TalkTalk broadband

TalkTalk is a leading Internet service provider that has been in the telecommunications market for nearly two decades.

TalkTalk broadband and TV services are relatively cheaper when compared to other providers like Sky, BT and Virgin Media.

Overview of TalkTalk Broadband

• Being a major operator, TalkTalk offers ADSL broadband, superfast and ultrafast fibre packages with options to add home phone plans and TV packages. Depending on the plan, you can get download speeds ranging from 11Mbps to 944Mbps.
• Speeds are quite good enough for streaming HD videos, downloads and for gaming. Free setup means no upfront costs while  the 18 month contract applies.
• All TalkTalk broadband plans include truly unlimited usage, free wireless router and pay as  you go calls. 
• 30 days connection guarantee (you can leave within 30 days without exit fee)
• TalkTalk broadband also includes free extras like HomeSafe Security and parental controls.
• However, it lags behind competitors in customer satisfaction and customer support.

Fibre 35 and Fibre 65

TalkTalk Fibre 35 and 65 are entry-level fibre broadband which allows you to choose download speeds in a range of 38 Mb –  67 Mb.

Both the plans are affordable and great for streaming, quicker downloads & online gaming. 

TalkTalk Fibre 150

TalkTalk Fibre 150 is the next level plan that is more than 2x faster than Fibre 65. This ultra-fast service is available in areas connected by TalkTalk’s G.fast (Openreach) and full fibre network (CityFibre).

Fibre 150 offers excellent speeds – an average download speed of 145 Mbps and an average upload speed of 25 Mbps.

Fibre 150 comes with landline (PAYG calls) on G.fast lines, and is only available as a broadband plan with VoIP calling in select areas where full fibre FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) is accessible.

TalkTalk Fibre 250

The Fibre 250 is the next tier of the Fibre 150, offering an average download speed of 290 Mbit/s. The monthly price for this plan is £37. Includes free WiFi hub router and online security.

Fibre 250 is available in selected areas. The plan comes with minimum guaranteed speed.

TalkTalk Full Fibre Broadband

TalkTalk Full Fibre (or Future Fibre) is 100%, full fibre connection which offers download speeds up to 900Mbps. It uses FTTP (fibre to the premises) network which runs pure fibre into users’ homes right from the exchange. 

The service includes an Amazon eero 6 router with the latest WiFi 6 technology.

• Also available is the Amazon eero Pro 6 with WiFi mesh support.
• Requires engineer assisted installation 
• No landline is provided.

TalkTalk Full Fibre 500

TalkTalk Full Fibre 500 is delivered via FTTP network so it offers more reliable speed, lower latency levels and stable connection. However, it is not available in all TalkTalk areas.

TalkTalk Fibre 500 offers an average download speed of 506Mbps an an upload speed of 71Mbps.

Fibre 500 full fibre includes the new Amazon eero Pro 6 Mesh router (Triband WiFi 6).

TalkTalk Full Fibre 900

Full Fibre 900 brings the fastest speeds to TalkTalk customers. Fibre 900 offers an average download speed of 910 Mbit/s and upload speed of 110 Mbit/s

• TalkTalk Fibre 900 full fibre is only available as a broadband only plan and includes Total Home WiFi.
• Total Home Wi-Fi includes an additional Amazon eero Pro 6 Mesh router (Triband WiFi 6) WiFi mesh networking.

Reliability

TalkTalk broadband is truly unlimited and has no traffic management policies.

• Your internet traffic will not be shaped.
• TalkTalk won’t slow down your internet access during peak times.

Below are actual speeds and latencies for various TalkTalk broadband plans based on Ofcom’s 2021 report.

*Actual speeds received during peak times (8-10pm).  Lower latency means less lag and is good for gaming.

Broadband Routers

TalkTalk offers three different WiFi hub routers to its broadband customers:

• TalkTalk Fibre 35 and Fibre 65 include WiFi Hub Black ( Huawei DG8041W) with 802.11ac, 4 Gigabit connections and 7 antennas.
• TalkTalk Fibre 150 includes WiFi Hub (Sagemcom Fast 5364) with similar specifications.
• Full fbre plans (Future Fibre) include the more advanced Amazon eero 6 router with WiFi mesh support.

TalkTalk WiFi Hub

Specification

Eero 6 router

The Amazon eero 6 is a mesh router that can handle speeds up to 900Mbps. It adopts the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard and can connect more than 75 devices, greatly improving WiFi speed.

Eero is also compatible with Alexa, and you can easily manage it using voice commands.

With the Eero app, you can easily manage your router’s settings and control WiFi access for other family members.

