE TV as their bolt-on offering. However, EE does currently offer the fastest widely available broadband in the country (and BT does not) at 1.6Gbps, to anyone who can get Full Fibre where they live.
Plusnet broadband: The top broadband speed hits an average of 910Mbps on Full Fibre, but the brand’s TV service is pretty basic. You can however use add-ons like Sky Sports or Sky Cinema to give yourself more viewing options.
Sky broadband: Sky’s TV packages are predictably good, with options to suit all tastes and now with the much better option of Sky Stream where you won't need a satellite dish. Like other Openreach providers, Sky offers up to 900Mbps, which is far faster than most households need.
TalkTalk broadband: A budget-friendly alternative to the major players, TalkTalk’s TV isn't as basic as it once was, with a 4K TalkTalk TV Hub, and access to hundreds of channels. The top broadband speed is, as with other Full Fibre providers, an impressive 900Mbps.
Virgin Media broadband: Virgin Media has the fastest broadband speed in the UK – up to 1130Mbps with its 'Gig1' service. The brand also has an impressive array of TV channels and extras. Availability is limited to certain parts of the country so make sure you check it's available in your area.
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Is it easy to switch broadband, TV and phone providers?
Switching from one broadband, phone and TV package to another with a new provider is very simple, providing you’ve come to the end of your current contract. If you’re part way through your existing contract, it’s likely that you’ll have to pay an early exit fee to make a change, which will vary between providers.
In most cases, your new provider will handle the whole process for you, cancelling your existing service and booking in any work that needs to take place to install your new connection.
If you change your mind after signing up for a combined broadband, TV and phone deal, you can cancel within 14 days and won’t incur a penalty.
If you want to switch only one or two of your services to a new provider, however, this could be more of a hassle - though it’s entirely possible and could be well worth the effort. For tips and advice on switching your broadband provider, read our guide.
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