Getting broadband

In order to get broadband in your home you'll need a computer and a phone line. Some cable and satellite TV companies can also provide a broadband service, or you can connect to the internet via broadband just by using your landline.

If you want to use your phone line, you'll need to find an Internet Service Provider or ISP. They supply broadband just like your gas supplier supplies gas. There are quite a few to choose from, many with different offers but here are the best things to look out for.

Your broadband package should offer:

• A fast connection speed. 8Mbps is good for most people.
• An unlimited download option. These can be more expensive but if you want to watch or download TV programmes an unlimited account means you only pay a fixed price per month. Capped accounts (which might offer 20GB a month) are cheaper to start with but charge you extra if you go over your limit and it can be tricky to know how much you have left.
• Free technical support. Always check if you can ring up and ask questions quickly and easily, and without paying extra. You might have lots of questions to ask about your broadband service and good technical support is very important.

After you sign up for an account, you might be sent a modem through the post or you might have to buy one separately. A modem is just a box which plugs into your computer and phone line and lets you connect to the internet. You will need to read the instructions to set this up and usually load some software onto your PC which comes with the modem.

Some ISP's offer an engineer service too. That means that someone will call at your house and set everything up for you.