By 2019, 93% of households in the United Kingdom had an internet connection, a sharp increase from the 9% recorded barely 20 years earlier. Unlike in the past, these households were connected to high-speed internet at a relatively lower cost than two decades earlier. An increase in internet speeds and quality has been running in tandem with a price drop in areas like London in the United Kingdom. Despite the decline in costs, internet premiums are still grudgingly out of reach for many consumers now searching for cheap internet in London.
Several factors determine internet costs. Speed, bandwidth, competition from other internet service providers (ISPs), and connection costs are among them. For this reason, you’ll see internet prices by diverse companies playing more or less the same range in terms of prices. However, there are many other avenues to access cheap internet in London. But before we access them, we shall explore whether affordable internet is a worthy consideration.
Is Cheap Internet Worth It?
While cheap internet seems like an alluring option, it’s a knife that cuts both ways. The main advantage of cheap internet is getting the necessary connectivity at a lesser strain on your pocket. With the cheap internet, there are many factors you may need to compromise on like reliability and speed, but that’s not always the case.
Sometimes, government intervention to offer low-cost internet solutions, discounts from ISPs, and bundling your services may help you access cheap and reliable internet in London. The discounts and government interventions aren’t the preserve of every ISP in London, but now and again, an opportunity might emerge that’ll benefit your search for cheap connectivity.
Key to note in your quest to find the cheapest internet in London is to ensure your ISP meets other inherent qualities in the connectivity that’ll make your internet connection an asset.
Finding Cheap Internet
If you feel like a cheap internet connection will benefit you or your business, several tips could guide you in your search for cheap internet in London. Here are six of them:
1. Compare Costs Between Providers
In choosing your internet service provider, the three things to consider are speed, price, and availability. When you compare prices between various ISPs, make sure you factor in the hidden costs. Some providers may seem to provide cheap internet at first glance but may be making a killing from installation costs and monthly equipment rentals. Some may also have put annual hikes on your chosen data plan or a termination fee in case you cancel before your contract has run out.
When considering cheap internet in London, read the fine print to ensure you’re getting what you pay for and avoid heartache long after committing yourself to an ISP.
2. Consider Government Initiatives To Provide Cheaper Internet
In 2022, the UK government launched the flagship GBP£5 billion program Project Gigabit to connect remote businesses with better broadband connectivity. The program aims to establish gigabit-capable coverage to 85% of the UK populace by 2025. The project intends to benefit all the towns in the UK, including London.
Apart from fast internet, beneficiaries of the Gigabit project will receive government assistance in offsetting connection costs. A circular released by the UK government announced that eligible homes and businesses could apply for up to GBP£4,500 to cover the costs of a gigabit-capable connection. Far from Gigabit, the UK government also provides special discounted social tariffs to offset internet costs in collaboration with select internet service providers. These benefits aren’t widely available but rather exist on a need basis.
In the case of London, relevant candidates are those subsisting on employment and support allowance, universal credit, and income support benefits. For 50 Mbps speed, they pay only GBP£15 per month in costs. Such initiatives by the government can help you find avenues to access cheaper and faster internet.
3. Find Providers With Discount Programs
Internet discount programs are a popular way to either onboard new customers or reward existing customers. ISPs typically slash new customers’ rates for about twelve months or institute rates halfway between your subscription. Keep an eye open to see ISPs offering better discount rates to access cheap internet.
The key to note, however, is that many ISPs might get you on board with the affordable prices only to hike them later and make the costs unmanageable.
4. Bundle Your Services
Bundling combines services like internet, TV, and mobile phone subscription into one package. Bundling is an industry-wide strategy among ISPs as it reduces their marketing costs and increases sales volume. For the customers, it reduces costs and is convenient as you pay for all your utility services in one package.
Bundling, while cheap, also has its drawbacks. Bundling reduces your scaling options if you need faster internet connectivity as you lock into a contract with your internet service providers when you acquire a bundled package. It may thus cost you extra in termination or upgrading fees to get out of the agreement. If you do the math and see that bundling can save you internet costs, that is a surefire way to find cheap internet in London.
5. Consider Subscribing To Regional Providers
In London, major internet providers may get a considerable share of the cake as they also offer phone and TV packages. For this reason, they often charge high internet prices due to their indispensability. If you’re looking for cheap internet, you may need to consider the services of lesser-known providers who are often location bound.
These smaller ISPs know they can’t match up to the big-name brands in the internet service business and are, therefore, likely to offer exemplary connectivity for a much lower price. Smaller internet service providers are also more likely to be upfront about costs as they want to get and retain every customer.
Parting ShotIf you’re looking for cheap internet in London, the tips offered in this article may help you know what to look for in an ISP. However, depending on your circumstance, remember that there could be much more to lose with cheaper internet than to gain. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. If you do your research diligently, you’ll get internet service providers who offer quality and reliable internet at a lower cost.
