Looking for a new broadband plan? If you’re anything like me, you’ll shut your eyes, hold your breath and sign with the first Internet Service Provider that cold calls you at 7pm on a Sunday night.
And then, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be somewhat unsure about what you’ve signed, what you’re getting, and why your money seems to be disappearing faster than my chocolate ice cream in the 43 degree heat last night.
So before you sign, read the list I’ve compiled of “Ten Things to Do Before You Buy Broadband”. It’s not an exhaustive list – feel free to post your own tips in the comments section – and it’s not a review of individual ISPs, but after losing a lot of money and tearing my hair out in frustration over the silly broadband plan I signed up to a few years ago, I wrote down a few points about what I would and wouldn’t do next time.
Hopefully some of them will be useful to you and save you some time and money!
Lastly, I would recommend that you check out comparison sites to have your broadband options laid out before you. Check out the Broadband Guide for an instant comparison of internet plans.
Ten Things to Do Before You Buy Broadband:
1. Read the fine print! If you are unsure about what you are signing up for, ask. Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting.
2. Make sure you know how long you are signing on for, and if you will have to pay fees to cut the service short if you move house, go overseas or your circumstances change.
3. Communication is important. If you have been with any telco in the past and know that you will have to wait 20-30 minutes on the phone to speak to someone whenever you call about a problem, consider how much your time is worth and how frustrating it may be to deal with them.
4. When comparing plans, look at how many gigabytes you get in downloads, and figure out what you need. If you do not use the internet heavily, or do not download much, go with a cheaper plan with a lower download limit. However, do not underestimate how frustrating it is to reach your download limit 10 days into the month and have 3 weeks of slowed internet. (This one annoys the hell out of me!)
5. Check how much of your download limit is restricted to ‘off-peak’ downloads. (The definition of “off-peak” depends on your provider.) For instance, you may be on a plan with a 25 GB download limit, however 20 GB of that may be restricted to between the ‘off-peak’ hours of 2am-7am. This is fine if you are an owlish type (or have a ‘turtle’ to set a download timer – I’m not quite sure how these work so you might have to Google it!) but if you work 9-5 you probably won’t use most of your downloads.
6. If you use peer-to-peer file-sharing on most of your downloads, check whether your provider slows peer-to-peer download speeds. Many of them will slow these downloads to speeds as low as 32kbps or slower.
7. Look at the bills you pay currently for your telco services and check out the ‘packages’ offered with broadband deals. If you do not need a home phone, and do not want to pay line rental for a service you hardly use, go with naked DSL. If you are looking for a new mobile phone plan, ask about mobile and broadband bundling etc. Some providers will give you excellent bundling deals, but make sure you have an overall budget in place first.
8. If you don’t want to rely only on your mobile phone, but you don’t want to pay line rental on a home phone either, set up VoIP with naked DSL. You can make voice calls over the internet to home phones and mobiles with VoIP, and you will save money by not paying line rental.
9. Shop around for free installation deals. When you sign up, your internet service provider will most likely charge an installation fee and/or a fee for a broadband modem. Charges vary, so keep an eye out for free installation deals. Some providers automatically give you a USB broadband modem, which will only connect to one computer. If you share internet access between several computers, you'll need an ethernet broadband modem. This plugs into a router, which can share your internet connection between computers, including wireless devices. Some ISPs let you buy your broadband modem elsewhere or let you keep using your old one if you've transferred from another provider - and some will not.
10. If you’re looking to save money, don’t sign up for a plan that charges you for excess downloads. Instead, find a plan that will shape your connection (slow your connection speed) once you have reached your download limit. Otherwise, you may find you are charged anywhere up to $150 per GB for excess downloads.
And one failsafe way to lose money on a broadband plan:
Do what this guy did, and choose a plan that charges you for going over your download limit. Then download 50 GB of movies in one month and watch your bill skyrocket!
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