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TalkTalk broadband review
Learn all about TalkTalk connection speeds, typical deals and pros and cons.
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TalkTalk is one of the UK’s biggest broadband and home phone providers. It offers competitively priced standard and fibre broadband packages, along with home phone and TV bundles.
TalkTalk began life in 2003 as the mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse’s landline phone service. The firm then began providing household broadband services in 2006, before splitting off from its parent company in 2010.
The company’s broadband bundles all include line rental, while some offer landline calls to UK numbers in the monthly price. TalkTalk also offers its broadband customers some discounted TV streaming services for an extra monthly fee.
What packages does TalkTalk offer?
Check the table below to see some of TalkTalk’s current offers.
*Average speeds are based on speed available to at least 50% of customers at peak time (8pm-10pm). The speeds you’ll get at home will depend on a few factors, like your location, and the speed you receive may differ from the figure in our comparison. Most providers will give a customised estimate based on your address.
What kinds of speeds can TalkTalk offer?
TalkTalk markets a range of packages starting from Fast Broadband, its basic 10Mbps connection. Its Fibre 35 and Fibre 65 packages offer average download speeds of 38Mbps and 67Mbps respectively, while those needing bags of lightning-fast bandwidth can get advertised speeds of up to 290Mbps with the premium packages.
But remember, where you live will affect both the quality and speed of your connection. The broadband regulator Ofcom has a handy tool to show you which providers can operate in your area and what kinds of speeds you can realistically expect.
Do I need a landline to get TalkTalk broadband?
You’ll need to pay line rental if the TalkTalk uses a fixed phone line to provide your connection, but not if you sign up for fibre broadband. This type of connection is supplied through fibre optic cables that run separately from the phone network, so you won’t need to get a separate, dedicated phone line.
Can I claim compensation from TalkTalk if things go wrong?
TalkTalk is a member of Ofcom’s Automatic Compensation Scheme. This means that if certain things go wrong with the service you receive from the company, you’ll be entitled to a certain amount of money.
| Problem | You're eligible to claim if... | Amount of compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Delayed repair following loss of service | The service has stopped working and it's not fully fixed after 2 full working days | £8.06 for each calendar day that the service isn't repaired |
| Missed engineer appointments | An engineer fails to arrive for a scheduled appointment, or it's cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice | £25.18 per missed appointment |
| Delays with the start of a new service | The provider promises to start a new service on a particular date, but fails to do so | £5.04 for each calendar day of delay, including the missed start date |
How can TalkTalk customers manage their account?
| Smartphone app | |
|---|---|
| Live chat support | |
| Telephone support | |
| Email support |
TalkTalk has a live chat facility, open every day between 8am and 10pm.
TalkTalk customers can call free (from a TalkTalk phone) on 0345 172 0088, with customer services available between 8am and 8pm.
TalkTalk customer reviews
Unfortunately TalkTalk doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to customer service. The industry watchdog Ofcom found in its most recent annual customer satisfaction survey that only 77% of TalkTalk customers were satisfied with the provider’s service. This score is the lowest of all the UK’s major broadband suppliers in 2020.
The firm’s reputation also suffered when the personal details of nearly 157,000 customers were stolen by hackers in October 2015. The Information Commissioner’s Office subsequently fined the firm £400,000 for failures in its cybersecurity measures.
Customer reviews on the website Trustpilot aren’t very encouraging either, with 43% of almost 60,000 reviews giving the company a “bad” rating compared to 34% who said their experience with the firm was “excellent”.
Pros and cons of TalkTalk broadband
- Well-priced plans. Customers have access to 5 speeds, each at a competitive price.
- 30-day cancellation period. The Great Connection Guarantee means you can cancel any fibre broadband package within 30 days if you’re not satisfied.
- Longer contracts. You’ll have to sign up for at least 24 months to get the best prices.
- Poor complaint handling. In Ofcom’s most recent report, only 47% of TalkTalk customers reported being satisfied with the way their complaint was handled.
Our verdict: Is TalkTalk any good?
While TalkTalk offers a pretty competitive set of broadband bundles to suit a range of home setups, a large portion of TalkTalk’s customers have been pretty negative when asked about the service they’ve received.
If TalkTalk offers a decent deal at a speed that works for you, it may be worth exploring. But bear in mind that a big chunk of its customer base has been left pretty unsatisfied.
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