non-LLU fibre: better ISP than Sky/BT for small extra cost?

I need to order fibre a.s.a.p. and I'm doing one last review of the options since the deals changed from last time I looked.

Non-LLU exchange so only have access to fibre based on the BT wholesale product. Not opposed to using different providers for phone and fibre, but is it possible to keep the monthly cost nearer £40 than £50 and still have unlimited bandwidth?

Usage requirements:
Calls: 7-8 hrs per month, much daytime, need an anytime call plan (unless 1p/min like Pulse8)
Caller ID is must have.
Peak/daytime bandwidth: 100GB - 200GB or more?* unlimited fibre seems safer choice...
*current ADSL usually sees 50GB usage monthly on peak (8am to midnight) with occasional busy months over 100GB. Planning to use fibre for Prime and/or Netflix so must now allow for significantly increasing the daytime and evening usage.

The usual suspects:
Plusnet - current provider, have let us down & would prefer to move (probably can get a retention deal now but don't care.)
BT - £38 inc. everything, possibly better connection than Sky but worse support.
Sky - £34.4 inc. everything, but for non-LLU exchange so could be awful? potential problems using other hardware than supplied Sky-Hub.

Better quality ISPs:
A&A - price is insane with bandwidth requirement.
Aquiss - £46/m + call charges, caller ID is extra.
Pulse8 - phone only, don't offer BTw fibre.
Uno - £27/m-£35.4/m fibre only (8am-8pm peak bandwidth allowance) £13 line rental may be added once FTTC date is set
Zen - £50.50/m inc. anytime calls, caller ID is extra.

Potential middle ground options?
£27 Uno fibre (100GB usage) + £13 Pulse8 phone = £40 + call charges + caller ID.


Uno might work given the 8am-8pm range is what they consider peak, but on the other hand I think it would be easy to get through 100GB and we'd be stuck with it for 12 months. Sky is the best price & has better TV content, but there are strings attached with the hardware options and some users have issues e.g. stuttering whilst streaming. BT is only a little more expensive than Sky, can't expect much from their customer service but the connection may be better in the long run?

Any thoughts? alternatives that I could take a quick look at?

N.B. the cheapest deals like SSE are off the table, so cheap I don't trust them and too many caveats on those sorts of offers.

Edited by deleted (Sat 12-Sep-15 22:32:15)

No LLU providers in my exchange so wouldn't touch Sky Connect plus fibre is not available.

Try the order process to see if you can get the Sky fibre product you would want >

http://www.sky.com/shop/broadband-talk/fibre-optic/

I'd go BT. You slate their service but I've found it good

Online offer should suit

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/isp/bt/package/1294.html

Can add anytime calls, caller display etc as desired

If Sky Fibre is available even though Sky ADSL2+ is not from your exchange, then indicates the fibre backhaul is going to an exchange where Sky does have an LLU presence. Sky do not use the BT Wholesale WBC network for their fibre products.

In reply to a post by Apprentice:

see if you can get the Sky fibre product you would want

Definitely is available, I know Sky went through a period of refusing to supply new customers on exchanges that didn't have Sky LLU. Now they do offer FTTC packages if BTw is available, but given their previous history with the "Connect" branded ADSL product I feel wary.

Edited by deleted (Sat 12-Sep-15 16:41:30)

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

If Sky Fibre is available even though Sky ADSL2+ is not from your exchange, then indicates the fibre backhaul is going to an exchange where Sky does have an LLU presence. Sky do not use the BT Wholesale WBC network for their fibre products.

So there should be no concerns about it? it should be the same for everyone? (aside from potential issues that might be caused by side-stepping using the Sky-Hub)

Edited by deleted (Sat 12-Sep-15 16:45:12)

This Sky question has come up before, as I'm sure in the early days of FTTC they wouldn't supply it when it came from a different exchange if the PSTN exchange wasn't LLU to take the phone line.

But I think it was you said the previous time, like now, that they will. Wouldn't that mean them using WLR3 for the line?

In reply to a post by 961a:

I'd go BT. You slate their service but I've found it good

I don't expect much from them, I know it can be OK but I also know a family member was recently without phone & broadband for the best part of 3 weeks due to BT issues and they weren�t overly helpful at the time.

I wonder if TalkTalk do the same? If so, Pulse8 can, as they use TalkTalk Business. That would be £38 or £44 all in. Possibly plus caller display.

Re AAISP, the 40/10Mbps product is only £35 for the 100GB, which is what you are looking at with uno. Also if you do reach the 100GB usage then the unused part of an extra 50GB can be carried to the following month.

I'm on the AAISP 80/20 with Pulse8 line + caller display. AAISP do line rental at £10 with no phone service, but VOIP is available. I considered it but decided I preferred a Pulse8 normal line.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

I wonder if TalkTalk do the same? If so, Pulse8 can, as they use TalkTalk Business. That would be £38 or £44 all in. Possibly plus caller display.

That was my first choice, spoke to them 8 weeks ago, emailed yesterday - they can't supply and said we should defintely go ahead with a BTw for 12 months and then come back to them next year if the LLU situation has changed.

It might since there are new houses being built and other works ongoing in the area.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Re AAISP, the 40/10Mbps product is only £35 for the 100GB, which is what you are looking at with uno.

Uno's webpage tells me £27 (£22.49+VAT) for 40/10, 100GB fibre only. £30.6 for 200GB usage, £35.4 for 500GB

Usage scales at a less expensive rate than A&A, but maybe carrying over unused bandwidth helps A&A value.

Edited by deleted (Sat 12-Sep-15 17:06:41)