The UK marketplace for broadband is highly competitive with countless providers and an equal number of products making it very difficult to choose a broadband provider. What adds to confusion is the presence of localized service providers also vying for the broadband market pie alongside nationwide operators.
On an average, the top broadband providers package their services targeting specific needs of individual customers such as low downtimes, fast and reliable service etc. But there are critical issues you need to appreciate when switching providers, regardless of reasons.
The initial thing you are going to mind is the downtime providers need in order to transfer and setup the service, which is important if your profession needs call for quicker switchover. When you are migrating from cable broadband to ADSL service, wherein things like new modem, micro filter, Ethernet connection take over a couple of days to install. Remember, very few providers make provisions to use your cable broadband parallel to ADSL without having to loose your work time while they set it up.
Mind you, all this will be possible only if you have a basic landline telephone connection or a BT phone. Make sure you factor this in if you are concerned about hold ups and delays . Getting a BT basic phone and ADSL broadband connections will take around 10 days if you apply simultaneously. On the other hand, switching back to cable broadband provider takes around a week’s time and you must have your license/connection canceled from your ADSL broadband provider. The only matter you need to check is that your computer matches required specifications.
How to Judge Broadband Providers: The thumb rule to judge broadband providers ahead of switching services is to compare their services , reliability and commitment to customer service. It may appear simple than meets the eye but judging reliability and customer care requires quite an amount of research whereas comparing different products is easier.
How to Compare Broadband Products:
Here again, the thumb rule is to go by cost comparison which includes setup fees, usage charges, rentals, if any, downloading speeds (ranges from 1-8 mbps) and whether there is free night usages. Some providers package their products thrown in with 1-2 months free rentals and freebies like free emails, antivirus and anti spam etc, just to make them more attractive. A package namely BroadCall from the Utility Warehouse Discount Club is one to consider due to the pricing, package on offer and consistent glowing third party customer reviews.
Finally always mention to neaighbours when switching broadband providers in particular when you are in a new city.