Recommendation for normal broadband

After 20+ years with Zen, we're moving from the broadband desert of Northumberland to the even icier wastes of rurl Somerset where Zen fears to tread. So sadly it's Bye-Bye Zen I feel bereft.

We're moving into a rental for four months where normal ADSL will be fine but then to our final home where if fibre is available then we'll go down that route. Not mandatory.

So any recommendations. Have an aversion to most of the Big Boys TBH as past experience of customer service not ideal.

??? If ADSL - or SOGEA for that matter - is available from anyone at the rental address, then I am sure Zen would do it. I think your biggest problem will be minimum contract lengths of a year or more with most ISP's. I think I would be checking out 3G or 4G internet in the rental location.

I think some providers have stopped providing ADSL based services completely - but I don't know which.

Personally if I was the OP I would look at Aquiss. It may be that it would be a 12 month contract for SOGEA but with someone like Aquiss they might have an option to migrate the service to the new address on full fibre - I am sure they would be willing to have a conversation with the OP around what could be done.

Thank you but I can't find anyone with short term contracts.

I've given the postcodes to Zen and they don't have the equipment in the exchanges/wherever

Edited by countryman69 (Wed 19-Feb-25 17:42:08)

Seems to me that Aquiss is a rip-off. Long dated contract. Cannot transfer from one property to another. So if I move after 4 months, I still have to pay the monthly fee for the remaining months + a £45 penalty fee [censored]. Talk about Rip-Off Britain

In reply to a post by countryman69:

Seems to me that Aquiss is a rip-off.

Hmm. A bit unfair to single Aquiss out as a rip off on your criteria, because most of those issues apply to most ISP's.

The larger providers are not interested in providing short-term contracts, some allow for home moves within contract but others don't.

AFAIK you will only be able to order broadband-only ADSL (AKA SOADSL or SOTAP) if neither FTTP nor boradband-only VDSL (AKA SOGEA) are available at the premises. As the number of premises which fall into this category is small many providers have not bothered making it available to order.

Andrews & Arnold do offer 1, 6 or 12 month contracts for copper-based services, IDNet offer 1, 12 or 24 month contracts. As the Openreach costs are the same the shorter ones have larger install and rental fees rather than being amortised over a longer contract period.

OK, they're all rip-off merchants then. Almost like a cartel as if they've all adopted this Rip-Off Britain attitude (because it is as I can't see any justice for making you continue paying the contract...assuming you stay with them when you move to another place) and also fining you.

AAISP, IDNet and Pulse8 are all reputable suppliers and do one month contracts for ADSL. I am sure there are others.

The ISPs all pay to set the connection up at your address, if they let you move within the term then they'd quickly be paying out more in connection and cease fees than the revenue they're collecting from you.

There are one-month contract options where you pay the costs associated with setup and a cease fee, if you require the flexibility.

Thank you, Jaydub

Further research suggests that an unlimited data SIM from Giffgaff, an old Android phone with external tethering, a USB to Ethernet adapter and the WAN port on my existing set-up will sort me out.

In reply to a post by countryman69:

Seems to me that Aquiss is a rip-off. Long dated contract. Cannot transfer from one property to another. So if I move after 4 months, I still have to pay the monthly fee for the remaining months + a £45 penalty fee [censored]. Talk about Rip-Off Britain

No company can be reasonably be accused of doing anything untoward when the terms and conditions linked to a supply contract length are freely available on its website. Most people don't read the small print because they do not expect to have to cease their service within the minimum term. As I understand it, the issue for most ISPs is that a cessation of service during the minimum term leaves them with a wholesale contract that still has to be paid for.

In reply to a post by countryman69:

After 20+ years with Zen, we're moving from the broadband desert of Northumberland to the even icier wastes of rurl Somerset where Zen fears to tread. So sadly it's Bye-Bye Zen I feel bereft.

We're moving into a rental for four months where normal ADSL will be fine but then to our final home where if fibre is available then we'll go down that route. Not mandatory.

So any recommendations. Have an aversion to most of the Big Boys TBH as past experience of customer service not ideal.

4 months is a pretty short period relatively to be moving to / from - so you’re either looking at monthly contracts with the folks noted above or alternatively mobile broadband (as long as the coverage is decent where you are going).

It’s simply not realistic to assume that a fixed line broadband provider on a far longer term, will absorb the setup costs of each connection as you move between properties. They have other setup costs that they need to service and it only works to amortise those costs over a longer term.

In reply to a post by countryman69:

Seems to me that Aquiss is a rip-off. Long dated contract. Cannot transfer from one property to another. So if I move after 4 months, I still have to pay the monthly fee for the remaining months + a £45 penalty fee [censored]. Talk about Rip-Off Britain

Aquiss would not be suitable for you as they now only offer fttp. The reason for the property transfer is correct, as you could go from a fttp enabled property to a non fttp property.

Aquiss is not "rip off britain" but a brilliantly small isp that does things how they should be done.

I wasn't sure when I suggested Aquiss as their website still said SOGEA but I didn't know an ADSL only postcode that I could test it with. The other reason for suggesting them is I know they would respond quickly for any query about it to confirm if they could do anything.

That is the way it is. Take it or leave it!

In reply to a post by Taras:

Aquiss would not be suitable for you as they now only offer fttp.

Not true: they also offer SOGEA. AFAIK they don't offer ADSL, but neither do many other providers these days.

In reply to a post by Taras:

The reason for the property transfer is correct, as you could go from a fttp enabled property to a non fttp property.

Aquiss doesn't allow contracts to be transferred from property to property in any case, even FTTP to FTTP.

You have to pay the contract cessation at the old property, and if you decide to go with Aquiss at the new property, then that's a separate contract. (I don't know if you would benefit from the new customer discount at the new property though).

It's all made very clear in the "Frequently Asked Questions" at the bottom of the product page, not just buried away in legal T&Cs.

Are contracts transferrable between properties?

No. As the availability and coverage of Full Fibre FTTP services is presently exclusive to certain areas, contracts are non transferred between properties as we can't guarantee to supply the same service elsewhere. Settlement of a contract would be expected if you wish to conclude a contract early.

If I want to end my contract, will there be a charge?

If you are looking to end your service, whilst still within your contract, we will ask you to settle any remaining months in full. If you do not transfer (migration) your service to another provider, we will also charge you a £45.00 fee to disconnect the service.

It's something to think about if you were considering taking out a new contract (to regrade the speed, for example) and there's a reasonable chance you might be moving out within 12 months.

OTOH, for users who are happy with the speed they currently have, the fact that Aquiss let you roll on monthly at the end of the contract, without charging a premium, is a huge plus.

The disconnection fee seems a little bit mean, because the next person to occupy the property might immediately take up another OR-based service, but at least the terms are made clear up front. Essentially it means you pay about 1 month extra.

In reply to a post by countryman69:

After 20+ years with Zen, we're moving from the broadband desert of Northumberland to the even icier wastes of rurl Somerset where Zen fears to tread. So sadly it's Bye-Bye Zen I feel bereft.

Large swathes of Northumberland have pretty decent broadband. Noting the rural southwest corner has better broadband than 99% of the UK. The industrial east coast is in excess of 95% full fibre. I am not really sure you could describe Northumberland as a desert if Whitelee farm on the A68 can get FTTP. The only way to be more remote is somewhere in the Coquet Valley that still doesn't have mains electricity.