PlusNet
Packages
Residential:
- Option 1: £9.75 a month. 2GB data allowance. Free router. Rolling monthly contract.
- Option 2: £14.65 a month. 15GB data allowance. Free wireless router. Rolling monthly contract.
- Option 3: £19.55 a month. 30GB data allowance. Free wireless router. Rolling monthly contract.
- Essential: £16.65 a month . 1GB data allowance and home phone plan. Line rental, free weekend UK landline calls and calls to other PlusNet customers are included in the price. 12 month contract
Business:
- Teleworker: Ideal for 1 or 2 business users. £13.61 a month. 2GB monthly data allowance. 240 minutes of VoIP calls.
- Small Business: Ideal for 1-9 business users. £19.99 a month. 2GB monthly data allowance. 360 minutes of VoIP calls.
- Business +: Ideal for 10+ business users. £34.99 a month. Unlimited monthly data allowance. 480 minutes of VoIP calls.
All PlusNet’s business broadband packages include unlimited email addresses, 8MB download speeds, webspace, domain names and email anti-virus and anti-spam.
Reputation:
PlusNet have quickly become a well respected and reliable broadband provider. This is reflected largely in their extensive collection of broadband awards. These include Best Broadband Provider in the UK 2008 from Broadband Choices and Best Consumer ISP Award 2008 from the ISPA. Much of the positive feedback for PlusNet has originated from their helpful attitude toward consumers. This is reflected in their honesty with regard to upfront data limits, their flexibility with regard to rolling one month contracts, and customer interaction via their community site.
Customer Services
PlusNet pride themselves on the support they give their customers. Their website offers a comprehensive selection of common question and answers, as well as the option to ask a question on a topic and have a member of the PlusNet team get back to you. The member centre allows customers to manage their details and billing online, and the community site encourages provider/consumer interaction to help improve the quality of PlusNet’s services. Award-winning UK based customer telephone support is available 24/7 for those that require one on one help, and 95% of all calls will be answered within one minute.
Our View
Since being established in 1997, PlusNet has grown into a large, respectable broadband provider, now supplying over 200,000 customers with broadband. PlusNet aren’t your average ISP, they pride themselves on not offering misleading packages to their customers with “unlimited” broadband that is essentially capped by a fair usage policy. Instead, they offer clear, fixed usage plans. The idea is for the customer to decide what’s best for them.
PlusNet have recently introduced a unique system called their “community site.” This allows customers to interact directly with PlusNet and other customers via forums and chat functions. In our opinion, this makes PlusNet one of the few broadband providers who are genuinely in tune with their customers’ needs. PlusNet’s individual approach is, therefore, worth looking into for those looking to purchase a broadband package.
Madasafish
Our View
Madasafish were established in April 2001 as part of the BrightView Group. The Brightview Group are currently one of the UK’s largest consumer internet groups and are fully owned by BT plc.
Their approach is straightforward and friendly. There are no hidden costs or clauses with Madasafish, and their uncomplicated and frank attitude toward customers has made them a hit in recent years. In our opinion, you’d struggle to find an ISP who are easier to deal with. Madasafish are ideal if you’re looking for a low-cost, no nonsense broadband service.
Packages
- Pay As You Go: Madasafish offer a contract-free, pay as you go broadband service for light and occasional users who already have a BT phone line, modem, and PC. Prices are simply 1p a minute for use during evening and weekends and 3p a minute during the day.
- MAX – £9.65 for 6 months and £14.65 a month thereafter. 5GB data allowance.
- MAX Plus – £19.45 for 6 months and £25.45 a month thereafter. 20GB data allowance.
- MAX Premier – £25.35 for 6 months and £29.35 a month thereafter. 50GB data allowance.
MAX, MAX Plus, and MAX Premier plans all come with the following features: 8MB connection speed, unlimited email addresses, virus protection, spam filtering and BullGuard Security Suite, Webmail access to your Madasafish email account worldwide, 100MB of webspace for your own website, and access to over 100,000 newsgroups.
Any of the three packages can be taken if you already have a BT line. However, all customers have the option to switch their line rental to Madasafish for £9.75 a month and choose one of their 2 talk plans:
- Talk Free: FREE. Unlimited free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines.
- Talk Anytime: £5.90 a month. Unlimited calls to UK landlines at any time.
Both Talk plans include free calls to other Madasafish users and 5% off calls to 5 preselected numbers with “Favourite Five”
Reputation
The Madasafish policy is to offer customers a straightforward and honest service. Their prices all include VAT and they are entirely forthright when explaining what their packages involve. This has made them extremely popular with existing and potential customers.
Madasafish pride themselves on being members of both the ISPA and the IWF. The ISPA UK (Internet Service Providers’ Association) is the UK’s Trade Association for Internet Service Providers. As a member, Madasafish are obliged to abide by the ISPA Code of good business practice – a reassuring fact for customers.
The IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) works in conjunction with police, government, ISPs, mobile operators and several other communication sectors to minimize illegal online activity. The IWF is in operation worldwide, and Madasfish pride themselves on being a member and adhering to responsible provision of broadband services.
