Broadband guide for students released by Ofcom

In order to provide support for students who are looking for the most suitable broadband services to use whilst they are in higher education a new guide was recently released for just this purpose.

The new document, which was created by Ofcom, the broadcasting and telecommunications watchdog, provides a number of questions that can be asked by students prior to making their final choice and allows them to get the best possible deal from their provider.

Deciding on whether to go for a fixed or mobile broadband service is one of the considerations that is included in the guide. This is because many students may not necessarily want a landline included as this may cause issues for students in shared accommodation when it comes to paying the bill.

The guide does, however, advise that a wired connection offers “more generous download limits if you intend to use broadband for more than just internet browsing and emails” and is also more reliable and much faster.

Checking the property that is chosen for a telephone socket and speaking to the telecoms provider to ensure that the phone line is operational and does not need reconnecting is also recommended once the student has made their decision on the provider they want to use.

The guide advises “There are lots of things to consider when moving away from home for the first time. But have you thought about how you’re going to stay in touch with friends and family or how you’re going to email that essay when you’re on [a] deadline?”

One if the biggest reasons for this new guide is that students shopping for broadband services will now have a much wider range of broadband services to choose from following an announcement made last month by Ofcom that there are currently more than 6 million unbundled broadband lines in the UK.