The tax, which the government prefer to refer to as a ‘levy’ (albeit a compulsory one) would charge landline users £6 a year under the name of the ‘final third’ fund. The money would then go towards the overall aim of Digital Britain – getting every home in the country online with a minimum speed of 2 Mbps by 2012. However, reports began to emerge in national papers that the broadband tax would end up being scrapped until the general election with the possibility of it being removed completely in the event of a Conservative victory. Indeed, the Conservatives have openly condemned the idea many times in the past.

However, despite a risk of backlash close to an election, the government are determined to push the tax through as soon as possible. A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has told broadband website PC Pro that: “The Government remains committed to the timetable for introducing the 50p levy on fixed lines in 2010”

The spokesman also commented that the comments of the new Communications Minister, Stephen Timms, had been taken out of context by the media.

Overall consumer response to the plans has been poor and many experts have suggested that the money raised won’t be anywhere near enough to make a significant dent in the goal to bring every household within access of a 2 Mbps broadband connection. Even some Labour MPs are worried that pushing the legislation will cause them to lose valuable votes in what is shaping up to be a very close general election.

However, Virgin also offer an ADSL package for those people unable to receive cable services, which is currently around half of the country. Previously this service hasn’t offered anything special – it’s had the same 8-16 Mbps cap and BT line rental requirements as most other UK ADSL packages, but all that has changed this month.

Customers in range of the companies LLU network will now be able to achieve potential speeds of up to 20 Mbps, putting the maximum available connection in line with the ‘medium’ package on the Cable side. For the first time ever, the company will also be offering ADSL customers the chance to rent their phone line through Virgin rather BT, something that was previously only offered to their cable customers.

Achieving the best speeds is, as always, unlikely unless you live very close to your local exchange, so few people will find the 20 Mbps ADSL service as fast as the 20 Mbps cable service offered by the same company. However, it’s a good move and one that makes Virgin an attractive option even if you can’t get cable in your area. Currently, customers can get the 20 Mbps connections and line rental for £26 a month which is quite a lot cheaper than BT line rental and an equivalent speed connection from many other ADSL companies.

The most recent survey was conducted by Moneysupermarket.com, and has found that 60% of people simply don’t want to move because they are happy with the services of their current provider, even though the same survey found that nearly 80% of those surveyed believed they could potentially be on a better deal. Amazingly, over 10% of the 2,010 UK consumers polled in the survey said they hadn’t changed simply because they can’t be bothered.

The study has found that around 33 million people – that’s not far from half of the entire population of the country – are actually not on the very best deal available to them. While many people may be stuck on longer contracts and find switching impossible, that’s still a huge number of people who are missing out on better deals. Of course, if your ISP is performing well you might not want to switch, but comparing broadband doesn’t mean committing to changing your ISP, only keeping your options open about what’s out there.

For those that can’t be bothered, Broadband and Mobiles manager of Money Supermarket James Parker makes an excellent point: “Our research has shown that those who had switched services in the last 12 months had saved almost £200 over that time – this makes a huge difference to the household wallet and could be used to pay for a treat for you and the family.”

Fast, cheap Broadband is Available if you look!

Here at ukcheapbroadband.com, we do realise that with our readers we may well be preaching to the converted, but if you haven’t been tempted to take a look at the many hundreds of different packages and deals available on the market today, perhaps now might be a good time to check! Don’t be one of those people that just ‘can’t be bothered’ to save a couple of hundred pounds.

There’s been plenty of talk as far back as 2006 that the broadband market is now saturated, and that everyone who wants to have a broadband account has now purchased one, give or a take a few stragglers or those only recently connected to an ADSL or cable service. However, a popular online comparison site has found that around 30% of its visitors are still first time broadband buyers who have never had a high speed net connection before.

There’s also news this week that research published by telecommunications regulator Ofcom that around a fifth of all adults who aren’t already online are likely to be signing up in the next six months, either through fixed line ADSL or the ever popular mobile broadband services offered by companies like Vodaphone and 3.

The question is, with so many new users coming online every month, are these new users finding out the right information at the point of sale? Here’s the rundown of three top providers according to the poll:

· Virgin Media state that they are just ‘faster’ than its three biggest competitors, which is true enough but doesn’t describe much of the service as a whole or provide any differences between their cable service and normal ADSL.

· BT let’s visitors compare deals with 4 other providers

· TalkTalk makes selective attacks at some of its rivals who offer specific services that TalkTalk can beat them on.

Considering all the big names are intent on fighting each other over services that many new users don’t even understand it’s no surprise that many people find their first broadband choice confusing and wind up with a contract that’s far from the best value around.

Another problem is that unlike going to the local shop and comparing the prices on a range of products, consumers cant browse through different broadband services easily – especially those who don’t really understand what the internet has to offer.

This is where broadband comparison sites really come in handy. They provide new users with a virtual high street, laying out all the potential deals to customers with no pre-conceived motives of a sale. When users compare broadband they can find out exactly what they’re getting and how it compares to every other deal – not just the deals that the provider thinks they can beat on features.

“One our most important features is our strict independence from online providers. We’re dedicated to bringing the facts of every deal out there – good or bad,” Said Charles Johnson, Marketing Executive of UKCheapBroadband.

“We try to appeal to new users by offering up as much genuine and original information as possible on just about every aspect of the online world, from exactly what providers mean they say ‘high speed broadband’ to how to protect yourself online with security software. Providing transparent and helpful information is our number one priority.”

