We all like to get something for free, but when it comes to internet access is there such a thing as a free broadband deal?

It’s a question we’re regularly asked. You may have seen free broadband advertised before, and in the past, there have been services which came pretty close to fulfilling that promise.

Includes free professional install on request if you're a new Telstra Home Phone customer on the nbn. Call rates apply to direct dialled and forwarded calls. The Home Phone Calls Safety Net caps your monthly bill at $150 per month for local, national, Australian mobile and 13 calls over your plan allowance. Broadband providers who offer fibre to the premises (FTTP), such as Virgin Media, can avoid a landline, but, to have a home phone bundle you’ll need the landline and, therefore, line rental. If you’re looking to avoid line rental, you could always look for a broadband and mobile phone deal.

But what does free broadband mean today? Why don’t you see free broadband deals advertised anymore, and are there any alternatives (free installation, for example) if you’re on a very tight budget? In this guide, we’ll explain the past and present of free broadband, and show you how to save money on broadband to get the cheapest possible deal.

Looking to buy? Check out our cheapest deals below:

What happened to free broadband deals?

Until fairly recently it wasn’t uncommon to see free broadband advertised by major providers such as Sky, TalkTalk, and BT. Usually, this would be an offer like “free broadband for the first 12 months”.

But it wasn’t quite as simple as it sounded, because while the broadband part of the deal may have been free (for a limited time..) you still had to pay the phone line rental so it wasn't free of all costs.

New rules introduced by the ASA a few years ago put a stop to that as providers were no longer allowed the separate the cost of the broadband and line rental.

Dave Johnson/Business Insider4. How to install free grammarly. During the installation process, choose if you want to install it for both Word and Outlook, and then click 'Install.' After a moment, the Grammarly add-in will be installed and ready for use. © Dave Johnson/Business InsiderChoose which apps you want to use Grammarly with and then install it.

Now the price you see for a broadband deal has to cover all the bundled services, so when you sign up for a TV and broadband or phone and broadband package you know exactly what you’re paying each month and what you’re getting for the money.

Free Phone Line Installation And Broadband

There have been examples of free internet services in the past. When Orange launched home broadband in 2006 it offered free broadband for life to its mobile customers and was quickly overwhelmed by demand. How much does car toys installation cost. You still needed to pay line rental of course, but until 2012 Orange customers were free to choose their own phone provider. TalkTalk also became infamous early in its life for a similar free broadband offer which led to major issues with customer support and reliability due to the number of people signing up. And back in the dial-up days before broadband was widely available, there were numerous freephone internet services; but as with all the other free internet services you still had to pay for the phone line to use them.

How you can still get ‘free’ broadband

While free broadband deals may no longer be advertised you can still find offers which are similar. There’s no shortage of cheap deals from ISPs including Plusnet, Sky, and Origin which provide broadband and phone at a discounted price for the first 12 or 18 months and, taking line rental into account, they work out to be much the same as the old free broadband offerings.

Another option for those of you looking to get something for nothing is a broadband deal with free setup. Some providers offer this as standard, others as a limited time deal.

It may also be worth selecting one of the providers which offer free public Wi-Fi hotspot access. While it’s not much help if you’re interested in free home broadband, this can be a very welcome extra that lets you stay connected away from home and save money on mobile data. BT and Sky both offer free Wi-Fi on their nationwide networks, and Virgin Media customers get free Wi-Fi on the London Underground.

Alternatives to free broadband

So free broadband isn’t really a thing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t save money with a great value broadband deal with something extra included at no additional cost. There are plenty of broadband offers with free setup, as well as broadband deals with free gifts.

Broadband with no setup fees

Broadband with free setup means you don’t have to pay anything when signing up for the service. This is not always a huge saving, but it can often be found alongside other freebies to make a deal even better value.

Some sites may not include Wi-Fi router postage in the setup costs, but at Broadband Genie our comparison tables take into account any up-front fees, including postage for routers and other equipment.

However, it is important to note that free setup only applies if you already have an active telephone line. If not, you will have to pay extra costs for a new line. For more information about new phone lines, read our guide to phone installation.

Broadband with free gifts

The broadband market is very competitive, which is good news because it means providers try to tempt us with special offers. There is no shortage of broadband deals with free gifts, and these can make a huge difference to the overall cost of the package.

Gift vouchers for stores such as M&S and Amazon are often available, but pre-paid credit cards are also very popular and arguably the best value because they can be spent anywhere.

Cashback promotions also come around every so often. These will either provide the reward as a cheque or a bill credit. Less common are free gadgets such as TVs and Bluetooth speakers. Some even offer free laptops, though these are rare nowadays.

Broadband Genie also regularly offers exclusive free gift promotions which you won’t find anywhere else. Sometimes these are combined with other offers so you can claim multiple rewards.

Any of these rewards can be a great way to save money, but you must always make sure the rest of the deal is right for you. Consider the monthly fees (especially after an introductory discount period), the speed of the service and any limitations or extras.

We now keep an eye on their behavior to make sure they don’t suddenly go rogue.This is no run-of-the-mill free antivirusOn top of our latest features, we cover essential intelligent threat-detection and real-time protection with such a light touch on your PC, you never even know it’s there.Intelligent AntivirusDetect and block viruses, malware, spyware, ransomware and phishing. Avast antivirus installer free download 2015. Now called Do Not Disturb Mode, it blocks distracting popups whether you’re gaming, watching movies, or presenting in fullscreen.Introducing Behavior ShieldWe don’t just check your applications for malware.

Subsidised broadband

Internet access is increasingly crucial in our day to day lives, though not everyone can afford a broadband service at home. But there are some options for those on a low income, and even ways to use the internet for free.

Can you get free or subsidised broadband if you are on benefits?

One option for a limited budget is BT Basic Broadband. For £9.95 per month including line rental this provides an average speed of 10Mb with 15GB monthly usage. It also still includes free access to the BT Wi-Fi hotspot network.

While this may suit an individual with very light usage (mainly web browsing, email and social media) its monthly data limit is quite restrictive. If you wanted to use the connection for music or TV streaming it would not be long before you’d exceeded the monthly cap. It would also not be the right fit for a home where the connection is shared.

Broadband Installations Of Iowa

Free Phone Line Installation And Broadband