The Post Office is a subsidiary of
the Royal Mail Group which operates on a nationwide scale. In this
capacity it is the United Kingdom’s largest retailer, since its
inception in the early 1600s. It is estimated that 92% of all adults in
Britain will conduct business at a Post Office outlet at least once a
year. Also, each week the Post Office serves 21.2 million people, making
approximately 47 million transactions!
Naturally, the original
Post Office was opened purely for the acceptance and distribution of
mail. Over the years however, the Post Office has grown and expanded to
include a multitude of other services as well. This includes financial
transactions, pensions, banking, bill payments, road tax, travel
insurance and is the largest provider of foreign currency in the UK.
Moreover,
the Post Office similarly is a new supplier of telecommunication
services such as broadband and calls. Many services such as this are
operated from an outlet as opposed to a direct branch. This involves
mobile branches which are set-up temporarily in village halls, for
example, or within other established shops.
Consumers who are
searching for an alternative service provider can explore the Post
Office website to find out about different packages, how accounts are
managed, or even great deals of computers!
Broadband Standard
Consumers
can discover a new way of receiving their telecommunication services
with the Post Office, who are now able to offer fantastic deals on home
broadband and telephone.
With the Broadband Standard package
customers need only pay £16.30 a month for a quick and reliable Internet
service. Customers will be able to enjoy an average download speed of
up to 8Mbps coupled with a monthly usage limit of 5GB, which is more
than sufficient for surfing the web and keeping in contact via e-mail.
Users
will also receive a new wireless modem completely free of charge with
simple-to-follow instructions for installation. Also included is free
security software which will protect your computer with basic anti-spam
and anti-virus spyware.
On top of this you will be able to assign a
maximum of 5 e-mail addresses to your family and can enjoy the use of
50MB of webspace for your own website if you like. The set-up process is
very simple and there are no connection fees whatsoever.
The
Post Office provides a fully-functioning Customer Care Line that
operates between 7am and 11pm every day of the week, and a technical
support team is accessible every hour of every day of the year.
Like
many other Internet Service Provider, the Post Office broadband
download speeds are dependent upon the area in which you are living and
the distance from the telephone exchange. A fair usage policy applies
and users are subject to a 12 month contract.
Broadband Extra
The
post Office offers another package, similar to the Broadband Standard
pack, but which is embellished with enhancements for those that enjoy a
heavier use of the World Wide Web.
As such, there are no monthly
usage allowance restrictions with the Broadband Extra package, and users
will again experience download speeds of up to 8Mbps. The price for
this service is only £21.40 a month, which is very competitive when
compared to other ISPs in the United Kingdom.
A free wireless
router is included and is extremely simple to install at home with an
easy-to-read guide supplied. As well as this customers will receive a
total of 5 separate e-mail addresses which can be assigned to members of
the family, and an additional 50MB of webspace that can be used to
house a personal website.
Free security software is an additional
feature of this package, with great and easy-to-use parental controls so
that you can regulate your children’s use of the Internet while
simultaneously protecting them from harmful or inappropriate website
content.
There is no connection charge for this Internet service
to be installed in your home. There are some terms however, such as a
fair usage policy, whereby your “unlimited” usage can be altered should
you abuse the broadband connection with harmful or offensive materials
online. The download speed is similarly subject to availability in your
area, depending on where you live and the distance from the telephone
exchange.
Also subject to a 12 month contract.
Broadband FAQs
Is the line rental included?
No,
line rental does not form a part of your Post Office broadband package.
The cost will depend on your call plan and your home phone provider.
The Post Office can provide a new phone line if you so need.
Does it matter what computer I have?
No,
each of the broadband packages are compatible with any model of
computer, including PCs and Apple Macs. The security software included
however is not attuned to Apple Macs.
What if I unknowingly exceed my usage allowance?
If
you are downloading large amounts of information from the Internet and
you exceed your 5GB usage allowance with the Standard package, then you
may incur extra charges. The Post Office will contact you however to
discuss ways that your service can be altered to accommodate more
downloads.
Can I switch to the Post Office?
Switching
from one Internet Service Provider (ISP) to another is simpler than you
think. All that you must do is inform your existing provider of your
intentions, obtain your unique MAC key code from them, and pass it on to
the Post Office who will then organise the switchover for you.
How long does it take to switch?
It
will take approximately 14 working days for the entire switchover to be
completed. This starts from the day that your order is made. You can
track the progress of your order by logging onto the Post Office
website.
Can I get a Post Office telephone service as well?
Yes,
you can log onto the Post Office website to uncover more details about
their telephone service. You can also save money by opting for a
broadband & call package, as opposed to ordering them as separate
commodities.
