The Best Value Student Broadband Packages 2013

What you need before getting online

1. An active landline to get broadband, but you can decide whether to bundle your home phone and broadband together (cheaper) or set them up separately. See below for the comparisons on both options, or view our landline comparison article.
2. A working router that you can either buy yourself (find one on Amazon), or add it to your broadband order (sometimes free).
3. Patience! It’s worth knowing that the whole process can take several weeks (usually between 3-6), so the earlier you order your broadband the better!

What to consider when choosing student broadband

1. Data allowance – Don’t risk breaching any data or ‘fair use’ limits on your service. The consequences of doing so can be very costly! The cheaper your broadband package the more this can be an issue. Think about how much you use the Internet, especially if you are sharing the connection between more than 3 people. A 2GB monthly download limit will allow you to watch around 3.5 hours of high quality iPlayer. Be aware that ‘unlimited’ download packages can also come with restrictions.
2. Speed of broadband – Again, download speed is one of the biggest factors to consider if you’ll be sharing broadband. If it’s too slow you’ll experience lag and really annoying buffering. Be aware that advertised speeds are often ‘up to’ and you’ll rarely experience the maximum. If you want the highest possible speed you might want to look into fibre-optic.
3. Phone line – Do you already have a phone line installed or are you planning on bundling them together? It can be cheaper to bundle a phone line and broadband provider together.
4. Contract length – Although 18 month contracts can offer the best value, as a student you are more likely to be looking for 12 month contracts to coincide with your short-term tenancy agreement.
5. Cancellation – Most broadband contracts are a minimum of 12 months but students tend only to  use the service for 9 or 10 (September – July). However in most cases you can save money by getting a 12 month contract and then cancelling or moving it to your new house in the last 3 months. You may have to pay a charge, but it can be cheaper than paying the remaining months.

Bundled broadband and phone packages

Make the biggest savings by combining your broadband and land line with the same supplier. It also makes things a lot easier as you’ll only be dealing with one company and won’t be at risk of ordering the wrong thing.

We have researched the best phone and broadband package deals for students. The prices quoted are for the total cost, and may change slightly. Here are the winners:

1. Sky – £24.50 / month

   Broadband – up to 14Mbs download speed with unlimited downloads.

   Phone – Free evening and weekend calls.

   Other benefits - Use free Cloud spot WiFi out and about, free router worth £69, £25 M&S Voucher!

   Whilst Sky offer a ‘calls and broadband’ package for non-Sky customers, if you are already subscribed to Sky TV you can get broadband with them for just £7.50 per month. The broadband and calls is only £10 a month and the line rental is £14.50 a month.

   The only downside is that you are likely to have to pay some installation costs (but try and barter).

   Visit Sky’s website »

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2. Talk Talk – £13.57 / month

   Broadband – up to 14Mbs speed with Unlimited download limit.

   Phone – Free evening and weekend calls.

   Other benefits – Discount when paid in advance, 9 months half price

   Talk talk have a great deal for students that can afford to pay their phone bill upfront. It actually works out as the cheapest package currently available.

   The first 9 months of broadband is £3.25 and then £6.50 for the last 3. The phone line rental is £9.50 a month if you pay upfront.

   You also currently get free installation.

   Visit Talk Talk’s website »

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3. Virgin Media - £21.25 / month

   Broadband – up to 30Mbs speed with Unlimited download limit.

   Phone – Free evening and weekend calls.

   Other benefits – No need for a phoneline, free installation

   This Virgin media broadband is on a 12 month contract with £17.20 for the first 3 months and then £22.50 for the last 9 months of the contract (which works out as an average of £21.25/month for the year.

   See more on this offer »

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4. Plusnet – £20.98 / month

   Broadband – up to 16Mbs speed with 60GB download limit.

   Phone – Free evening and weekend calls.

   Other benefits – Rolling one month contract or free installation*

   Plusnet currently offer the best price for phone and broadband. The price is broken down as £9.49 line rental (when paying 12 months upfront & £12.99 per month without) and £11.49 for the broadband itself. Beyond price, the customer service is excellent and (having tested it ourselves) the service provides good speeds. This is a very popular option right now, and for good reason!

   If you’re happy with a lower download limit, you can make even more savings with the Plusnet Value broadband at just £6.49 a month.

