There are plenty of reasons to switch to a new broadband provider: maybe you've been clobbered by a hefty price rise, want to take advantage of faster full-fibre speeds, or want to avoid an internet-powered landline. But TalkTalk has kickstarted a new incentive to switch to something new — a free Amazon Echo.
The broadband firm is giving away an Amazon Echo Dot (worth £54.99)to all new and returning customers.
TalkTalk is giving away a fifth-generation Echo Dot, which launched back in 2022 but remains the most up-to-date version of the hardware. The smart speaker arrives with a cylindrical shape designed to improve sound quality. The case uses 95% recycled fabric and 55% recycled plastics and Amazon has pledged to offset any energy used in the lifetime of the smart home gadget with clean electricity — reducing its impact on the planet.
Echo Dot can play radio stations, playlists from Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Music, as well as audiobooks and podcasts. Alexa can also answer general knowledge queries, set timers, and check the traffic conditions for you
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This iteration of the Echo Dot introduced a temperature sensor, so it can automatically adjust smart thermostats and other gadgets around the home based on the current temperature.
Of course, it can do all of the usual tricks you'd expect from AI assistant Alexa, including managing your calendar, setting timers and reminders, reading out the latest headlines and forecasts, calling friends and family, ordering takeaways, and more.
Echo Dot can also play live radio, music from streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, as well as audiobooks and podcasts. It can also double-up as a Wi-Fi extender, boosting the signal from your Eero — the router developed by the team at Amazon that TalkTalk uses for all full-fibre plans.
Amazon Dot (fifth-generation) is currently on sale for £29.99 — a 45% discount.
But if you're already looking to switch to a new broadband contract, TalkTalk will send you one of the Alexa-powered smart speakers for free. The Echo Dot will be yours to keep, so you can sell the speaker and put the money towards your monthly bills, gift it to a friend, or use it as a speaker in your home.
TalkTalk is giving away an Echo Dot on all full-fibre broadband plans, which start from £29 per month for Full Fibre 150. For that, you'll unlock access to download speeds of 152Mbps — that's over twice as fast as the average home broadband speed in the UK, as measured by Ofcom last year (69.4Mbps). You'll also get an Amazon eero 6 router (worth £109) and a guaranteed minimum broadband speed.
TalkTalk relies on broadband infrastructure from BT-owned Openreach, which means that if you're able to connect to BT, EE, Sky, or Plusnet broadband at your address — you'll be able to switch to TalkTalk too.
All of the TalkTalk broadband plans that arrive with an Echo Dot (worth £54.99) for free:
Download speed: 152Mbps | Upload speed: 30Mbps
Ships with an Amazon eero 6, worth £109
24-month contract | £29 per month
Download speed: 525Mbps | Upload speed: 72Mbps
Ships with an Amazon eero Pro 6, worth £189.99
24-month contract | £39 per month
Download speed: 944Mbps | Upload speed: 110Mbps
Ships with an Amazon eero Pro 6, worth £189.99
24-month contract | £49 per month
It comes as Sky Broadband customers can double their internet speeds without paying a penny extra. The British broadcaster — which is poised roll out a blockbuster update with six new features for its Sky Glass and Sky Stream viewers — is charging the same monthly fee for its full-fibre broadband as the slower 61Mbps speeds. Both of these broadband packages have no upfront cost and unlimited downloads.
If you're one of the 16 million households who can connect to Virgin Media's rival broadband network, then you could be sent a free Nintendo Switch (worth £260) by ditching your current internet and telly deal for its plans.
