5 Ways to Find the Best Phone and Broadband Deals in Wales
Shopping for the best phone and broadband deals can be a bit of a challenge in Wales. You aren’t privy to the same amount of providers as you are in England, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for low speeds and high rates. Here’s how to shop for the best deals in Wales.
How to Find Broadband and Phone Package Deals in Wales
Comparing phone and broadband packages isn’t as easy as selecting the lowest price. You’ll need to shop strategically if you want to get more benefits for less.
1. Don’t Buy More Than What You Need
A market survey conducted by Voneus concluded that Welsh households are wasting £18 million per month on broadband plans that don’t suit their purpose, with an average of £25 a month wasted per household. That adds up to £300 a year you could have saved.
It doesn’t make any sense to pay for services you don’t use, but that isn’t the only trouble you’ll run into if you neglect to read your contract. Before signing up for any deal, make sure you read the entire contract and accurately add up the total cost of switching providers if applicable.
To cut broadband bills, it’s important to understand what speed you need. The easiest way to calculate how much your household consumes is to use a broadband usage calculator.
2. Shop by Deal Length, Not Price
Providers will often advertise deals that won’t last for the total length of your contract, but that isn’t always a bad thing. For example, if the package’s regular monthly fee is lower than the package you currently have, then paying even less for a limited time is an extra benefit.
However, if the regular monthly charge is higher than your current package after the limited-time monthly bill deduction, then you could be paying more by the end of your new contract. You’ll have to measure the benefits of each deal carefully if you plan on saving money.
3. Search for Upload Speed First
According to the same Voneus survey, users feel that download speeds are what contribute to a fast internet connection. While it’s more common for users to download data, upload speed has become increasingly more important in a world switching to remote and hybrid workplaces.
Companies know that their customers care more about download speeds, but if you work from home, you need a package with at least 10 Mbps upload speeds. The combination of a high download and upload speed will give you the optimal work-from-home experience.
4. Don’t Automatically Choose Unlimited
It’s tempting to choose an unlimited broadband data cap, but most Welsh citizens will fall well below the 30GB data cap. Before searching for your next phone and broadband deal, take a look at your bill and see how much data you and your family use each month on average.
Most Welsh broadband providers will offer up to 80GB of data per month, so you have a lot of wiggle room here. The average UK citizen uses around 5GB of data from their mobile phone each month, making it unlikely you’ll need 40-80GB per month unless you work from home.
5. Consider if It’s Cheaper to Cut the Cord
We aren’t here to dissuade you from removing your home phone from your broadband package, but it will be cheaper to cut the cord in most cases. If you live in the city or next to a mobile phone tower, you’ll benefit more from the convenience of only using a mobile phone.
However, there are plenty of people who don’t like the thought of being online 24/7. A home phone can allow them to disconnect when they need to. What’s more, multiple rural communities and several small businesses still rely on a corded phone for communication.
