TV & Phone Bundles
In the UK a majority of people will have been living with home telephone services for most if not all of their life, and by 2012 the entire country is going to have to make the switchover to digital broadcasting as the last of the analogue services is switched off. In the modern home there are often multiple monthly outgoings which relate to these now essential parts of life, digital TV and phone services, and there are many people who are taking advantage of receiving both of these services as part of a bundle and paying one simple monthly payment for both. There is no single option for digital TV and phone bundles so it's important to compare different providers in order to get the best deal.
Satellite Digital TV & Phone Bundles
With Sky you are able to combine one of their award winning digital TV services with a home phone package to suit you, and the name of the game is flexibility. If you sign up for a digital TV package, of which there are many types to suit all tastes and of course the Sky+ PVR to allow you to pause, rewind and record live TV, then getting a Sky home phone package to compliment your TV service is simple. The Sky Talk line rental is just £10 each month, which is cheaper than you would pay BT, and on top of that you receive unlimited evening and weekend calls to UK land lines for no extra monthly charge.
Alternatively for just £5 a month on top of your line rental you could enjoy unlimited anytime calls to UK landlines and also to 20 popular international areas. This is great news for people who want to keep using their existing BT land line but who also want to switch home phone providers and prepare for the switchover with a digital TV package.
Cable TV & Phone Bundles
If you're tired of your BT landline and terrestrial TV services altogether and want a complete change then the cable digital TV and home phone options available from Virgin Media may be an appropriate alternative. Using a system of underground fibre optic cables rather than overhead copper wiring, the Virgin Media network ensures a constant, reliable connection to their services.
You'll have to pay £11 a month line rental and get a Virgin Media phone line connected to your property if you don't already have one, but then the phone and TV package is just £5 a month for the first 3 months and £10 a month after that. For your money you'll get 100 digital channels including popular Sky channels and access to BBC's on demand video service iPlayer. You'll also get unlimited weekend calls to UK landline numbers with your Virgin Media phone line.
Considerations
It's important to consider that when you are looking at the two options above both offer more flexibility and choice than it is possible to list here. The Sky TV and phone bundles have to be built from scratch, and you will find that their services combined may cost more than the Virgin Media package we've looked at. However, it is ultimately down to your tastes and how much you want to pay monthly, and of course price comparison is the best way to find the right bundle for you.
