There are a few different options available if you want broadband without a phone line either because it costs around an extra £11 per month or because you live somewhere that doesn’t receive any or a decent speed of broadband connection.
The first option still allows you to receive your broadband direct to your home, just like standard broadband does but this one is supplied by Virgin Media. Virgin Media are a fibre broadband company and don’t use BT’s copper network to deliver their services (well they do, but only in areas where their own fibre network isn’t available). Most broadband companies use BT’s network to deliver their broadband which is why if you choose a standard ADSL provider int he UK that you need to have line rental to receive it as BT won’t let you use their network for free.
The thing with Virgin Media is that they allow you to take Virgin Broadband as a stand alone service meaning that you don’t also need to take a phone line out with them or with BT to receive it.
If you are after the entry broadband for Virgin then you should choose the “Broadband L” package which offers up to 10Mb speed, Unlimited downloads (fair use policy) & a free wireless router. It costs £15 per month for the first 3 months and then £20 per month after that. View all the Virgin broadband deals.
The second option of broadband without a phone line is mobile broadband. Mobile broadband is supplied by the mobile phone networks and gives you the freedom to use the Internet wherever you have a mobile phone signal. The technology with mobile broadband is always increasing and coverage is improving to offer more reliable network coverage and faster speeds. Broadband speeds from mobile broadband don’t tend to be as fast as standard wired broadband that you receive direct to your house. As mobile broadband is still relatively new the deals on offer are continuing to improve as competition for customers increases. Compared to wired broadband you don’t tend to get as fast speeds or as much data transfer for your money.
That said, mobile broadband can be more useful than wired broadband in that you have the freedom to use it away form your home, you could take it with you and use the Internet from a motorway junction or wherever you get mobile network coverage. Currently one of the most attractive mobile broadband deals on offer is from 3 Mobile broadband who are offering a 15Gb download limit per month for £15 although it does require signing up for a 24 month contract.
There are a number of different mobile broadband providers in the UK to choose from, some offer pay as you go mobile broadband deals and others are pay monthly and contract deals.
Another less widely used option for people wanting broadband without a phone line is to use Satellite broadband which delivers your Internet access direct to your computer via a satellite. To use satellite broadband without a phone line you would need to choose “2 Way Satellite broadband”. Satellite broadband is especially useful for those who live out in very remote areas and struggle to receive a broadband connection through a phone line and won’t receive cable broadband coverage.