Although users want the service they receive to be of a higher quality, many of them don’t actually know much about their service. Around a third of users are not sure of the originally advertised speed of their broadband package – one of the most important things to consider when choosing a broadband service.

The survey showed the disparity between average advertised speeds and real life speeds as being nearly double, with the UK average speeds of 4.2 Mb a far cry from the average advertised connection of 8 Mbps.

The survey was conducted by broadband site uSwitch. Communication officer at the site, Jason Glynn stated: “The Government and providers need to step up a gear and set out a bold new blueprint for Britain’s future. Virgin Media and BT have already made strides in this direction – the question is whether other providers will be following suit and whether all customers will be able to benefit equally, regardless of where they live.”

The best way to avoid disappointment with your connection is research before you buy. ISPs can run speed tests on your line to check how fast your internet can go and 3G providers should be able to give you an estimate on the strength of the signal in your area.

There are also ways to receive the best out of the speed you already receive such as switching to a wired network rather than using a wireless router, which are prone to interference.

“Technology has raced ahead and people are able to access services online that could previously only be dreamt of,” said Glynn, “the only thing holding broadband Britain back is speed.”

If you are looking for a fast broadband connection, it may be that you can still go with a cheap broadband deal, however it would pay to compare your options first, to ensure you get the best deal for you.

The best thing about comparison sites is their ability to filter results based on exactly what you require from your internet connection, but what if you don’t know what you’re looking for? We’ve provided you with a few questions to ask yourself that should help you use these sites to choose a new ISP and hopefully, save a lot of money.

How fast does my broadband connection need to be?

One of the most important factors for many consumers is how fast their connection will be. It affects everything from the speed of web and image loading to how well you can stream multimedia and — of course — how quickly you can download. It’s also one of the biggest factors that affect the price of a connection so before you get drawn in by the bigger and bigger numbers ISPs can offer think about your own personal usage. Not everybody needs the fastest internet available in their area, just like not everybody needs to have the fastest car. If you don’t use the web for anything more than checking the occasional web page and reading emails, you don’t need a 10Mbit connection.

Can I use the net when and how I want?

There’s nothing worse than singing a contract that advertises itself as ‘unlimited’ and then finding out two weeks later that your connection will be slowed down just because you’ve downloaded too much. Even worse, you could even been charged for additional usage after you hit your limits and these charges are usually very expensive. ISPs tend to put this information in the ‘small print’ rather than advertise it with the rest of their services so it’s worth taking a look at their ‘Fair Use Policy’. This should detail how much and when you are allowed to download. As with speed, usage policies are unlikely to affect people who use the web for simple tasks.

How long will I be legally bound to my broadband contract?

The length of your contract is often overlooked by consumers but don’t forget that just like every other market, broadband changes. Longer contracts attract customers with cheaper prices but what looks like a good deal today might not necessarily be the best in six months or twelve months time. Broadband is constantly evolving, both in terms of the size of our bills and how good the technology is. You don’t want to be overcharged and then left behind. Make sure you check out exactly how long your contract is and what the ISPs consider to be a breach of contract. You can end up paying a very large sum to leave a contract early.

Are there any extra costs with broadband?

While installation costs are becoming rarer in today’s market, there are still quite a few companies that charge for you to be connected. They may offer cheaper monthly deals and there isn’t anything ‘underhand’ about paying for installation, but don’t forget to ‘add in’ that additional cost along with the monthly price offered. Similarly, if your ISP doesn’t offer equipment like modems or routers you need to budget for these. If you are going to rely on your old equipment, check that it’s compatible with your new service before you sign.

What if something goes wrong?

ISPs are legally bound to provide you with a service, but that doesn’t mean they are forced to provide you with excellent customer care. Poor technical support is one of the biggest complaints amongst broadband users in the UK. With many companies outsourcing their customer service departments overseas, this is destined to continue. Use user opinion to compare the customer service rating of your ISP so you have an idea of how they react to a problem. You might find that you pay a little extra for good customer service but you might need it one day, and some of the budget providers charge astronomical prices for even the most basic of support.

Comparison websites do all the hard work you. They gather details and lay all the facts out for you to make an informed decision. The only thing they can’t do is make that decision for you. Every net user is different. You need to combine the comparison website with your knowledge of your own personal net usage to find the best deal. Good luck!

A study by consumer watchdog Which?, who campaigns to get fairer deals for all consumers, found that 32 out of 45 technology companies charge their customers top rates for making calls to ISP helplines.

Supranet and Roxio have been found to use the highest charging 090 numbers, compared to BT, O2 and UK Online who offer an 0800 freephone number for their technical support.

The editor of Which? Computing, Sarah Kinder, said “some companies are using higher-cost numbers at their customers’ expense. If one company can offer cheaper rates on calls, then all of the firms should do so”

Other findings from the study revealed customers increasing frustrations over dealing with their ISP’s technical support including the time it takes to connect, the time it takes to resolve an issue and a lack of knowledge. 40% of customers cited slow and inconsistent speeds as a main issue.

Meanwhile, BT has been given the green light to go ahead with implementing its super-fast broadband network, which the company claims is up to ten times faster than the speeds available today.

So, when looking for cheap broadband deals, it may well be worth considering the costs of calls to customer support lines. It may also be worth calling a broadband providers support line prior to signing up, to see how long they take to answer a support call. If the call is answer quick, then perhaps you can jump on the net to get the best deal from that broadband provider.