Specification

• Wi-Fi 6 standard (802.11 ax)
• Dual bands (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz)
• 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports 
• Speed – 2 x 900Mbps (1800Mbps) 
• Coverage – 140 square meters 
• Number of connected devices – 75
• WPA3, WPA2 security

Overview of TalkTalk TV

• TalkTalk TV is exclusively available to broadband customers. TalkTalk TV now includes a 4K-capable Netgem TV Box and more add-ons.
• Includes pause & rewind TalkTalk TV box (no recording function) 
• 4K enabled Netgem TV box is supplied with fibre broadband packages
• 80+ freeview channels (15 in HD)
• TalkTalk TV Go app for watching TV on mobile devices
• Monthly subscription from £4 per month
• Now TV membership, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video etc will cost extra.
• Overall, TalkTalk TV service is not as good as Sky TV or Virgin Media TV. It lacks premium content and latest TV box features

Netgem TV

TalkTalk offers 4K enabled Netgem TV to its fibre broadband and TV customers.

Netgem TV using the Content-as-a-Service platform and equipped with a 4K TV box will now work with all TalkTalk Fibre Broadband plans following testing starting in December 2021.

Earlier, TalkTalk had partnered with Netgem TV, signing an agreement in October 2021 to offer the new TV service only to ultrafast fibre customers.

According to TalkTalk, new fibre broadband customers will get Netgem TV when they subscribe to the triple play package, while a new 4K TV box is also available for existing customers.

Netgem TV – Features

Netgem is a pay-TV service similar to YouView, but offers better features than the latter.

• Netgem TV is based on a Content-as-a-Service model and is compatible with many devices.
• The new 4K box is powered by Netgem TV, which supports pause, rewind & record functions, ultra HD videos (4K@60), WiFi, voice remote and PVR functions. It comes with 4GB flash memory, 2GB RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, USB connectivity, Alexa support and Bluetooth support.
• Netgem TV is delivered via broadband and set-top box with access to over 200 TV channels.
• Netgem TV packs include freeview channels (80+) and premium TV channels including LaLiga TV, Premium Sports and Fuel TV. 
• You can access more than 30 video streaming apps and other popular video players online. You can watch on-demand videos via popular streaming sites YouTube, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, My5 and UKTV.
• Add-ons such as BT Sport, Prime Video, Rakuten TV, BritBox, hayu are also available.
• Netgem has built-in Universal Search, Amazon Alexa and Unlimited Mobile TV to give you the best TV experience.

YouView Box

In addition to the new 4K TV Box, TalkTalk also offers the TalkTalk TV Box based on the YouView TV platform.

Features

• TalkTalk TV customers get basic YouView set-top box for pause and rewind.
• TalkTalk TV Plus box (Youview+ box) with recording function is available for an additional fee.
• The TV package includes over 80 Freeview channels, 15 of which are HD.
• Add-ons such as Netfix, Amazon Prime Video, and more can be subscribed for an additional fee.
• TalkTalk TV plans cost £4 per month.

How much does the new TalkTalk TV package cost?

TalkTalk TV deals are generally cheaper compared to BT, Sky and Virgin Media. With fibre broadband, home phone, free setup and the latest Netgem TV, TalkTalk TV packages are quite affordable for most UK households.

• Currently, the new Netgem TV 4K box comes bundled with all fibre and TV plans except the ADSL plan.
• It’s important to note that the new Netgem TV 4K box won’t cost more than the existing YouView-based TalkTalk TV box, which doesn’t offer 4K TV and other latest features.
• TalkTalk TV customers can also watch a variety of content through 30 apps, including YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and TikTok.

Customer Service

TalkTalk’s customer service and satisfaction were among the lowest in 2022, according to a survey conducted by Ofcom. TalkTalk Broadband had an overall satisfaction rating of 78%, with the lowest score for complaint handling.

Categories with low scores included speed and the number of broadband complaints. The survey found that 21% of customers had a reason to complain about a problem. Nearly three-fourths of broadband customers were dissatisfied with the speed of service.

On the plus side, average call waiting time was the lowest, with reported customers being able to get a response in an average of 1.02 minutes.

• Number of complaints per 100k customers – 75
• Satisfied TalkTalk broadband customers – 78% (ranks last among major providers)
• Satisfied TalkTalk phone customers – 75% (ranks 5th)
• Average call waiting time – 1.02 minutes

Trustpilot rating

TalkTalk customer service has received many negative reviews on sites like Trustpilot.

According to Trustpilot data as of December 2022, TalkTalk has a 5-star rating from 34% of customers and a 1-star rating from 45% of customers. The current overall score is 2.8. 

Ironically, many customers have given both 1 and 5 star rating for customer service, with disconnects and slow speeds being the reason for most of the negative reviews.

TalkTalk customer support

TalkTalk provides customer support via telephone, email, and online forums. You can call or email to ask questions about their services.

Online community forum helps customers find information, updates, and solutions to their problems and concerns.

• By online (Available 24/7, 365 days a year) – Visit  Support Community
• By Phone (7 days a week, 8am – 10pm) 

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