ISP TalkTalk Claim Cheapest UK Triple Play Broadband with Essentials TV

Budget ISP TalkTalk has officially introduced its new triple-play Essentials TV (phone, broadband and television) bundle today, which at £7.50 per month has managed to carve out a small space between their £2.50 SimplyBroadband and £10 Plus TV services. The primary difference appears to be in the free calls and budget YouView (IPTV) set-top-box.

The new package comes with an 18 month contract (NOTE: changes to a 24 month contract for existing customers) and as usual requires customers to also pay from £10.50 per month for Line Rental (i.e. when paid 12 months in advance) or £15.40 for the standard monthly option. But unlike the Plus TV package its YouView box is a special budget model that excludes the PVR recording features.

Essentials TV

* Typical download speeds of up to 16Mbps (20Mbps max)
* Totally unlimited downloads
* Included YouView TV Set-Top-Box (no PVR)
* FREE Connection (Saves £30)
* FREE HomeSafe Internet Security and Parental Controls
* FREE Wireless Router
* FREE Evening and Weekend Calls to UK Landlines

PRICE: £7.50 a month

It’s also important to remember that the YouView based TV service requires a minimum broadband speed of 3Mbps, which rises to 5Mbps if you take any of their TV Boost add-ons like Sky Movies or Sky Sports etc. The new package is certainly the cheapest TV bundle but then it’s not as fast as Virgin’s 30Mbps entry-level option and lacks the included commercial channels of Sky.