O2 Broadband

O2 Broadband now offer great deals for existing O2 customers and those new to O2. Expect great service, great broadband speeds and excellent reliability from one of the big names in telecommunications.

New offer! O2 are now offering a £5 a month discount on all broadband packages to O2 pay-monthly and prepay mobile phone customers.

O2 packages

Product name		Speed	Downloads	Contract	Monthly cost
	O2 Broadband Standard Free wireless router. Discounted for all existing O2 customers	up to 8Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£7.50 (£12.50 for non-O2 customers)	Sign up »
The name of this package, ‘Standard’, is really a bit deceptive when you realise just how much you get for your money. Unlike many other ISP’s whose standard packages are actually quite basic, O2 provides you with a range of highly competitive features that some ISPs don’t even provide in their top-level packages. At £12.50 per month, based on a 12 month contract, O2 offer great value. However, if you are an O2 mobile customer then you will enjoy all of the perks of the package at a cost reduction of nearly 50%. That brings the monthly cost of the Standard package down to a fantastic £7.50 per month. Included within this you will receive: O2 Wireless Box – O2’s very own wireless router comes as standard with a 12 month contract. It will allow you to connect to the internet wherever you are in the home, from the loft to the living room. Speeds of up to 8Mb – This is one of the fastest speeds available on a basic package and will ensure an efficient and high quality connection at all times. Websites will load instantly and you’ll be able to download songs in seconds. There’s also a competent upload speed of 1.3Mb for when you’re uploading photos as e-mail attachments. Unlimited Usage – There are no restrictions to how often you can use the internet or how many files you can download with O2’s unlimited usage. This means you’ll have all the freedom you want to test out the super-speedy 8Mb connection. -No connection charge.
	O2 Broadband Premium Free wireless router. Discounted for all existing O2 customers	up to 16Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£10.00 (£15 for non-O2 customers)	Sign up »
Premium is O2’s more luxurious package which will allow you to make the most of all that the Standard package has to offer whilst giving you that little bit extra. As you’d expect, the Premium package is a little more expensive but, once again, if you’re an existing O2 Pay Monthly customer then you could save a great deal on broadband. Instead of the standard £15 per month, you would be paying just £10, so over the course of your 12 month contract you’ll save £60. You’ll also be excited to hear that the Premium package will allow you to attain download speeds of 16Mb which beats the majority of O2’s competitors hands down. With a 16Mb connection you’ll experience the internet like never before, particularly if you’re into interactive pursuits online, such as internet gaming. The O2 wireless box is still included within the contract and you’ll also have the same unlimited download allowance as the Standard package. No connection charges apply. Don’t forget to check out the terms and conditions of the Fair Usage Policy on the O2 website.
	O2 Broadband Ultimate Free wireless router. Discounted for all existing O2 customers	up to 20Mb	Unlimited	12 months	£15.00 (£20 for non-O2 customers)	Sign up »
The aptly titled Ultimate package provides you with a superb broadband connection of 20Mb which far surpasses the other ISPs’ optimum packages, particularly when you compare the relative monthly costs. For O2 Pay Monthly customers, this expedite connection can be enjoyed for just £15 per month, based on a minimum 12 month contract, which is almost 30% cheaper than the 20Mb package offered by Virgin Media. Do bear in mind that BT line rental still applies, which will bump your monthly costs up by around £10.50. Once again the download allowance is unlimited so you’ll be able to maximise your broadband connection and the free O2 wireless router, by accessing the internet wherever you are in the house and at whatever time you feel like it. As with O2's other great offers, no connection charges apply to this package. An additional bonus of the Ultimate package is the increased upload speed of 1.6Mb, compared to the 1.3Mb of the Standard and Premium packages. So, if you have your own website or you send large e-mail attachments then you’ll appreciate the increased efficiency.

O2 features

• Home broadband
• Mobile broadband
• Trial period
• Free wireless router
• Email
• Fair usage policy
• Security package
• ADSL broadband
• Mac compatible
• Support
• Static IP address
• Extras
• Free connection

Customer service

O2 has the best of both worlds when it comes to customer service; not only do they have a very informative Help section on their website but they also have a UK-based call centre which is open around the clock, 7 days a week.

The website has a section specifically with broadband in mind so you don’t have to wade through lots of irrelevant information about mobile phone contracts. As well as the handy subsections, which range from ‘Security’ to ‘Gaming’, there’s an ‘O2 Broadband Assistant’ which helps you search for the exact information you’re looking for.

Plus, the website also has a page specifically for customers wishing to switch their existing broadband contract to O2. There’s plenty of information and a list of contact numbers for other ISPs so you can get in touch easily and disconnect from your existing provider.

Equipment

O2 have their own specific hardware which comes as standards with whichever contract you chose. This means you won’t have to fork out for a modem or router when you sign up, which reduces your initial setup costs.

In addition to this, the O2 Wireless Box will allow you to connect to the internet wire-free. It sends out a signal which is picked up by your computer or consol so you can access the internet from anywhere in your home. It’s even powerful enough to be used in the garden.

If your computer does not have wireless capability O2 are also happy to provide you with a wired, or Ethernet, version which plugs directly into the back of your computer.

Software features

One of the benefits of signing up to a broadband connection with 02 is that you will receive highly-reputed McAfee security software absolutely free. The comprehensive software includes anti-virus and anti-spyware technology as well as firewall, anti-spam and parental control settings.

Installation is easy, all you have to do is put the CD into your drive and follow the on-screen instructions. Plus, the software can be installed on up to three computers in your household so you can rest safe in the knowledge that everyone is protected.

Email features

O2 are generous with the number of e-mail addresses that you are supplied with when you sign up. They allow you to have 10 accounts per household which ensures individual privacy; it’s also perfect if you run a business from home. The main e-mail account will benefit from an inbox allowance of 1GB and the other accounts have an ample 200Mb allowance.

With the free anti-spam software you can concentrate on enjoying keeping in touch with friends and family. There’s also the unique bonus of being able to send e-mails to your O2 mobile phone (up to 1000 per month) which you receive as you would a text message.

Extras

There are a whole host of extras with an O2 broadband contract, in particular the significant cost reductions for existing O2 customers. If you are an O2 "Pay as You Go" or "Pay Monthly" customer you save £5 a month on each of the broadband packages.

Even if you’re not an O2 mobile customer there are plenty of additional features to keep you happy. For example, you can send up to 100 web texts to any mobile every month, completely free of charge. So there’s no excuse not to keep up to date with friends and family.

And O2 are so confident that you’ll be happy with your new broadband connection that they offer a 100 day money back guarantee.

Company history

O2, or Telefonica O2 Europe, was established in 2006 when British company O2 merged with the Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica. But the company’s history spans much further back than this. O2 was originally known as BT Wireless and then later as BT Cellnet, this was BT’s first ever mobile network provision service.

However, after a de-merger in 2001, the company gained independence from BT and re-branded as O2. For five years the company maintained this independent status but the recent acquisition by Telefónica has forged links between other European telecommunications companies, particularly in Germany and the Czech Republic.

Today O2 has considerable shares in smaller network providers such as Tesco Mobile and Tchibo Mobilfunk. O2’s latest venture is a further expansion of the company’s horizons; using its telecommunications experience O2 have now developed a brand new home broadband service. By taking over the British-based ISP Be, O2’s super-speedy connection is set to take the broadband world by storm.