TalkTalk entered the fixed-line broadband market as a relative latecomer in 2003, but, since then it has become a leader in its field. It experienced a few minor setbacks along the way (such as when it offered free broadband as an introductory come-on and couldn’t keep up with the flood of interest), but it seems to have settled down in its comfortable position as an industry leader. TalkTalk offers competitive prices for its broadband deals, as any decent broadband comparison will show. Their deals include packages for telephone usage and broadband/ADSL, and TalkTalk’s TurboBoost broadband is one of the best and fastest ADSL hook-ups available.
TalkTalk is a subsidiary of Carphone Warehouse and in the six short years since it entered the broadband market, the company has amassed close to 3 million customers in the UK. This makes it the third-largest broadband provider in the UK, with only Virgin Media and BT ahead of it in subscriptions. (Incidentally, Carphone Warehouse also owns AOL and Tiscali, which technically makes it even bigger than BT and Virgin Media.) TalkTalk’s speedy packages are attractive and most of their customers are connected via an ‘unbundled’ telephone exchange, which means they enjoy better broadband speeds. With the TurboBoost package, TalkTalk customers can now take advantage of even more speed, more download capacity, more call time, and extra minutes on their mobiles. Packages like this – which cost £6.49 a month plus another £4 for the ‘boost’ – are why TalkTalk has reached the Top Three and plans to stay there for the duration.