Though the combination of broadband and telephone services is the most popular
`bundled´ package, a number of broadband companies have expanded their offers
to incorporate other services into the deals. This allows them to grab a large
share of several markets, increasing profitability while offering a better deal for consumers.
A new era of bundled packages — broadband, phone, TV and mobile
Stretching beyond broadband and phone packages is not a new concept, NTL:Telewest
(now Virgin Media) has offered dial up internet, phone and TV in a product bundle
for more than 10 years. It is only recently since the emergence of alternative bundled
packages that consumers have become aware of the benefits of combining these services together.
The market exploded in late 2006 when Sky entered the fray offering packages that combine
broadband, phone and television. The presence of a big name brand in the market made
bundled offers extremely popular. This was furthered by BT launching an on-demand
TV package called BT Vision.
In early 2007 the bundled era took a new twist when NTL:Telewest, Virgin.net and
Virgin Mobile re-branded to form Virgin Media, at the same time becoming the first
broadband company to offer `quad play´ – broadband with television, phone and mobile
phone combined.
So are these deals legitimately better than taking out contracts on products individually?
Of course the key to securing any good deal is to shop around and the vast array of
offers available shouldn´t stop you from considering bundled or individual products.
However, there are huge savings to be made by taking advantage of these combined services.
With prices so low, the key for many consumers is to find a broadband provider that delivers
a decent price and good customer service. The advantage of combining services together
is that you will have less hassle, but bundling can sometimes impair service quality
if one part of your product bundle isn´t as good as another part, or you don´t use it
but still have to pay for it.
The popularity of some deals has led to some negative press for the quality of
customer service offered by some providers, which we will examine in
part five.
