TalkTalk broadband deals
TalkTalk Deals
TalkTalk has a number of different broadband deals. Use our tool to check which packages are available where you live:
Who is TalkTalk?
TalkTalk is a UK telecoms business. Founded as a provider of landline telephone services in 2003, it now also offers television packages - and, of course, broadband. TalkTalk has over 4 million home broadband customers. There is also a TalkTalk Business arm, dedicated to providing internet and phone services to company premises.
TalkTalk has additionally sold mobile contracts in the past, briefly making it the second UK “quadruple play” provider - the first being Virgin Media. They ceased these mobile operations in 2018, transferring existing customers directly onto the O2 network (the TalkTalk network was already built on top of O2 infrastructure, the service having been run as a mobile virtual network).
The company was initially set up as a subsidiary of Carphone Warehouse, before becoming independent in 2010. It was in this year that TalkTalk first offered television services, following its acquisition of Tiscali. Nowadays, television services are provided through a partnership with YouView.
TalkTalk is traditionally thought of as the “value” brand among the big broadband providers. It purchased Virgin Media’s budget ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) broadband service in 2014. But TalkTalk offers a wide range of both ADSL and fibre packages designed to cater to the full spectrum of consumers (see below). It is even in the process of rolling out a full fibre service, capable of speeds up to 900 Mb/s.
The majority of broadband deals from TalkTalk come with landline connections included. Those who use their home phone regularly can add “boosts” to their subscription, in order to access unlimited UK calls and/or 1000 minutes of international calls to 50 countries. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some “data only” broadband packages which do not include landline services.
As for the TV packages, TalkTalk does not have its own channels like Sky or BT. However, through a partnership with YouView, it offers a set-top box which provides access to more than 80 free channels. A “boost” system was previously in place for accessing extra premium channels, but this is being phased out in favour of alternative access methods. BT Sports can be purchased to watch through TalkTalk directly from the BT website. Sky Sports and Sky Cinema can be accessed through NOW TV. TalkTalk periodically provides voucher codes for this service. For more information on TalkTalk TV, see here.
What is TalkTalk Broadband?
TalkTalk Broadband is a catch-all term for TalkTalk’s ADSL and fibre internet connections.
ADSL is the older technology. It uses copper phone lines to transmit data. Many internet service providers have stopped offering this, in favour of newer fibre technology. In fact, Virgin Media sold off its ADSL service to TalkTalk in 2014. This is a service that TalkTalk still offers: its “Fast Broadband” package is advertised for “everyday browsing”. Average download speed on this connection is 11 Mb/s.
The Fast Broadband ADSL service represents a budget option, at £24.50 per month. But the more basic fibre deals are actually cheaper than this, so ADSL connections are now primarily for homes that do not have access to the fibre network.
What is TalkTalk Fibre?
TalkTalk Fibre uses fibre cables rather than copper cables to transmit data. This allows for much faster average download speeds. For the most part, TalkTalk’s packages use “fibre to the cabinet” (FTTC) technology - this means that fibre cables are run to local boxes, with the final stretch to individual homes completed using copper cabling.
There are three fixed price fibre packages available to TalkTalk customers (provided they live in an eligible area). These are the Fibre 35, Fibre 65, and Fibre 150 options. Here are the average download and upload speeds for each package:
Fibre 35: Average download speed 38 Mb/s, average upload speed 9 Mb/s
Fibre 65: Average download speed 67 Mb/s, average upload speed 18 Mb/s
Fibre 150: Average download speed 145 Mb/s, average upload speed 25 Mb/s
Fibre 150 is also available as a data-only version, which means no landline services are included. At certain eligible addresses, TalkTalk may be able to provide even higher speeds, in which case custom plans of Fibre 250 or above may be offered.
Additionally, there is a “homeworker” package available. This offers a second line into the home. Having a dedicated second connection avoids user traffic from the primary broadband line, providing a more stable and reliable service for working. This is a business-grade package, with advertised speeds of up to 76 Mb/s.
All packages of Fibre 150 or higher come with the “award-winning Wi-Fi Hub” as standard. More basic packages come with the “Wi-Fi Hub Black” as default, but this can be upgraded for a one-time fee. The award-winning hub is advertised as having a faster, stronger and more reliable signal.
TalkTalk does not operate its own fibre network. Instead, it runs on the Openreach infrastructure. A wholly-owned subsidiary of BT, Openreach rents out its network to multiple different broadband providers.
As such, Openreach’s development of a “fibre to the premises” (FTTP) network allows TalkTalk to offer full fibre plans to eligible customers. This works by running fibre cabling all the way to individual premises, bypassing cabinets altogether and eliminating the need for slower copper cables. This is still only available to a minority of homes, but TalkTalk does offer full fibre plans to those able to access the technology.
Known as UltraFibreOptic, TalkTalk’s FTTP offering advertises speeds of more than 900 Mb/s.
Is TalkTalk Broadband unlimited?
Yes, these days all TalkTalk broadband packages are unlimited. There is no traffic management, data cap or fair use policy.
Perks of TalkTalk
All broadband companies offer unique benefits and add-ons to try and attract new customers, and hold on to existing ones. Below is a rundown of some of the perks available on certain TalkTalk packages.
