With the popularity of Internet television set to rise, as the BBC announced its intention to make a number of popular shows and programmes available free online from next month, broadband customers in the UK are getting geared up to start enjoying the benefits of Internet television.

However, customers are being urged to remember that broadband providers have fair usage policies in place with unlimited broadband deals, and by taking advantage of Internet television many broadband customers could find themselves regularly breaching these fair usage policies, which could end up costing them a fortune.

For most users staying within the fair usage limits on their broadband packages has not proven much of a problem in the past, other than for a small minority. However, with the popularity of Internet television set to increase many more broadband customers could find themselves in regular breach of fair usage policies, and this could cost them money in the short term as well as over the long term.

In the short term their broadband providers may charge up to one pound more per extra GB. And in the long term, if a customer regularly exceeds the fair usage limits, he or she may be forced to move to a more expensive unlimited broadband package. So, either way those taking advantage of Internet television could end up paying out a small fortune for the privilege.

One industry professional stated: ‘We are seeing a lifestyle change where people now want to watch what they want, when they want. TV services are available but many broadband service packages are not keeping up. This is important now that the average contract is going up from 12 months to 18 months and things can move very fast in that time.’

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