As the name suggests, TalkTalk is hardly one of the many fairly similar broadband services that sprout up every so often. For one thing, it offers its broadband services free of charge, and that alone is enough normally to have most drooling around the mouth. But where did TalkTalk come from, and what is the catch to its remarkable offer? By taking a brief look at the history of this service, the answers seem to be clear.
Phone first, broadband later
What may not be commonly known about TalkTalk is that it is the consumer telephone business of The Carephone Warehouse group (the very same one that operates many high street stores that deal with mobile phones). By acquiring Opal Telecom in late-2002, TalkTalk gained the ability to operate its own landline network, and began building and strengthening what was to become its greatest forte.
From the beginning, TalkTalk aimed to provide cheaper, and thus more accessible, phone calls. This foundation was further strengthened when they began to allow unlimited free calls between all of their customers by mid-2004. By doing so, TalkTalk catapulted itself in popularity, as people rushed to sign up and enjoy the monumental savings that the offer resulted in.
Within half a year, broadband began to be offered in attractive packages as well. Combined with the existing cheap services, it became an instant recipe for success. Today, free broadband is still on offer with various TalkTalk broadband and phone calls packages, and looks to be growing fast.
Expansion toward the future
Hindsight is often described as being twenty-twenty, but foresight is not so reliable at times. Therefore it is to TalkTalks great credit that they have been visionary enough to be able to predict and provide what their customers desire most. Great savings in attractive packages have continually fuelled the TalkTalk expansion as it operates in many more countries now than merely the UK.
In line with these past successes, TalkTalk already has one eye set on the future with their new, much-hailed plan. Instead of ‘merely’ offering free broadband and some free calls, TalkTalk now has its sights set on introducing more free international calls between TalkTalk customers across Europe. Needless to say, this move seems sure to be a stunning success, and they feel that it would be the last step that is required towards becoming the largest free calls community in all of Europe.
Who knows where TalkTalk would intend to go for there, but certainly anyone interested in bargain deals for broadband internet and phone calls will undoubtedly be waiting for the next move with bated breath.
Whether or not you buy into the hype, the simple fact is that when compared to pretty much any other major company’s telephone rates, TalkTalk appears to be the cheapest on offer. Indeed, theircontinuous ability to keep prices low allows even the most sceptical of customers to rest easy, knowing that their record and numbers speak for themselves. Perhaps one day TalkTalk will find a way of allowing both broadband and phone calls to be completely free, who knows.