What is the TalkTalk Great Connection Guarantee?
The TalkTalk Great Connection Guarantee allows all TalkTalk fibre broadband customers to cancel their contract within 30 days if they are not satisfied. The no-questions-asked policy means that the early termination fee is waived, and a refund is issued for any remaining part of the 30-day period. All equipment must be sent back to TalkTalk in pre-paid returns bags.
It is worth noting that any set-up fees or delivery charges are not refunded, and that the guarantee does not apply at all to non-fibre “Fast Broadband” customers.
TalkTalk is also signed up to Ofcom’s Broadband Speed Code of Conduct. This means that each deal comes with a guaranteed minimum download speed. Should the connection fail to live up to that guarantee for a sustained period, customers can leave the contract early without paying a fee.
What is TalkTalk Fixed Price Plus?
TalkTalk Fixed Price Plus is an extension of TalkTalk’s fixed price guarantee. The regular guarantee provides an assurance that there will be no mid-contract price rises. This applies to all broadband deals. Fixed Price Plus takes this a step further, guaranteeing that once the contract expires the price will still not increase beyond the annual rate of inflation.
Fixed Price Plus is available as standard on Fibre 150 plans (and above). On other plans, it can be added for a small additional monthly fee.
What is TalkTalk SuperSafe?
TalkTalk SuperSafe, also known as TalkTalk Online Defence, is a software package designed to protect connected devices against malware. This includes, viruses, spyware, phishing attacks and more. The software is provided by F-Secure, and is available as standard on all fibre plans. Plans that do not include SuperSafe can activate it as a boost for a small monthly fee.
A related perk known as HomeSafe, which provides a family-friendly content filter, is available as standard to all customers - including those on the non-fibre Fast Broadband package. This works at the Wi-Fi level. It does not need to be downloaded on to individual devices: once enabled, the filter applies to all devices on the network.
An equivalent phone screening service, CallSafe, is also provided by TalkTalk.
What is TalkTalk TV?
Unlike rivals BT and Sky, TalkTalk does not have its own dedicated television channels. However, it does still offer a range of TV packages to its customers.
The most basic deal offers 80+ free channels, including 15 in HD. These include BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, Dave and more.
Additional premium channels could previously be added through a system known as “boosts”. These could be purchased on a month-by-month basis, allowing customers the flexibility to opt in or out depending on the upcoming scheduling. TalkTalk are phasing these out in 2021, but there are still a number of ways to access extra programming.
Sky Sports was one of the premium packages previously available as a boost. TalkTalk now offers access to Sky Sports through periodic deals on NOW TV passes. Like boosts, these work on a short-term subscription basis, allowing TalkTalk customers to opt in specifically for big sporting events such as The Ashes. Sky Sports also has the largest UK share of broadcast rights to Premier League games, as well as showing a range of EFL fixtures and top-flight Scottish games. Formula 1 is a further attraction, as are major golf tournaments such as the Ryder Cup and US PGA Championship.
Sky Cinema is also no longer available as a boost, except as a legacy option for existing customers who have not deactivated it. However, as with Sports, the movie channels can be accessed via NOW TV. The channels often rebrand on a temporary basis, but the core selection looks like this:
Sky Cinema Action
Sky Cinema Animation
Sky Cinema Comedy
Sky Cinema Drama
Sky Cinema Family
Sky Cinema Greats
Sky Cinema Hits
Sky Cinema Premiere
Sky Cinema Premiere +1
Sky Cinema Sci-fi Horror
Sky Cinema Select Sky Cinema Thriller
NOW TV is additionally presented as the alternative to the Kids and Entertainment boosts previously offered by TalkTalk.
BT Sports can also be watched via a TalkTalk subscription. Customers can purchase this directly from the BT website.
All TalkTalk TV deals come with a set-top YouView box. This connects to a range of on-demand players such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, so subscribed customers can watch these through their box. Live freeview channels can be paused and rewound up to 30 minutes.
How to contact TalkTalk support
TalkTalk offers many services and perks. But, as with all ISPs, there is always the chance that something could go wrong. In that case, here’s how you can get in touch with TalkTalk:
How do I contact TalkTalk by phone?
TalkTalk customer service is reachable at 0345 172 0088. The company encourages users to exhaust all online support options before ringing this number, as operators are busier than usual during the Covid-19 pandemic.
How do I contact TalkTalk online?
TalkTalk advertises its community forum as the first step for solving broadband-related queries and issues. Thousands of common problems are addressed: in total, there are more than 100,000 posts just dedicated to fibre broadband. Users can search existing threads, or post new questions of their own.
Customers can also access the Service Centre, which allows users to run internet tests and provides them with updates about any issues in the area.
A Live Chat is also accessible from some pages of the TalkTalk website. For example, a “Chat Now” banner appears on the Availability Check screen when going through the new deal sign-up process.
TalkTalk advertised itself as a budget rival to BT when it first came on the scene. But now it competes with a number of the major ISP providers, including Sky and Virgin Media.
Conclusion
That wraps up this guide to TalkTalk’s broadband service. From the packages to the available perks, there’s plenty to think about. Hopefully this guide has put you in a better position to make an informed decision about whether TalkTalk is the provider for you.