Christmas has been and gone and we’re all feeling the pinch ! January brings in not only a brand new year but also a new decade. The 20s have begun and it is a time for new beginnings and New Year’s Resolutions for many. If one of the ones you have undertaken is to save money then a good place to start is your utility bills, specifically your broadband package. There are plenty of cheap deals out there at this time of year and all you have to do is find them and choose the best one that suits you.
However performing your own broadband comparison is no easy task, and probably the reason many people don’t bother to look for a better deal. If you go through each provider’s website, they will present their packages in the best way possible and comparing them can be difficult. Moreover, there is no way to know for sure that you have not missed anything if you forget about a provider like Talk Talk or miss a package from someone like Plus Net is offering. The easiest way to compare packages is via a broadband comparison site like Broadband Choices because they are an unbiased third party who will give you all of your options in a way that makes them easy to compare to one another.
When using these websites to find cheap deals, you want to be looking at the following criteria in particular:
Data
More data is usually better. If you know how much data you use with your broadband connection every month then you can set that as a baseline. However, it is always worth paying for a little more than you need since running out and being forced to go over your limit is a good way to end up with a hefty bill at the end of the month. Being able to limit your monthly data is a great way to find a better deal in 2020. If you do not know how much you use there is no need to worry. There are still plenty of great deals with low prices on offer that offer unlimited data plans.
Download Speed
Your download speeds forms half of your general Internet connection. Generally, you want the fastest download speeds you can have and certain providers are much better at providing this than others. You may find that Talk Talk generally offers better speeds depending on your area or that PlusNet is the best for you, it all comes down to location, the provider and how much you are willing to pay. Remember, if you utilise streaming services or other high-volume data services you definitely are going to need a fast Internet connection.
Upload Speed
Upload speed is the other half of your general Internet connection quality. Your devices both send and receive data constantly and if you have an extremely low upload speed, you may find a lot of sites to be unresponsive and frustrating. Upload speed is particularly important if you like to share photos and videos on social media platforms. The only thing to bear in mind is that your upload speed does not need to be anywhere near as fast as your download speed, it just needs to be fast enough for general use.
Fibre Optic
Fibre optic connections are becoming increasingly common and 2020 is a great time to see if your area is covered by the fastest Internet delivery method currently available. However going for fibreoptic may limit your choice of providers but if you want fast Internet there is no better choice. As fibre becomes more common it is getting cheaper and more website designers are assuming that their customers have access to faster connections. If you have the option for fibre and you are looking to upgrade in the new year, it is worth strongly considering.
What Do You Need
The most important thing to remember is to find the right package for you and your specific internet needs, there’s no use in finding a great super fast fibre optic deal with lots of extras if you only use the internet to check emails every now and then. Although it may be great value for money you could still end up paying much more than you need to. It might be a good idea to make a list of your requirements so you can refer to this when comparing what’s on offer, it’s easy to be led astray by clever marketing and big discounts when shopping for these type of things.