All about Internet Packages Without a Contract

While most individuals do not mind having an internet package with a contract, there are those who do not wish to sign a contract when acquiring a broadband connection. This can be due to various reasons and, if you are one of these individuals, you may wish to know the options available to you. The most common two choices are a pay as you go option and a one month rolling contract. You may also consider a student broadband package, as they also offer the ease of an internet package without a contract. Whatever you choose, you must examine the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

Why would I need internet packages without a contract?

Before you begin perusing the available options, it is best to understand what your needs actually are. Will a short-term contract work for you or is a pay as you go more appropriate to your needs? In order to determine this you may want to review certain “life” factors:

1. Home relocation.
If you are about to move home you should speak to your current provider about the possibility of changing the contract to your new location. If this is not a possibility, you should consider a short-term broadband option. However, if you are only relocating in 11 months, it may be best to purchase a regular contract and face cancellation fees.

2. Budget.
The no contract broadband package is an ideal option for those wishing to save money on a monthly basis. The most popular is the pay as you go option, where you would purchase the set amount of data you are looking to use. However, many student packages are rather cheap in price and should be considered.

The pay as you go broadband option

Unfortunately, the home broadband provider does not offer a pay as you go option. This is due to the fact that it would be very difficult for the provider to keep track of your usage with pay as you go, and they make a great deal more money with the fixed term contracts. However, if you are looking at the pay as you go broadband option, you will have to contact a mobile broadband provider. There are pseudo one month home broadband contracts but these normally need cancellation notice, and may attract fees when you choose to leave early.

All advantages and disadvantages must be considered when making choices. Below are the benefits of the pay as you go option, which also clarify some features of the connection type:

1. Mobility.
This type of connection allows for flexibility and mobility, as you can take the internet with you wherever you go. You do not need to worry about being without an internet connection, as long as you have sufficient data for what you wish to do, you will be fine.

2. Cost-effectiveness.
When you purchase a pay as you go package, you only pay for the amount of data you will be using. This allows for a deal of cost-effectiveness; however, once your data allowance has been used you cannot connect to the internet until you have purchased more.

3. No line rental.
By using a mobile broadband you do not require a land line rental, as you will be working off your mobile phone.

While these benefits are enticing, you must be aware of the no-contract pitfalls as well:

1. Signal strength.
Your broadband connection speed will depend on your signal strength. If you find yourself in an area with a weak signal you will experience slower speeds, making surfing the web unpleasant.

2. Slower speed.
The connection speed is unquestionably slower than a home broadband speed. Home broadband connections are much faster than 3G, but if you are utilising a 4G device there is a chance you will experience speeds greater than a ADSL connection.

3. Data usage.
The pay as you go broadband is primarily for light internet users, as they do not use much data. The less data allowance you require, the more you will get out of this type of package. Heavy users are better suited to packages with unlimited data allowance, but these usually require contracts.

4. Data expiration.
Data expires after a 30 day period. The majority of people do not realise this and lose data they have not used within this period. Unfortunately, you are not reimbursed for the unused data so not only have you lost data allowance, you have also wasted money.

5. Dongle costs.
To use a pay as you go mobile broadband connection, you will require a dongle. This does not come with the package and you will need to pay a set amount upfront.

The no contract broadband option

Although home broadband providers do not offer pay as you go packages, they do offer the 1 month rolling contract option. It should be noted that not all providers offer this package, so you may have to peruse different service providers.

There are several advantages to this type of contract. Some are listed below:

1.  You are not locked into a contract for a prolonged period of time. Providers usually require consumers to sign contracts for up to 24 months at most; however the 1 month contract does not require this commitment. You will be free to change your providers once the month expires, should you wish to do so.

2. The connection speed is similar to that of the regular home broadband package. The majority of these contracts will provide you with a comparable ADSL speed of approximately 14MB per second.

3. This contract can act as a “test" of the home broadband provider, before committing to a more permanent contract.

The advantages certainly offer a strong argument for the rolling contract; however, they must be weighed against disadvantages:

1. Although seemingly cheaper, the overall cost of this contract will be greater in the long run. If you choose to use this contract as a long term package, you will pay more.

2. Unlike fixed term contracts, you do not receive any hardware for free. You will be required to pay for both the router and the installation, and the upfront amount to be paid will depend on the provider.

3. A line rental is required, as most of these contracts operate on ADSL. This is an additional cost to the monthly charge which was unforeseen.

Sam Jones wanted to make the most of the internet packages that there were available.  With the help of comparison sites such as uSwitch he was able to compare the latest deals.