Customer Services
Madasafish offer a contact email address for both customer care and non-customer enquiries. They aim to respond to all queries within 24 hours. They also have a helpline available 7 days a week, in operation between 8am and 8pm, and charged at a reasonable 4 pence per minute.
Technical support is available in the form of the Madasafish Help & Support pages. However, a 24/7 technical support line is available if necessary.
Eclipse
Our View
Eclipse is a relatively new, but well-regarded broadband provider. They began trading in 1995 as a South West England ISP only, but have been providing broadband nationally since 2001. Their aim has been to supply reliable superfast broadband to the public at affordable prices.
In contrast to some ISPs, Eclipse offer great value for money. The connection speed offered for each package, even the lowest-priced, is up to a massive 24MB. Currently, this is the highest available broadband speed, so there’s no lack of quality in their products either.
Eclipse also have an awareness of environmental issues, employing energy saving and recycling methods as much as possible, even to the point of recycling all their old stationery. Their carbon footprint has also been massively reduced following the introduction of paperless billing and communication.
Packages
Eclipse has a selection of both home and business broadband packages. Each plan is outlined simply by Eclipse themselves, making the process of choosing the right one hassle free.
Residential Plans:
- Home Lite: 2GB download allowance. £7.78 for the first 3 months and £10.72 a month thereafter. 12 month contract.
- Home Select: 10GB download allowance. A free router is included. £12.67 for the first 3 months and £15.61 a month thereafter. 12 month contract.
- Home Pro: 50GB download allowance. A free wireless router is included. £22.46 for the first 3 months and £25.40 a month thereafter. 12 month contract.
There are no set up costs for any of the home broadband plans. Connection speeds are up to 24MB, and 10 email addresses are included in each plan.
Business Plans:
- Home Office: 3GB download allowance. 60 minutes free Wi-Fi usage, for on the go connectivity. £14.95 a month.
- Business 20: 20GB download allowance. 250MB of free webspace. Free domain name. £19.95 a month.
- Business 50: 50GB download allowance. 250MB of free webspace. Free domain name. £29.95 a month.
- Business Unlimited: Unlimited download allowance. 250MB of free webspace. 2 free domain names. £49.95 a month.
- Business 20: 20GB download allowance. 250MB of free webspace. Free domain name. £19.95 a month.
All plans are subject to a 12 month contract, and allow up to a 24MB connection speed.
Reputation
Statistics show that 9 out of 10 Eclipse users are extremely satisfied with their service, and would recommend them to a friend. In 2005, Eclipse acknowledged that their first ever customer was still with them after 10 years. Such figures go to show that while Eclipse has only been in existence as a company for a short time, their reputation is strong. They have been the winners of several awards to reflect this, namely from the Internet Service Providers Association. These awards include Best Business Broadband Provider ISPA Award in 2003, and Best Consumer Broadband Award in 2007.
Eclipse’s recent steps to reduce their carbon footprint and increase environmental awareness have also proven popular amongst customers. Feedback suggests customers appreciate both the hassle-free and environmentally friendly nature of paperless billing.
Customer Service
Eclipse are committed to maintaining good relations with their customers, and so have ensured that all their call centres are UK-based, and they will always aim to answer phone calls within 60 seconds. Their website boasts a “Chat Live” feature, where prospective customers can speak with an advisor about any queries they may have before making a purchase. Current customers benefit from a “my Eclipse” section on the website, allowing them to manage their account details and benefit from 24/7 help.
BT
<b>Reputation</b>
BT is the world’s oldest communications company. It descends from The Electric Telegraph Company, established in 1846 as the world’s first commercial telecommunications corporation. BT’s reputation is, therefore, practically unrivalled in terms of longevity of service. Customer reviews and feedback suggest BT is currently ranked as one of the top broadband providers. The introduction of the Home Hub has encouraged this, meeting all customers’ media needs in one simple unit.
<b>Packages</b>
Home Broadband:<ul>
<li><b>Fast & Reliable: 10GB monthly usage allowance. Free BT home hub included. 250 free Wi-Fi minutes. 12 or 18 month contract available. £15.65 a month (£7.78 for 3 months when taking an 18 month contract)
<li><b>Heavy Usage: 15GB monthly usage allowance. Free BT home hub included. 350 free Wi-Fi minutes. McAfee PC Security included. 12 or 18 month contract available. £20.54 a month (£13.69 for 3 months when taking an 18 month contract).
<li><b>Unlimited: Unlimited monthly usage. McAfee PC Security included. Unlimited Wi-Fi minutes. Free BT home hub and phone. Available on a contract for 12 or 18 months. £24.46 a month (£18.59 for 3 months when taking an 18 month contract).
<li><b>Anywhere: Unlimited monthly usage. McAfee PC Security included. Unlimited Wi-Fi minutes. Free BT home hub, phone and ToGo Smart mobile phone for on the go broadband access and low cost calls to other mobiles. 18 month contract only. £29.35 a month (£23.48 for the first 3 months)</ul>
All BT home broadband plans provide customers with connection speeds of up to a healthy 8MB, and offer the optional extra of BT NetProtect. For £3.42 a month, this provides advanced PC security against viruses, spyware, identity theft and hacking codes.
