Guide to Broadband - Part 3 of 6

Now you know what type of user you are, the next step is to find the best broadband deals on the market. Let´s take a look at the different types of broadband packages available:

Broadband only or bundled products?

If you are looking for a broadband package your focus may be purely on your internet connection but now there are a number of additional products that can be tied in with your broadband deal. However, there are plenty of fantastic `broadband only´ deals on the market – now almost as cheap as dial-up connections. Remember to consider all of the expenses however, including set-up costs and monthly line rental fees.

A `bundled´ product is a combination of two or more associated products or services to form a new product.

The primary reason for a consumer to choose a bundle over separate products is to save money, it also makes it much more convenient to handle from a billing and servicing perspective as several consumer products are provided by one company.

The greatest change in the broadband market at this point is the combination of both broadband and phone services. Major broadband providers are eager to tap into the phone market, grab your combined phone and broadband business and place it all under one `bundled´ product package. So much so that they are willing to slash prices and even offer `free broadband´ or `free phone calls´.

There are at present more than 40 broadband providers in the UK offering a combined broadband/phone bundled package. Competition in this sector is increasing rapidly which will benefit the consumer as prices are driven down even further.

There are also a number of other bundles in the market that combine more than just broadband and phone. The guide will examine the expansion of broadband products in the next section.

Whatever kind of bundle you think might suit your needs make sure you look at the whole market to find the best deal.

Click here to see the best broadband / phone `bundled´ packages