The most misleading word to be found in the world of broadband is the adjective 'unlimited'. Although unlimited is taken to mean 'without limit', its meaning has been utterly twisted in the telecoms field.
When providers proudly boast of 'unlimited' broadband, there is usually an asterisk attached. This leads to the small print, where you discover several restrictions on your broadband usage, such as download limits, 'fair use' policies and 'throttling back' of broadband speeds at certain times.
BT goes unlimited
In my view, broadband providers are getting away with false advertising. If they publicise unlimited downloads, then that's what we should get: unlimited downloads, without any hidden restrictions.
The good news is that BT has raised the stakes in the battle for broadband customers by launching better-value 'Totally Unlimited Broadband'. This is now available on all but its entry-level packages, while it is also cutting its monthly charges.
Here are BT's new tariffs, all of which come without any usage limits and no 'traffic management' to slow users down:
- Unlimited Broadband: 16Mbps copper broadband from £16 a month
- Unlimited Infinity 1: 38Mbps from £23 a month
- Unlimited Infinity 2: 76Mbps from £26 a month
Previously, the cheapest way for BT broadband customers to go unlimited was to buy its high-level £26-a-month option. Now, unlimited surfing is available from just £16 a month, a saving of £120 a year.
BT’s Totally Unlimited Broadband packages all come with free weekend or weekend and evening calls, free BT Cloud, free BT Wi-Fi and BT SmartTalk. However, BT will still sell its (limited) basic broadband for £13 a month and Infinity 1 for £18 a month.
What's more, BT is tempting new customers with the offer of their first six months free for 16Mbps copper broadband. This offer applies to new BT broadband customers who sign an 18-month contract and pay line rental to BT, but ends on 6th June. New customers can get Infinity for just £9 per month for the first three months.
Existing BT customers can switch to Totally Unlimited Broadband simply by signing a new contract.
BT in the cloud
[SPOTLIGHT]As an added bonus for its broadband customers, BT has launched BT Cloud, a new online-storage service with a free allowance for all customers. The highest storage allowance of 50GB goes to BT customers on Infinity 76Mbps and top-tier copper broadband packages.
Customers can use BT Cloud to securely back up, store and access their photographs, documents and videos wherever they are. Cloud contents can be accessed using a wide variety of internet-connected devices, including smartphones, tablets and computers, whether at home or on the move. These files can be streamed direct to mobile devices (such as android handsets, iPads or iPhones) and shared via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.
Who will follow suit?
O2, Sky and most recently Plusnet already have 'truly unlimited' broadband deals, so BT is hardly breaking the mould. However, BT is the UK's biggest UK broadband provider and where it goes, others will surely follow.
Likewise, with household data demands growing rapidly, going truly unlimited is clearly the way forward for proper enjoyment of the delights of the internet.
Five great broadband offers
Many providers have revamped their special offers of late. Below I've rounded up some of the more exciting deals.
Here are five top special offers available to new broadband customers:
BT: unlimited broadband plus calls
- Free £25 Sainsbury’s gift card
- Up to 16Mb Totally Unlimited Broadband
- Get six months free (then £16 a month) and pay monthly line rental of £15.45
- Free weekend calls to UK landlines and 0845/0870 numbers (for calls up to an hour; hang up and redial to avoid charges)
- Free wireless BT Home Hub (£6.95 for delivery) and BT Family Protection
- Free connection
- Free BT SmartTalk app (use your smartphone's Wi-Fi connection and your BT home-calling plan to save money on calls to 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers and calls from abroad to UK landlines)
- 2GB BT Cloud online storage
- Introductory offer available only to new BT broadband customers signing an 18-month contract
- Offer ends 6th June
BT: unlimited BT Infinity 1
- Free £50 Sainsbury's gift card
- Up to 38Mb BT Infinity Broadband
- Totally unlimited usage
- £16 a month for three months, then £23 a month, plus £15.45 monthly line rental
- Free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines and 0845/0870 numbers (for calls up to an hour; hang up and redial to avoid charges)
- Free wireless BT Home Hub (£6.95 for delivery), BT Family Protection and BT NetProtect Plus software
- Free connection
- Free BT SmartTalk app (use your smartphone's Wi-Fi connection and your BT home-calling plan to save money on calls to 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers and calls from abroad to UK landlines)
- 2GB BT Cloud online storage
- Introductory offer available only to new BT broadband customers signing an 18-month contract
Sky: six months' free unlimited broadband with Sky TV
- Totally unlimited Sky broadband, with up to 14Mb speeds, free for six months
- Sign up to Sky TV online and get a £75 Marks & Spencer voucher
- £21.50 a month for six months, then £29 a month, plus £14.50 monthly line rental
- Inclusive weekend calls to UK landlines and 0870 numbers (for calls up to an hour; hang up and redial to avoid charges)
- Free Sky+ box and Sky hub
- Free standard installation
- Free Sky Go (upgrade to Sky Go Extra free for two months)
- Access to free Wi-Fi hotspots from The Cloud
- Offer ends Thursday 7th February, so act fast!
Sky: Broadband Unlimited, plus £25 M&S voucher
- Totally unlimited Sky broadband, with up to 14Mb speeds
- Free for six months, then £7.50 a month for existing TV customers/£10 a month for new customers, plus monthly line rental of £14.50
- New customers get a £25 M&S voucher when joining Sky Broadband Unlimited without TV
- Existing TV customers get a £25 M&S voucher when switching to Sky Broadband Unlimited, as well as calls and line rental to Sky
- Inclusive weekend calls to UK landlines and 0870 numbers (for calls up to an hour; hang up and redial to avoid charges)
- Free Sky+ box and Sky hub
- Free standard installation
- Access to free Wi-Fi hotspots from The Cloud
- Offer ends 14th February
EE: fibre broadband, get £95 credit
- Join EE Fibre today to get £95 credit on your second bill (plus £5 discount for existing mobile customers)
- Up to 38Mb broadband with 40GB broadband usage
- £15 a month for existing Orange Mobile, T-Mobile or EE Mobile customers or £20 a month for other customers, plus £14 monthly line rental
- Free evening and weekend calls (for calls up to an hour; hang up and redial to avoid charges)
- Free EE Brightbox router (worth £95)
- Two-for-one cinema tickets every Wednesday
- Offer ends 28th February
Compare broadband deals at BroadbandChoices