Broadband Options For The Option-less

Broadband in Hull, for example, has always been a contentious issue thanks to the fact that it only has one telephone provider, Kingston Communications.

Ofcom, the regulator, has stepped in. Ruling that KC can create cheaper broadband deals with phone bundles for all residents.

Whilst this is undoubtedly good news for broadband users in Hull - it should be treated cautiously as KC will remain the monopoly provider in the city, with only a few small competitors.

The big three providers TalkTalk, BT and Virgin Media all continue to rule out investing in the area, citing that it would prove to be uneconomic.

BT have quoted Hull residents £2,000 in the past to install a phone line.

KC has been the incumbent provider in Hull for more than 100 years and was allowed to keep it's status throughout the years of privatisation of telephony services.

Nearly everyone in Hull uses KC for their telephone and broadband services and all local telephone calls are free of charge.

Charges for broadband however are high in comparison to those enjoyed throughout the rest of the country.

KC customers must pay for separate broadband and phone services currently, £10.99 a month and £12.99 a month respectively for the most basic deals.

The basic £12.99 a month broadband packages is 'up to' 24Mb with a small 5Gb per month download limit.

So what are your broadband options if, like Hull residents, you seem option-less?

Hull residents are frustrated that they cannot get deals from providers such as Sky Broadband who offer both broadband and phone for just £11 a month.

Many Hull residents subscribe to Sky and as such would be eligible for the £11 a month offer.

Of course many people outside Hull cannot get this offer as it relies on living in a Sky unbundled area, but consumers living in cities as big as Hull, across the rest of the UK enjoy plenty of choice when it comes to broadband bundles.

Another broadband option for those like Hull residents, where there are a limited number of fixed line providers, is to get mobile broadband.

Although this is slower than fixed line, deals such as 3 15gb mobile broadband offer high download allowances for a reasonable price.

The good news for those living in Hull is that Karoo - the broadband provider arm of KC - score quite well in speed tests, with an average of 7.65Mb from speedtest.net.

This makes Karoo's ADSL2+ much faster than most other providers in the UK, but it's still not the fastest broadband and it is still much dearer.

By: Neil Hawkins

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Neil Hawkins is a staff writer for a site where users can compare broadband deals. The site also includes articles on subjects such as where to get Sky Sports cheaper.