Surfers who have monthly download limits written into their broadband contracts need to be aware that they don't exceed them over the Christmas period.

Price-comparison service BroadbandChoices.co.uk said that people would be using the internet more than usual over Christmas, with the kids off school and many workers taking holidays from work.

Michael Phillips, product director at BroadbandChoices.co.uk said, "With more of us downloading music and games during the Christmas period, consumers need to be aware of how much they are downloading.”

And even people who have signed up for 'unlimited' downloads in their contract with their ISP could be at risk, Phillips warned.

"Most companies who sell an 'unlimited' service also have a 'fair usage policy', which imposes limits on a user's downloading," he said.

But customers should make sure they are not signing up for packages that provide more than they need to avoid wasting money, Phillips cautioned.

"If you are only checking emails, surfing the web and shopping online then we would advise customers to switch to a 'light user' package since they will only be using a couple of gigabytes of data in a month and don't need to over-spend on luxury unlimited packages."

Meanwhile, ISP PlusNet warned that several factors could have an adverse effect on customers' broadband connections this Christmas.

Lights used to decorate Christmas trees cause a certain amount of electrical interference that can be picked up by telephone lines, which could be detrimental to the speed of a line.

Street lights also cause electrical intereference, and with them coming on earlier in the day this could cause additional problems to stability.

"The broadband connection does not stand alone and is inextricably linked to other elements in and around the home. That's why any internet user, regardless of their service provider, may experience disruption due to uncontrollable factors," said Neil Armstrong, products and marketing director at PlusNet.

www.broadbandchoices.co.uk
www.plus.net

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