The Independent’s journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?
You’re just a few steps away from seeing our best deals where you live.
Deals last updated: 23rd October 2024
Whether you use a home phone or not, most homes still require a landline to access the internet. If you’re looking for a broadband deal that includes home phone services or just a line rental for accessing broadband, this guide includes tips expert-recommended broadband and phone deals as well as money-saving tips.
These deals give you access to a broadband connection and a home phone service, which is ideal for people who still make and receive landline calls.
The cost of renting a line should be included in your monthly bill, and you can choose the kind of phone contract you want. The options typically include:
There are a few reasons why you might want to consider combined broadband and phone contracts, including:
Before taking out a broadband and phone bundle, it’s always worth weighing up the pros and cons.
Most major broadband providers like Sky, BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk offer line rentals, whether it’s a requirement to access broadband or for making and receiving calls. If these providers aren’t available in your area, EE and Vodafone offer ultrafast speeds alongside line rental, while Plusnet has affordable packages and excellent customer service.
Every household has different needs, so to find the best broadband and landline offer, you need to work out what ‘best’ looks like for you.
Here’s what our expert Rachel thinks are the most important factors to consider:
The main factor that will decide what phone and broadband package you can get is what’s available to you. You can use our postcode checker to check what deals are available in your area.
When comparing the price of deals, you should consider the overall cost of the package. That’s not just the price per month, but any costs associated with the phone part of your package specifically. For example, can you pay extra to boost the amount of free minutes you receive? What is the price per minute? And what are the charges for international calls?
Our experts found these providers have the lowest call charges:
Broadband speed is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a broadband package. Providers will usually advertise the average download speed of a plan in megabits per second (Mbps).
You should consider the following:
We asked broadband customers how often they received their advertised speed. EE came out on top, with 66 per cent of respondents claiming they always or mostly receive their advertised speed.
Unless you have a pay-as-you-go phone package, your deal will outline when you can make free calls, for how long, and to which numbers.
Here’s what to look for:
While almost all broadband packages now include unlimited data, it is always worth checking beforehand, so you don’t get charged for going over your allowance.
You should always be on the lookout for any set-up costs or installation fees associated with your phone and broadband package. This could include postage and packaging for your new router, or the cost of an engineer coming to install a new line.
The length of your contract will play a role in determining its cost. Most of the time, for example, if you sign up for a 24-month contract, it will be cheaper per month than the 18-month option.
Although it’s not the most important thing to consider, any sign-up perks or bonuses on offer can help you decide between two comparable broadband and phone offers.
Customer service, though not as crucial as speed or price, should be considered when choosing the right provider for you. Our survey asked over 2,000 broadband customers whether they were satisfied with their current provider’s customer service.
The table below features the broadband providers who offer broadband and phone packages.
The number of complaints a provider receives is an important metric to determine their quality of their service. The table below shows the number of complaints per 100,000 customers each broadband and phone provider received in Q4 2023. [1]
| Broadband providers | Number of complaints per 100,000 customers |
|---|---|
| Sky | 2 |
| EE | 3 |
| Vodafone | 4 |
| Plusnet | 6 |
| TalkTalk | 9 |
| BT | 7 |
| NOW Broadband | 10 |
| Virgin Media | 13 |
Many providers offer bundle options which include both home phone and TV services. Combining all three services could save you up to 34 per cent on the price of individual deals, according to Ofcom. [2]
Providers who offer broadband, TV and phone deals include Sky, BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone.
If you’re looking for business broadband and phone deals for your company, read our guide to find the best deals. Getting a quality, business-specific deal is important for companies that need a reliable connection, a secure firewall and a stable phone line.
Broadband and phone contracts aren’t just limited to landlines. More and more broadband and mobile phone bundles are appearing on the market; these are often labeled as broadband and SIM deals. Sometimes the mobile SIM will be part of the package, otherwise it will be available as an optional add-on.
These deals can provide great discounts if you need multiple mobile phone contracts, for example if you require a family plan. Currently, the following providers offer Broadband and Sim bundles: Virgin Media (O2 provides the mobile network), Vodafone (family plan) and EE (£10 a month add-on).
If you don’t use a landline, there are broadband-only deals you can go for instead. This may be cheaper than getting a bundled broadband and phone contract. Broadband-only deals are often full-fibre, so you may be able to benefit from faster download speeds.
Yes, lots of providers offer unlimited broadband and phone packages. This type of deal includes unlimited data usage for your broadband, and unlimited calls using your landline.
Some broadband connections require a phone line to deliver internet to your home. Most broadband connections use the copper phone line network, so even if you don’t use your landline to make and receive calls you may still need a broadband and phone deal. Can I still have a home phone with full fibre broadband?
Yes, you can still use a landline phone with full fibre broadband. The only difference is, your landline won’t run on the old copper wire network. Instead, the service is provided by fibre cables which offer a more stable and reliable connection.
PSTN is the traditional phone line system. It’s used in two ways – to provide a home phone service and broadband. It’s scheduled to be switched off in 2027, by this time all homes should have access to fibre optic broadband and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Most customers won’t be affected by the switch, however vulnerable customers who rely on telecare alarms could be left without emergency care if not provided with a back-up battery for alarms.
Survey of broadband customers aged between 24-64 conducted on Censuswide, 11-14 March 2024. Survey sample: 2,003 respondents, totalling Sky (489), BT Broadband (412), Virgin Media (396), EE (134), Vodafone (124), Other (102), Plusnet (66), NOW Broadband (45), Three (31), Hyperoptic (14), Community Fibre (8), Unsure (7). Respondents who selected Hyperoptic, Community Fibre, Other or Unsure were discarded from our review. Respondents were asked to rate each category on a five-point scale, from Very Poor to Excellent, or from Never to Always, with the option of selecting Don’t Know for all questions. For the third question (“What issues, if any, have you experienced with your current broadband provider”) respondents could select from the following: Price Hikes, Slow Speeds, High Prices, Frequent Disconnections, Poor Customer Service, Billing Issues, Other and N/A. The questions used to calculate our score were: “How often, if at all, do you feel the actual speed of your broadband service matches the advertised speed,” “How would you rate your experience with customer service and support from your broadband provider,” ”What issues, if any, have you experienced with your current broadband provider? (Select all that apply),” “How easy or difficult is it/would it be to reach your provider using your preferred method,” “How do you rate the value for money of your broadband service,” “How would you rate the transparency of pricing and additional fees in your broadband service”.
[1] Ofcom, Report: Complaints about broadband, landline, mobile and pay-TV services, January 2024
[2] Ofcom, Report: Save money on your broadband, phone and pay-TV bills, January 2024.
Our best broadband and phone deals in October
Deals checked by Rachel Sadler, our broadband expert
With her expert advice and knowledge, you can trust Rachel to guide you to the best broadband deal for your needs.