Are you looking to set up broadband without a landline? UK internet used to be delivered over the same copper cables as telephone signals. That meant that if you wanted broadband, you’d need to take out a landline package with the same provider.
Today, most homes are served by fibre-optic cable, but telecom companies still try to get their customers to pay for a package with a landline phone – even though fewer and fewer people are using them. In fact, in 2021 40% of the UK reported that they never use their landline phone.
Here’s how you can set up broadband without a landline, and which providers can offer you a home phone-free internet plan.
Can broadband work without a landline?
Broadband internet means internet that is transmitted over a ‘broad band’ (wide range) of frequencies. It’s the modern standard for connections and the basis for the UK’s internet.
The broadband you receive to your home could be delivered by one of three types of cabling. ADSL or DSL internet is the slowest, with a maximum speed of around 10 mb/s. These connections still use the existing phone lines to transmit signals.
FTTC or fibre-to-the-cabinet uses high-speed fibre optic cables to connect local servers to a cabinet in your street. The final data transmission, from the cabinet to your home, is then carried over your phone line. These connections have a maximum speed of around 70 mb/s.
The fastest internet connections in the UK do not use a landline phone line at all. These are FTTP or fibre-to-the-premises connections. These include ‘full fibre’ packages from suppliers like BT and Sky, Virgin Media’s network and smaller independent networks including Hyperoptic. These connections can reach download speeds of up to 1 GB/s.
If you have one of these ‘full fibre’ connections available at your home then you can opt for a package that doesn’t include any landline phone services at all.
If you don’t have FTTP internet available to you, your connection will still use your phone line. However, if you never use your landline like the 26% of people who don’t even have a phone plugged in you might be able to save by choosing a package with no included phone services. While you’ll still have a socket and a local phone number available to you, you won’t pay any extra for the calls you aren’t making.
What broadband can I get without a phone line?
As we mentioned above, to get broadband without any landline involved you must have FTTP (Fibre to the premises) available at your home.
If Virgin Media’s broadband network is available in your area then you can get broadband without a landline through Virgin. Virgin Media’s private network covers around 60% of the UK. You can check if Virgin internet is available in your area and look at broadband-only packages with no phone line here.
On the Openreach network, used by the majority of UK suppliers, your broadband will not use your phone line if you have a full fibre package with a speed above 150 mb/s. However, popular providers like EE offer a landline-free package even at lower speeds.
BT, the most popular broadband provider in the UK, also lets you choose whether you would like a landline phone service or not when you order if the option is available at your address. Packages with no phone line are between £3 – £5 cheaper a month than with a landline phone. That means you could save £120 over the course of your contract if you don’t use your home phone.
Newer, independent broadband companies like Hyperoptic have designed their service from the ground up to not include a landline. While you can add an internet-powered home phone to any of their packages for £2 a month the default options are all broadband only.
Can I save by getting broadband without a landline?
As we outlined above, many major suppliers will offer you a cheaper price for broadband if you don’t take a phone line. If you don’t use your home phone, it’s definitely worth considering one of these options to save money on broadband.
However, this isn’t always the case. Some great value suppliers like Sky broadband include a pay-as-you-call landline for free, with no extra cost if you don’t use the service.
You may also be able to save more by including a landline if you’re looking to add TV or mobile SIMs to your package. Many suppliers offer a discount for taking out multiple services at once, and the best value packages are usually ‘triple’ or ‘quadruple play’, including broadband, phone line, TV and optionally mobile.
Some customers can also save with a pre-paid landline call package. Particularly in the case of international call packages, many suppliers offer competitive rates on their landline calls which can beat mobile providers in price.
If you want to find the best value package for your unique needs, consider signing up to Please Connect Me’s free utility service. A dedicated Connections Expert will run comprehensive checks on your property to find what’s available in your area. Then, based on your requirements, you can get recommendations for the best value package for you. Find out more and sign up using the link below.
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