Cheap broadband only deals

How to get the best broadband only package

Although a ‘broadband only deal’ sounds simple, providers have their own definitions of what this type of package includes and involves.

Broadband only, for example, could mean broadband with no landline phone line at all, broadband with a landline phone connection provided by another company, or broadband without a combined TV, landline phone call package, or mobile phone provision.

Is broadband only right for you?

A broadband only deal is perfect if you don't make calls from your landline. Broadband only is also ideal if you don't want to bundle your subscription TV (such as Sky) or pay for separate TV services with another provider (like Netflix or Amazon Prime TV).

You'll also be paying less for services that you don’t want, giving you the cheapest broadband possible. You may still have to pay line rental for your landline connection, but not having a handset or call package means that you can avoid nuisance calls.

Cable.co.uk compares broadband only packages from the leading UK providers, saving you time and money. Look out for our exclusive deals you won't find anywhere else.

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Do I still need a landline if I don’t use the phone?

Generally, most types of broadband do require a landline connection to deliver an internet signal, so even if you don’t want to make calls with it, you’ll still need to have a phone line or landline installed. And that means paying line rental. This is because both 'standard' ADSL and the widely available fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) broadband require a landline to deliver services to your property.

However, there are several alternatives if you really want a broadband deal that doesn’t require a landline. The latest fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband that is being rapidly rolled out across the UK doesn't need a conventional landline at all. So we are now increasingly seeing fibre broadband packages without a landline. In fact, in some cases, you have to actively choose to add a landline if you want one. Virgin Media uses its own network and does not require a phone line to deliver its services. Hence it has always been able to offer broadband without a phone line, albeit bizarrely at extra cost than a broadband and phone plan.

Finally, there are also a number of smaller, full fibre internet providers such as Hyperoptic, Community Fibre and YouFibre, that offer internet access without a landline as standard.

Contrary to what you might think, it’s not always the case that you’ll save any money by opting for a landline-free broadband deal. And with the majority of broadband products, the cost of line rental is included in your overall monthly bill anyway.

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Can I get fibre without a landline?

Yes, technically. A wide range of fibre broadband deals are available that don’t include phone calls. But most will still come with an actual line, even if the package doesn't include any telephone usage.

The advent of new ultrafast and gigafast broadband has meant that a landline is no longer automatically included in these packages. In fact, Openreach has announced that it will be switching off the old analogue phone network in 2025 and customers will instead be offered a digital phone line instead. For now, ultrafast packages of 145Mbps and more that operate over the Openreach network (used by BT, PLusnet, Vodafone, TalkTalk and Sky amongst others) do not come with a landline as standard, but you can choose to add one if you want.

Other, smaller fibre networks, such as Community Fibre based in London, YouFibre (which is currently rolling out its network across areas of the UK), community provider Gigaclear and London provider Hyperoptic all use exclusively pure fibre networks, which means all their packages are broadband only as standard.

Best broadband only deals

Which UK providers offer just broadband?

Most UK providers offer broadband only deals, without TV, landline phone calls or mobile phone provision included.

Our comparison lists every UK provider who offers their version of broadband only. This can be split into ultrafast broadband without a phone line, and broadband with a phone line but just PAYG calls. Here’s a run down of what the major UK providers offer in terms of broadband only deals:

• BT broadband – BT offers its Superfast Fibre deals without a phone package and its Ultrafast packages without a phone line
• EE broadband – EE offers customers the option to take any of it its fibre packages without a landline
• Virgin Media broadband – Virgin offers customers the option to take all its broadband packages as broadband only deals, with no landline phone connection
• TalkTalk broadband – Talktalk will allow you to take its fibre packages with PAYG calls only – but a landline will still be required. Its ultrafast services are true broadband only/li>
• Sky broadband – Sky offers fibre broadband with a landline but the option to not use it. Its ultrafast services are true broadband only
• SSE broadband – SSE offers the option to take its broadband speeds with PAYG calls but a landline is required
• Shell Energy Broadband – Shell Energy offers fibre packages with PAYG calls and a landline and also offers true broadband only ultrafast packages without a phone line
• Direct Save broadband – DST offers fibre broadband with PAYG calls and full fibre speeds that are true broadband only
• Vodafone broadband – Vodafone offers PAYG calls with a landline with its fibre broadband deals and also offers true broadband only deals with its ultrafast services
• Plusnet broadband – Plusnet provides fibre broadband deals with PAYG calls and also true broadband only with its ultrafast deals

For more detailed reviews about the providers we list on Cable.co.uk, have a look at our broadband reviews to see which ISP is right for you.

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Our most popular broadband only deals

Interested in what everyone else is buying? These are our most popular broadband only packages across Cable.co.uk for August 2022.