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Can I get broadband without a landline?

Joanna Faith
Written By:
Joanna Faith
Posted:
Updated:
12/06/2018

One in five Brits haven’t made a personal landline call in over six months, according to a poll by broadbandchoices.co.uk. So, having one and paying line rental may seem like a waste of time and money.

But in general, you do still need a landline to get broadband and in many cases it’s cheaper to take a phone line and just not use it.

“Most broadband providers are ADSL and use BT’s copper wire telephone network to deliver internet connection to your home and it requires a live phone line to do that, unless you have the access and budget for cable or fibre-optic options,” says Vix Leyton from broadbandchoices.co.uk.

There are some non-landline options though.

Virgin Media is the only major provider in the UK able to offer broadband that doesn’t need a phone line. Instead it offers a cable option.

“Since it has its own fibre network separate from BT’s, it can bring a broadband connection to your home directly, completely eliminating the need for a landline. So, for consumers who are opposed to the landline being part of their billing mix, this might be an option,” says Leyton.

Smaller provider, Relish, offers a non-landline broadband service, but it is only available in central London and Swindon at the moment.

Another solution is mobile broadband, which comes in the form of a USB dongle, a Wi-Fi hotspot device, or data-only SIM deal, such as the kind you’d get for an iPad, all of which work by connecting wirelessly to the provider’s 4G network.

“It’s often slower and less reliable than a wired connection,” Leyton warns.

Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert, MoneySuperMarket, says: “4G coverage can be patchy or inconsistent, and you might run into data caps, even on moderate usage.”