The changes that are currently afoot in the home broadband market are set to alter the face of the industry as we know it. Whilst it appears that landline customers are going to experience a rise in the cost of their services, people who opt for bundle deals will be getting a better price for their connections.

Starting in April, BT is altering the definitions of off-peak for its inclusive call package users, moving the start time in the evenings from 6pm to 7pm. However, according to a report from Simplydigital.co.uk there is a chance that BT broadband deals will be getting cheaper after O2 launches its own home broadband and phone service bundle, undercutting rivals on price.

O2 is going to combine the price of line rental and broadband into a one-off payment that will cost customers £17 each month on a 12 month contract. Considering that Virgin Media is putting up the cost of its line rental, people who had given up on ADSL broadband and moved to cable could well be switching back to save cash.

Not every consumer will be looking for value above all else in their home broadband packages and speed has recently proven to be an increasingly important factor as fibre optic broadband connections become more widely available.

In 2010 it seems as if there is a push within the telecoms industry to encourage consumers to put all of their eggs into one basket and sign on for multiple services from the same firm. Since the majority of broadband customers also require home phone and digital television in some form, it makes sense to save money and commit to a package.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard said “It is advisable to save money by opting for BT broadband deals with multiple services bundled together, although price comparison is more important than ever.”

Although the home broadband market is always heavily competitive, it seems as though TalkTalk has just raised the bar in terms of value for money with its announcement that it will start providing a free broadband connection for new customers for the first year of their contract.

TalkTalk has been performing very well over the last year and it seems that its success has emboldened its management team and encouraged a push towards capturing even more of the market. The new package will slightly overshadow O2’s recent announcement that it will begin to offer home phone deals for its customers and could prove to be more attractive than some BT broadband options.

TalkTalk’s free broadband offer requires that you pay line rental, but not only will this allow for unlimited evening and weekend calls to UK landlines, but 8Mbps broadband will not cost you a penny extra for an entire year. You will need to commit for a minimum of 24 months and during the second half you will have to pay £6.99 a month for the broadband connection.

If you do the maths, it turns out that TalkTalk’s bundle will set you back under £200 a year, which is competitive for both home phone and broadband bundled in the same simple deal. But the main question many will ask is ‘Should I commit for 2 years?’

The broadband market it in a state of change and by 2012 a whole host of new technologies will have arrived, including faster fibre to the cabinet and LTE mobile broadband connections. This could leave you feeling left behind with an 8Mbps connection.

That said, there will usually be opportunities for people to upgrade their broadband package with their existing provider at any point during their minimum contracted period. This is particularly easy with TalkTalk or BT Broadband options, although do bear in mind that additional commitments may be required in tandem with the upgrade.

For those looking for broadband, phone and TV bundle package deals the recent offer from BT Broadband whereby the first 3 months of broadband access is free has seen real savings. However, Simple Broadband has been reminded by BT Broadband that the deal comes to an end in just over a week – the last day to sign up is 11 December.

The free broadband deal applies to phone, TV and broadband packages but if you are not interested in the TV element then it is also valid for the phone and broadband only packages too.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager, Simon Gerrard said: “BT Broadband’s 3 months free offer is a great opportunity ahead of Christmas and those looking to switch their supplier will need to move quickly.”

Be Broadband has extended its half price broadband offer on its entry level home broadband package. The extension is welcome but will expire on 28 December so users looking for a cheap broadband deal need to sign up quickly. A voucher code – ‘halfprice’ needs to be used when applying for the Be Value package and cuts the price from £13.50/month to just £6.75/month – this is a saving of £81 per year. You can find more about the offer here – Be Broadband Half Price Deal.

The Be Broadband Value package gives a connection speed of 8Mb and unlimited monthly usage. Also included is a free wireless router and free customer support at any time (Be has won awards for its customer service!).

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager, Simon Gerrard said: “Be Broadband offers some great packages for the home broadband user and, with money tight for many people given the current economic situation, extending this half price broadband offer is likely to be very successful.”

Increased competition from alternative broadband providers has triggered BT to jump on the bundle-deal bandwagon. The telecoms giant will be offering new customers the chance to sign up to several of its home broadband and landline phone packages with the incentive of 3 months free. This is in response to the widespread market acceptance of similar deals from providers such as Virgin Mobile. Virgin recently offered customers 2 months free service and it seems that BT is determined to go one better in its attempt to win back previous subscribers.

BT will be offering the deal in partnership with its Starter home broadband package, which integrates the home phone service with inclusive weekend calls to UK landline numbers and a subscription to the BT Vision digital TV service. Customers will be provided with free equipment including the BT home hub, as well as free internet security software.

It is expected that the extended BT broadband options which fall under the terms of this offer will not be available for too long. As such, consumers are being encouraged to sign up before Christmas if they wish to make the most of the limited time offer. In line with common industry practice, the multiple services included in this package require a minimum contractual term of 18 months and there is line rental to pay on top of the monthly package price.

Incentives such as reduced monthly costs, as well as the lure of bundle deals, have significantly changed the way in which broadband has been marketed and sold in recent months. BT broadband options which include broadband, home phone and digital TV in a single monthly package offer the consumer potentially significant savings whilst giving BT more control over multiple services. The added convenience of having to deal with a single provider when issues arise is another key selling point of home broadband bundles.

From today the Virgin Media is offering free installation on all its packages worth – this is a saving of £35. This offer is a great deal and represents a good saving for those who can access cable broadband.

Virgin Media offers packages for the home broadband user with speed options of up to 10Mb, 20Mb or an amazing 50Mb. These speeds combined with unlimited downloads, free internet security and a free wireless router make them one of our recommended broadband suppliers for home use.