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.”

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.