Latest Broadband Deals
3 Cuts Mi-Fi Broadband Price For Xmas Rush
Mobile operator 3 (three.co.uk) has cut the price of its Mi-Fi broadband plans as it readies itself for the Xmas mobile broadband sales rush.
Expected to be one of this year’s most wanted Xmas gadgets, 3’s Mi-Fi broadband is a small wireless router that uses 3’s broadband network to create its own mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.
A number of Wi-Fi enabled devices like netbooks and the iPod touch can then connect to the internet at the same time – which means friends can share the connection and get online whilst out and about.
3’s price cut means customers can now buy the Mi-Fi wireless modem for a one-off £49.99 on 3’s 5GB mobile broadband tariff. That’s a reduction of £20 on the previous £69.99 price point.
The 5GB tariff comes with a flexible 1 month contract period and offers up to 3.6Mbps broadband speeds and a 5GB data allowance for just £15 a month.
Those looking to buy Mi-Fi as a Christmas present for someone can opt for the 3GB Mi-Fi Ready-To-Go Kit which costs £69.99 and includes the wireless modem and 3GB of data to use over 3 months.
Another Christmas present option is 3’s Mi-Fi broadband on Pay As You Go. This costs a one off £49.99 and provides just the wireless modem from which a user can top-up as and when they want to.
Interested readers can find out further information at the three.co.uk website.
3’s Discount Code Gives £54 Off Mobile Broadband
Mobile communications supplier 3 (three.co.uk) has launched a mobile broadband discount code that gives new customers £54 off over an 18 month contract.
The £54 discount means customers will get a £3 per month reduction on 3’s £15p/m 5GB package which offers mobile broadband speeds up to 3.6Mbps together with a sizeable 5GB data usage allowance.
A free ZTE MF627 USB modem is also included in the package, together with a free PAYG SIM for a friend.
To qualify for the discount, customers must order online here at three.co.uk and remember to add the discount code ‘3MBB3OFF’ to 3’s Promo Code box at checkout.
Delivery is free and will not be affected by any Royal Mail postal strike as 3 have made alternative arrangements.
A 14 day money back guarantee is also provided.
TalkTalk Launch 24Mbps ‘Pro’ Broadband Package
TalkTalk (talktalk.co.uk) has launched a new 24Mbps high performance broadband package, known as TalkTalk Pro.
Currently available to order by phone only on 0800 049 7865, TalkTalk Pro offers wireless broadband download speeds up to 24Mbps coupled with an unlimited download usage allowance.
Free anytime phone calls to UK landline numbers starting with 01, 02 and 03 are included together with free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers.
TalkTalk Pro also includes a free wireless ‘N’ router which provides a wider range and fastest connection speeds, plus free technical and customer support.
Available to 80% of UK homes, TalkTalk Pro Broadband costs just £14.99 a month which represents a considerable saving of over £200 compared to similar offerings from the UK’s other leading broadband suppliers.
Commenting on the launch, TalkTalk’s Tristia Clarke said: “Once again TalkTalk is challenging the market and providing unbeatable value by offering a premium broadband product at a much lower price than its competitors’ packages”.
Clarke continued, “So if you’re one of the millions of people who now regularly use your broadband service to download and upload videos and images or stream media around the house, then our high-performance TalkTalk Pro package, giving you the fastest speed your line can handle, is perfect for you”.
Further details on TalkTalk Pro can found at the TalkTalk.co.uk website or by phoning TalkTalk on 0800 049 7865.
TalkTalk Claim 50p Broadband Tax Plan Will Backfire
TalkTalk (talktalk.co.uk) CEO Charles Dunstone has claimed that the Government’s proposed 50p broadband tax plan will backfire and actually result in 100,000 UK homes cancelling their broadband service.
The 50p broadband tax on every UK home with a landline has been earmarked by the Government to help fund the roll out of faster broadband services to rural areas.
However, Dunstone believes the tax will have a detrimental effect and result in around 100,000 low income homes dropping their broadband as they simply can’t afford it.
Commenting on the planned broadband tax, Dunstone said: “This is an unjust and regressive tax on all phone customers which will subsidise mostly richer rural households that can afford high priced super fast broadband services”.
Dunstone continued, “As well as being unfair we estimate that the increase in price will mean that over 100,000 mostly low income homes will be forced to give up their broadband lines. This is wholly inconsistent with the Government’s plans to tackle digital exclusion by increasing uptake and use of broadband”.
On Monday of this week, Andrew Heaney, the Director of Strategy and Regulation at TalkTalk, gave evidence to the BIS Committee, to outline TalkTalk’s concerns.
These concerns also included the possiblility that the roll out of next generation broadband to rural areas could be further delayed by the tax plan as private sector investors would wait for public funding to be made available.
Around £1 billion is forecast to be raised from the 50p per month broadband tax, which is expected to commence in 2010 and last for around 7 years.
Rather than introduce the tax now, TalkTalk believe the Government and Ofcom should concentrate on enabling private sector investment and ensuring effective competition.
Orange Mobile Broadband Users Surge By 64%
Orange (orange.co.uk) has revealed a 64% increase in mobile broadband users on its network following the release of its latest quarterly results.
The communications company, which offers both home and mobile broadband services, saw its mobile broadband subscriber base swell to almost 4.7 million customers – a year on year increase of 64%.
However, it was not all good news for the France Telecom owned company as its fixed line home broadband service experienced a 12.2% drop in users to just under 900,000.
In a move to reverse the drop, Orange has recently revamped its range of home broadband plans by boosting download speeds to up to 20Mbps and removing any usage caps (fair usage policies apply).
Monthly prices for 20Mbps Orange Home Broadband (plus UK weekend calls) now start from just £6.50 with Orange mobile customers able to get the service free for the first 3 months.
Orange customers can also benefit from cheaper mobile broadband plans with prices starting at £4.89 a month for speeds up to 3.6Mbps. Non Orange customers need only pay £9.79 a month.
Orange was recently rated as the UK’s number one mobile broadband provider for getting connected and staying connected in a YouGov survey.
Readers can find out more at the orange.co.uk website or our Orange Mobile Broadband review.
Tiscali UK Add Broadband Music Download Service
TalkTalk owned Tiscali UK (tiscali.co.uk) has launched a new DRM free broadband music download service in partnership with eMusic.
The new ‘Music For Life’ subscription service, available to all users of Tiscali’s UK portal for £9.99 a month, offers a staggering 6.5 million songs (MP3’s) for users to download.
The Senior Director of Online at TalkTalk, Neal McCleave said: “We are always looking at ways to enhance our portal and offer the best services to our six million users. The Music For Life Service will be a great boost to our entertainment content and offers a huge range of tracks at very competitive prices”.
To celebrate the launch of Tiscali’s ‘Music For Life’ service, new users can get 50 free songs when they sign up for a 14 day free trial. Users can also cancel their trial at anytime and keep their downloads.
The music downloads (MP3’s) are compatible with all portable multimedia players and can be burnt on to an unlimited number of CD’s.
It is hoped that Tiscali’s music service will persuade more people to take part in legal downloading of music as opposed to illegal means.
Users can sign up for Tiscali’s free music download trial and get 50 free songs at http://www.tiscali.co.uk/music/emusic/.
