Inbound - no UK credit - still need Internets!

Could use some help/advice.

I am taking an ICT to UK.  I move in a month and have just signed a Tenancy Agreement.  While I have an appointment with HSBC to set up a new bank account the day after I arrive (have all necessary documents), I have just hit a brick wall regarding getting broadband set up. 

I want to go to Virgin but the moment they find out I don't have a UK account the reps basically hang up and everyone wants a 12+ month contract.  I don't have a problem with a contract with Virgin as they offer a connection speed that's high enough (I VPN and work virtually all over the world, so a 100Mb connection is required) but if I have to wait a month before they can install, I need a provider without contract to carry me over. 

Any advice?

Can your company help you set up the broadband if it's required for your job?

If you have enough money, you might be able to use the international banking center at HSBC to set up an account before you move. It could be worth investigating.

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Could use some help/advice.

I am taking an ICT to UK.  I move in a month and have just signed a Tenancy Agreement.  While I have an appointment with HSBC to set up a new bank account the day after I arrive (have all necessary documents), I have just hit a brick wall regarding getting broadband set up. 

I want to go to Virgin but the moment they find out I don't have a UK account the reps basically hang up and everyone wants a 12+ month contract.  I don't have a problem with a contract with Virgin as they offer a connection speed that's high enough (I VPN and work virtually all over the world, so a 100Mb connection is required) but if I have to wait a month before they can install, I need a provider without contract to carry me over. 

Any advice?

I don't know if this helps?

https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/guides/broadband/pay-as-you-go-broadband

Don't be fooled by "high speed fibre broadband" that actually is just slow ADSL.  The trick is that the fibre goes to the green box at the end of your street, so that makes it "fibre". 

Are you certain that Virgin actually can run a fiber to your house?  They can't in quite a lot of places but will happily tell you anything to get you to sign up.   Even if they can, a month to get that set up is optimistic.  Mine was a several months long ordeal of several complicated layers of incompetence.  I know I sound crazy and bitter, but you'll understand later.

Anyway, BT can also sell you a real fibre connection and may be more inclined to talk to you.  Unfortunately, they will probably be even more money grubbing and incompetent than Virgin.  Plusnet are actually owned by BT but are pretty good.  Not sure if they offer actual fibre. 

I went a month without internet when I arrived.  It sucked but it was the first date they could install.  I just did anything I needed before I left the office.

Honestly that was such a small complaint in comparison to trying to set up the rest of my life here, I had actually forgotten about it.  Ahh, bureaucracy!   

I was just thinking that engineers to get anything set up are in short supply. There is a UK wide career shortage. You may be waiting awhille anyway.

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I went a month without internet when I arrived.  It sucked but it was the first date they could install.  I just did anything I needed before I left the office.

Honestly that was such a small complaint in comparison to trying to set up the rest of my life here, I had actually forgotten about it.  Ahh, bureaucracy!   

Same here when we first arrived. But there are cafes with WiFi all over the place to use for important stuff.

Same here when we first arrived. But there are cafes with WiFi all over the place to use for important stuff.

And - though it can be expensive - you can tether a lot easier now a-days!