The budget conscious internet and phone provider, TalkTalk UK, has today officially moved all of its broadband and newline contracts to shorter 12 Month terms. The ISP had until recently been offering its packages alongside lengthy 18 month contracts and hopes that the change will help to entice new users.

In addition TalkTalk has also extended its 6 months half price promotion for their cheapest 'Essentials' package (i.e. £3.49 per month instead of £6.99), which includes a FREE Connection, albeit only until the end of this month.

TalkTalk Essentials Package
* Download speeds of up to 24Mb
* 40GB download allowance
* Unlimited evening and weekend calls to all UK landline numbers and 0845/0870.
* Unlimited calls to other TalkTalk-members
* FREE wireless router
* 30-day no-quibble trial
* Discounts on calls to your top 16 mobile and international numbers.
* 12 month minimum contract

As usual the price will return to normal after the first six months and there's also the £12.30 per month line rental to add. The half price deal ends 31/01/2011. However we suspect that it will probably take a bit more than shorter contract terms to help the ISP recover from the past six months, which have seen problems with customer support quality, messy email migrations, mis-selling investigations, privacy concerns, job losses and billing nightmares pervade the press.