TalkTalk scraps separate line rental charge for broadband

Claims to be the first broadband provider to offer a combined monthly price

TalkTalk has announced plans to scrap separate line rental charges by introducing a single monthly cost for customers.

The broadband provider said it will move toward a single monthly cost including line rental, known as ‘all-in pricing’, coming into effect this autumn.

Pricing from providers is currently split into line rental charges and tariff costs, a setup that has been criticised by both the Government and the Advertising Standards Authority, who claims it adds unnecessary complexity and risks broadband deals appearing misleadingly cheap.

TalkTalk first trialled all-in-pricing last summer alongside the rollout of its Fibre Optic service in York. It also added the option on deals sold on Black Friday last year.

TalkTalk’s consumer managing director Tristia Harrison said: “As long as line rental and broadband are priced separately, the temptation to advertise deals in this way will always be there. But it’s time for providers be honest about this – it’s a bad habit we have all been guilty of, it doesn’t serve customers well and it’s time it stopped.

“We want to make things simpler and fairer for customers. People deserve to know they are getting value for money and, as the value for money provider, TalkTalk is going to fight hard to ensure customers get the transparency they deserve. But TalkTalk can’t do this alone. Until other providers follow our lead, households across the UK risk being misled by seemingly good deals that all too often mask extra charges.”

The new pricing model will be available to anyone taking a new package and existing customers who are re-contracting from Autumn.