Advice for first-time broadband buyer

Hi there,

I am currently struggling along with dial-up (remember that?) and am looking to get broadband for the first time.
I have a BT phone line and my exhange is perivale (LWPER):
Perivale exchange
I am less than 1Km away from the exchange. The BT website estimates a connection speed of 17Mb/s and the Bethere one claims 19Mb/s. I believe BT are due to intall infinity in that exhange in the autumn.

I will be working from home a lot of the time so need a reliable connection with a decent speed (but doesn't have to be super fast) - not into online gaming or anything like that.

Friends in the local area have either recommended Virgin Cable or BeThere and scanning this site and others seems to suggest both are among the better choices open to me. They have also suggested avoiding packages with usage limits.

Of the available choices at my exhange, which do you think are best?

Is there any way to get a more accurate estimate of the likely speeds I can achieve on my line? (I believe the estimates I have are based just on distance from exchange)

I am a bit nervous about moving the phone line away from BT because of potential problems moving supplier later. I am also a bit concerned about signing up to ADSL for a year and then finding my wiring only supports a slow speed.

Any help appreciated!

Leave the phoneline with BT and go for BE. When fibre gets installed, move to that.

maps.thinkbroadband.com

hopefully link works shows the perivale exchange and speed people already get

Click the little balloons to see a break down per ISP

you have loads of choice. You can use Be, SKY, BT, resellers etc...

As you work from home I would go with Be pro or Vivaciti.co.uk LLU (I use it). Again there are others depending on cost that you could also go for, e.g. Zen.co.uk

oh & "Dr Who" said move from dial up to adsl.... you have been informed...

Any reason for suggesting moving to BT fibre later on rather than virgin fibre now?