   *To get the free activation take a 12 month contract. If you cancel before the 12 months you will simply be charged the £25 for activation (so it’s best to go with this just in case you choose not to cancel).

   Visit Plusnet’s website »

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5. O2 – £23.44 / month

   Broadband – up to 16Mbs speed with unlimited download limit.

   Phone – Free evening and weekend calls.

   Other benefits - First 3 months free broadband, discount for O2 customers.

   O2 phone and broadband is a great package for students and they have good customer service. Existing customers can get an even better deal (see below).

   The ‘All-Rounder‘ is the best package for the fuller student house because it has high line speeds and an unlimited download limit. You can opt for a month-by-month contract but you’ll have to pay the £30.63 set up charge, rather than£12.37. Even so, it could be worth going for this if you are only looking for a 9 month contract.

   This package works out cheaper than getting a BT land line and O2 broadband on top.

   If you are an existing O2 customer then this becomes a knock-out deal, as you will get free installation and 12 months half-price broadband, which makes it just £19.25 per month for everything!

   Visit O2′s website »

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6. Orange – £23.50 / month

   Broadband – up to 14Mbs speed with unlimited downloads.

   Phone – Free evening and weekend calls.

   Other benefits - Free installation, £40 M&S Voucher, Orange customer discount.

   If you are a current mobile customer with Orange then you could bring the cost down to just £18.50 a month for your phone and broadband!

   Visit Orange’s website »

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7. BT - £23.75 / month

   Broadband - up to 16Mbs download speed with 10GB download limit.

   Phone - Free calls for one year!

   Other benefits - Free WiFi access at BT Openzone hotspots, free installation, free wireless router

   Not a great choice for high internet usage and it’s quite pricey, but the benefits of this BT broadband package may outweigh the small data allowance for some students. Being able to connect to the internet on the move is a big plus, and the line speed is high. For more details have a look at the link below.

   Visit BT’s website »

Broadband without line rental included

Remember that these broadband deals do not include line rental, which will cost around a tenner each month. Click here for broadband with landline, or take a look at our line rental only guide. Be aware that some broadband providers only work with certain phone line suppliers. These broadband options below will require a BT phone line.

1. Plusnet Broadband – £13.57 / month

   
   Speed – up to 16Mbs

   Download limit – 60GB

   Contract length – Month by month

   Price-wise Plusnet is currently the best out there at £11.49 per month with a small £25 installation fee. You have the option to purchase a wireless router or supply your own. The cost over 12 months is £13.57.

   If you want to bring the price down even more, you can opt for a 10GB download limit for just £6.49 a month with the Plusnet Value broadband.

   Get Plusnet Internet »

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2. O2 Broadband – £15.50 / month

   Speed – up to 16Mbs

   Download limit – Unlimited

   Contract length – 12 Months

   O2 currently offer the best unlimited broadband with fast speeds and good customer service. Their “All-Rounder” package is £17.50 per month, however you can currently get the first 3 months, wireless router and postage for free. This brings the monthly cost down to £15.50 each month.

   Existing O2 customers can benefit from an even bigger discount making the monthly cost just £6.25 with free installation! More details on the link below.

   Get O2 Internet »

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3. BE Internet – £17 / month

   Speed – 10Mbs

   Download limit – Unlimited

   Contract length – 12 Months

   Although BE Internet only offer 10Mbs speed you get unlimited downloads for your £17 per month on high quality broadband with well rated customer service.

   If you want to run on 3 month contracts you can upgrade to pay £25 a month for BE Unlimited. BE don’t charge a connection fee.

   Get BE Internet »

More tips on getting broadband

• Remember that the cost of broadband is likely to be divided between every housemate, making things seem very cheap.
• Broadband activation could take up to 6 weeks so it’s best to sort it early if you plan on living in the house throughout summer.
• It is not always best to go with a company that is offering ‘student broadband’. Remember to compare deals across the market, as we have here.
• Most students will end up taking a 12 month contract (in September) and then have to cancel after 9 months if they intend to move out. Always check out the cancellation costs for your provider to avoid any shocks.
• Keep an eye out for any other hidden charges (such as router costs, download penalties etc)
• Although the greatest care and research was taken when writing these articles, some of the information will inevitable change over time. We do our best make timely updates, but always check on the provider’s website too.