Internet access in the UK is being shaken up by cut-price offers. But how do the figures add up? Telephone line rental must be added on and some service providers charge premium rates for helplines. Here BBC News Online gives a basic breakdown of how various schemes work and what they offer.
Several service providers have cancelled unlimited free access plans in recent months. They include: Altavista, CallNet0800 and Line One. Virgin has delayed its proposed service.
ISP |
Subscription costs |
Call charges |
BT SurfTime |
£5.99 a month off peak or £19.99 a month round the clock |
Free access evenings and weekends or Unlimited free access |
NTL |
£10 one-off fee; must spend £10 a month on voice calls |
Unlimited free access |
Demon |
£11.75 a month |
Local rate calls |
AOL |
£14.99 a month |
unmetered access, first month free |
Freeserve |
£5.99 a month off-peak or £10 a month round the clock |
Free access evenings and weekends or Unlimited free access but heavy users face restrictions |
Telewest |
£10 a month; must spend £10 a month on voice calls |
Unlimited free access |
Totalise |
£235 for two years |
100 hours a month, unlimited free access from January 2001, plus shares in the company |
strayduck |
No charge |
Local rate calls - every third week free based on usage |
World Online |
Service withdrawn |
|
Breathe |
£50 one-off fee but
heavy users face restrictions |
Unlimited free access |
RedHotAnt |
£30 one-off plus £10 a year or £50 one-off plus £20 a year or £60 one-off plus £30 a year |
Free access evenings and weekends or Unlimited free access or Unlimited access plus unlimited web space |
The Free Internet Group |
£50 a year |
Unlimited free access, some usage restrictions |
Prices correct at 08 November 2000.