Dial up packages

Looking to get online every now and again don't want broadband? Or maybe you still can't receive broadband where you live? A dial up (or narrowband) service may be the answer.

Some dial up internet access is charged by the amount of time you spend online (a pay as you go, or PAYG, package) while others have a fixed monthly fee.

1. AOL Anytime: £19.99 per month

• One month FREE trial
  
• No minimum contract
• Unlimited time online with no internet call charges
• Download speed up to 56kb
• Faster and more reliable surfing with AOL TopSpeed™ and Auto-Reconnect
• Enhanced email with up to seven email addresses
• Inclusive Safety & Security Centre with anti-virus scanning on emails, spam filters, pop-up blockers and Parental Controls
• Online support at no extra cost

Find out more or sign up for AOL Anytime

2. Orange Dial Up Anytime - go online as often as you like

• £14.99 per month
• no connection charge
• no 12 month contract
• security, email and webspace
• technical support is 50p a minute from a BT line
• won't work with cable phone
• Payment by Direct Debit; £1 monthly charge for payment by Visa, MasterCard, Delta or American Express
  

Find out more or sign up for Orange Dial up Anytime

3. Orange Dial up Pay As You Go - only pay for what you use

• costs 1p a minute all weekend, 2p a minute weekday evenings (6pm-6am), and 4p a minute weekday daytime (6am-6pm)
• no 12 month contract
• security, email and webspace
• technical support is 50p a minute from a BT line
• works with cable!
• charges appear on your phone bill

Find out more or sign up for Orange Dial up Pay As You Go

Speed up your dialup
If you can't get broadband where you live, you may still be able to speed up your web browsing. An internet accelerator such as Onspeed can help you surf the web more speedily whether you are on dial up, up to 2 meg broadband, or mobile internet.

Onspeed doesn't actually speed up your internet service - it compresses each webpage or email so it downloads to your computer more quickly. Onspeed costs only £24.99 per year (you will still have to pay for any dial up, broadband or mobile service you use).
Find out more about Onspeed.

By Sarah, at UK Broadband Finder

Superfast broadband

If 8 Meg isn't fast enough for you, there are now broadband providers offering up to 24 Meg for home broadband connections.

Okay, in other countries they may be enjoying speeds like this as a matter of course, but as it isn't that long since a 512k download speed was the height of online sophistication in the UK we can still allow ourselves to get a little excited by genuinely superfast broadband.

Of course, the usual proviso applies - speeds are "up to" and not guaranteed.

The fastest speeds are available from broadband providers who use their own networks, whether phone line or cable.

The best known superfast broadband provider is probably Be. They have been expanding their network coverage significantly from London-only to include many areas of the UK. You can click here to find out if your local exchange has been enabled for Be broadband. Be broadband prices are very low for the speed - only £14 a month for their Be Lite package.

Cable provider Virgin Media is offering up to 10 Mb on its cable broadband package XL for £35 a month - and you get a one-off discount of £10 if you order online.

UK Online uses its own network for its up to 22 Meg broadband service. There's an offer at the moment too - order before 30/04/07 and get the service for only £24.99 per month for the first year (usual price is £29.99 per month). And they are currently waiving the £25 connection fee for this package.

If you are currently within contract with another broadband provider but you'll be looking for a really fast broadband package in the future, bookmark my superfast broadband page on my broadband availablity website.

By Sarah, at UK Broadband Finder