Need For Speed : 4 Super Fast UK Broadband Packages

Earlier today we heard how, according to Ofcom's annual international communications report, only one out of five hundred UK households had access to superfast broadband, one that goes beyond the ADSL2+ theoretical limit of 24mbps.

We therefore set out to find out who, in the UK, are providing super fast broadband packages and at what costs; there are a few surprises when it comes to pricing and a clear winner.

Be Broadband was the first to introduce ADSL 2+ in the UK to the masses, offering 24mbps internet access for £24. It was purchased shortly after by Telefonica and became the provider of everything fixed for O2 and Tesco.

It offers a package that is called Line Bonding, one which merges two ADSL broadband lines at the customer's exchange together to form one big fat virtual pipe with up to 44Mbps going up and 5Mbps going down.

The trick is done through a smart wireless modem and the service, as expected, comes with free support, but costs a whopping £65 per month, a cost which includes a £85 connection fee and excludes the cost attached to renting TWO BT landlines.

Be Broadband Super Fast broadband will suit those looking for a quick and easy way to double their connection speeds without opting for a more expensive leased line.

The other route is to use Virgin Media which is currently offering a 50Mbps broadband access from as little as £12.50 per month for the first 6 months, rising to £25 per month, assuming that you subscribe to its Virgin phone line as well at a cost of £12.24 per month.

Installation and activation - worth £60 - come free and Virgin media is also throwing in a number of goodies like a 802.11n Netgear Wi-Fi router, 100 photos free every month, internet security, automatic backup and unlimited online storage.