Getting Started

So you think you'd like broadband? First of all, you need to find out if you can have the service on your existing BT telephone line. Unfortunately, not everyone can have an ADSL broadband service - it depends how far you live from your local telephone exchange and on whether or not BT have already upgraded that exchange to support broadband. BT have promised to upgrade almost all exchanges in due course.

To find out if you can receive broadband, just enter your telephone number into BT's Broadband Availability Checker here

If broadband is available on your line, your next step is to choose an Internet Service Provider, like you have for your dial-up Internet connection. There are many ISPs offering broadband over BT lines and you can see a full list here.

ISPs used to all offer a similar basic service (with speeds of 500kbit/s, 1Mbit/s and 2Mbit/s) and you need to choose which is best for you. However a wider range of different services are now emerging. You will see that the monthly price for a 500kbit/s broadband package can vary quite a bit, from less than £20 to almost £30. You'll also find some "limited" services with lower speeds and restrictions on how much you can use it.

Once you've chosen an ISP and placed your order, you will have to wait for them to confirm that your line is suitable for broadband and then you will be given a date for the conversion. All the work to upgrade your line is done by BT at the exchange so they don't need to visit your home.

You will then need to purchase you home equipment to connect your PC to the broadband service - and that's where The Broadband Zone can help. We provide the ADSL Modems and Microfilters you need to quickly and easily enable your PC to have a broadband Internet connection.

Take a look at the rest The Broadband Zone for all the information you need about choosing and using broadband modems and microfilters.