TalkTalk takes initiative in scraping line rental charges for broadband customers
TalkTalk has become the first broadband supplier to scrap line rental charges and opt for an all-inclusive charge. The moves is in response to a report by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which said 81% of customers found broadband pricing strategies “confusing”. TalkTalk’s consumer managing director Tristia Harrison said: “TalkTalk is going to fight hard to ensure customers get the transparency they deserve” and called on other broadband suppliers to follow TalkTalk’s example.

TalkTalk will become the first major broadband provider to scrap charges for line rental this autumn.

Internet providers often advertise cheap broadband prices but fail to spell out the true cost including line rental.

TalkTalk has confirmed it will show a combined monthly price for broadband and line rental.

Scrapping charges: TalkTalk will show a combined monthly price for broadband and line rental

Tristia Harrison, consumer managing director at the firm, says: 'Showing rental and broadband prices separately is a bad habit we've 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.'

Until now broadband providers have been able to advertise prices of just a few pounds in their headline rate with the line rental costs detailed afterwards.

But under new rules from the Advertising Standards Authority from October all broadband providers will have to include the price of line rental in their headline costs.

Dan Howdle, spokesperson for Cable.co.uk, said: 'Compound or split pricing – whether under the guise of 'plus line rental' or a 'toilet charge' on a budget flight – is predatory, since it relies on consumers failing to grasp the true combined cost.

Cyber attacks: TalkTalk has suffered several cyber attacks in the past 12 months

'Now TalkTalk has opened fire, the rest of the industry will have to follow. Up to this point, clarity of pricing on broadband packages has been misleading and complicated.

'Good for TalkTalk. The industry appears to finally have come to its senses, even if it is at the receiving end of some determined prodding from Ofcom and the ASA.'