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Like-for-like, not like-for-poster

A fair fight is the same kind of line over the same months. Everything else is a poster next to a bus.

12 min read · Money

OneTouchSwitch editorialIssue 01 · Autumn 2026 · Double3 min read605 wordsReviewed 10 September 2026

Megabits are a drug. A 900 sits next to a 150 in the mind as if it were three times the product. For a household that never crosses 80, it is a different paint. For a household fighting two uploads, a 150/150 can beat a 900/50. Like-for-like means you hold plant, upload band and term still, then let price move. Posters hate this, because posters need a single number that looks like a win.

Hold three things still

Plant (whose drop), upload band, term band. Now the remaining difference is retailer quality and pounds. That is a comparison.

If you let all three move at once, you are shopping a magazine. Fun. Not a method.

The delta to the next brag

If 900 is £3 more than 150 on the same plant and term, take 900 and stop thinking. If it is £15 more, name the application that needs it.

Overnight backups and a busy house can be that application. A speed-test hobby is not.

Tables lie kindly

A sorted list of ‘fastest first’ will put a 2.2 Gbit on top and a competent 150 in the cellar. Fastest first is a game. Year-one among fits is a household tool.

We default to money among available plans because bills are monthly. You can still sort. Know which game you are in.

Like-for-like checklist
Hold stillWhyIf you cannot
PlantPhysics and repairYou are choosing a trench, say so
Upload bandWork / backupYou are choosing a job spec
Term bandExit riskYou are buying a date, not a speed
A poster compares 900 to nothing. You should compare 900 to 150 on the same pole.

Like-for-like is how you stop being a megabit customer and start being a household. Hold the physics still. Let the pounds move.

Questions

Is 900 always better value?
Sometimes the 900 is only a few pounds above the 150 and you should take it. Sometimes it is a vanity. Check the delta.
Can I compare cable 350 to FTTP 150?
You can, as different plants. Say that. Upload and repair will differ. It is not like-for-like; it is a plant choice.
Why do two 500s differ in price?
Retailer, rise, setup, extras, term. That is the comparison once speed and plant match.
Should I filter to one speed?
Filter to a band that fits, then sort on year. That is like-for-like.
Is ‘up to’ the enemy?
It is a legal decoration. Plant and typical-speed notes are the adult version.

Sources

  • Ofcom advertised speed guidance
  • OneTouchSwitch catalogue speed bands
  • Thinkbroadband typical UK product ladders

Figures move. Prices, coverage and eligibility must be confirmed with the provider. OneTouchSwitch is not Ofcom, TOTSCo or a broadband network. Last fact-checked 10 September 2026.