Business Broadband:<ul>
<li><b>Option 1: £15 a month on a 24 month contract, or £20 a month on a 12 month contract. 10GB monthly usage allowance. 50 BT Openzone (Wi-Fi) minutes a month. An optional wireless router is available at £59 (ex VAT).
<li><b>Option 2: £26.99 a month on a 24 month contract, or £29.99 a month on a 12 month contract. Unlimited monthly usage allowance. 250 BT Openzone (Wi-Fi) minutes a month. Free wireless router.
<li><b>Option 3: £40.50 a month on a 24 month contract, or £45 a month on a 12 month contract. This option includes all the benefits of Option 2, but includes free mobile broadband for on the go connectivity, an Internet Security Pack for 5 PCs and Remote Support which means any problems can be fixed remotely by BT without the need to call out an engineer.</ul>
All business broadband plans provide users with up to 8MB connection speed, and prices stated are exclusive of VAT.
<b>Customer Services</b>
BT offer all home and business broadband customers a free 24/7 support line. Home IT support is also available to call free of charge, however, home engineer visits do incur a charge. Prospective customers have the option to chat live with a BT agent on their website before making a purchase, in order to iron out any queries or questions.
<b>Our View</b>
BT is a global company that serves as the UK’s leading communications supplier. They are adept in supplying customers with broadband packages that are suited to their particular needs. BT offer a variety of comprehensive broadband products. This, combined with the peace of mind that comes from BT being a vast, well-established and reliable broadband provider makes them a frontrunner in the broadband market.
Be Broadband
Our View
Set up in 2004, Be broadband is one of the newest success stories in the home broadband market. In 2006, they were bought by the O2 group, further improving their network throughout the UK.
In our opinion, Be are the epitome of simple home broadband. They take the hassle out of trawling through dozens of different broadband packages, limiting their range to just three easy-to-understand deals. Be have ensured that their products are of a high quality, especially in terms of connection speed, and they don’t break the bank in comparison to other home broadband packages, either.
Packages
All Be broadband packages are suitable for any level of broadband user. However, those wanting to upload photos, videos and other data onto the web would be advised to take the Be Pro option, as it offers the ultimate download and upload speed combo.
- Be Value: £13.50 a month. 8MB connection speed. Unlimited download allowance. £24 connection fee. 12 month contract.
- Be Unlimited: £17.50 a month. 24MB connection speed. Unlimited download allowance. Free Be Box modem. £24 connection fee. No contract, however, 3 months notice is required if you intend to leave Be Broadband.
- Be Pro: £21.50 a month. 24MB connection speed. Unlimited download allowance. Free Be Box modem. High upload speed of 2.5MB. £24 connection fee. No contract, however, 3 months notice is required if you intend to leave Be Broadband.
Reputation
Be Broadband promise to provide superfast broadband, a pledge on which they actually deliver. Their superfast speeds of up to 24MB, combined with low contention and low latency, means Be broadband has become a big hit with gamers. It is therefore no wonder why Be is the first ever UK ISP to have an online presence in the hit worldwide game, Second Life.
Their solid reputation stretches further than the computer games arena. In 2008, Be broadband was presented with Which? Magazine’s coveted “Best Consumer Broadband Award”. Essentially, Be is a new, innovative home broadband supplier that strives, and succeeds, in delivering its customers the goods it promises.
Customer Services
Be’s online FAQ area breaks down into several sections, whereby they have answered hundreds of common questions and queries. The FAQ section includes comprehensive technical guides to try and solve trickier problems. If their FAQ section doesn’t help you however, there is a 24/7 hotline available for members to call to discuss any matter with regard to their product. The member sign in area of the Be website allows customers to login into their account in order to manage billing and personal details, as well as email Be’s helpful staff regarding any matter should they wish to.
Big Brother On Broadband
Broadband search engine Google will enable users to keep tabs on friends and family
A new era of Big Brother Broadband could be dawning for broadband technology.
Broadband search engine Google has launched a new facility called Google Latitude.
The ‘Latitude’ concept, which has been met with opposition from privacy campaigners, allows broadband users to track the location of friends and family to within a few metres.
The broadband feature was made available on February 4, 2009 on millions of mobile phones that can access broadband, such as the Blackberry. Within weeks, Google hopes to release a version that will also work through broadband on computers as well.
Although Latitude has optional privacy settings, the broadband technology has whipped up a stormy debate among privacy campaigners.
Broadband – an ‘electronic leash on children’?
The technology, for example, could be used to spy on spouses, uncover white lies and may be welcomed by parents who want to keep tabs on their children.
Debating the latter issue, John Carr, secretary of the Children’s Charities Coalition on Internet Safety, raised the question: “Is a mobile phone becoming an electronic leash on children?” He added: “You can see situations where this kind of thing might be useful, but it is also kind of imprisoning children even more.”
Google argues that Latitude is an ‘opt-in’ facility. Both parties using broadband have to agree to be ‘spied on’ and privacy settings can also be altered.
However, Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, said the security on the broadband technology was appalling. Speaking to the Guardian he said: “Google is naive if it thinks there are adequate controls on this feature.”