Broadband deals in my area

ADSL Broadband (also referred to as ‘Standard Broadband’) is when the broadband connection is delivered using the original, old copper phone wire infrastructure. This method is being phased out as ISPs push to sell faster broadband. With a standard ADSL broadband connection, you can expect an average download speed of 10Mbps. The connection speed will drop significantly the further you are from the telephone exchange. Whilst ADSL broadband might be the slowest option, it’s not necessarily cheaper than ‘fibre broadband’. If you’re out of contract and have an ADSL broadband connection, you’re likely to be paying more than you would with a new provider. The broadband market is very competitive, so it’s worth asking your current provider to see if you can get a better deal, then compare that offer with alternative broadband deals in your area.

Most home broadband connections in the UK are fibre to the cabinet (FTTC). FTTC Broadband is when the local (street cabinet) has upgraded its incoming connection to fibre broadband. This means that the local telephone exchange can deliver a faster broadband connection to your home. The broadband connection from your home to the local (street cabinet) will still be sent down the old copper phone line, but your broadband speed will be significantly faster than a standard ADSL broadband connection. A typical FTTC broadband connection in the UK would have an average download speed of 66Mbps. Your broadband connection speed will vary depending on how congested the network is and your distance to the street cabinet.

According to the September 2023 report from Ofcom, around 52% of UK homes have access to install ‘Full Fibre Broadband’ also known as fibre to the premises (FTTP). As it implies, the fibre broadband connection does not stop at the local street cabinet. It continues directly to your premises. So, you no longer need to rely on your old copper telephone cable to get broadband. FTTP broadband does not cost much more than a typical fibre broadband package. With FTTP broadband you can expect a download speed between 330Mbps to 1Gb and is the future of broadband in the UK. The upgrade will also reduce line interference and dropouts typically caused by ageing copper phone wires.

G.Fast is a broadband technology capable of supercharging your FTTC broadband speed up to 300Mbps without having fibre direct to your premises. As G.Fast uses most of the existing infrastructure, it’s cheaper and faster to roll out - but it’s not all good news. The catch is that your property needs to be within 500 metres of your local street cabinet. We’re not convinced of the future of G.Fast. It’s a clever interim solution until we see the same fibre coverage that copper cables have today. Consider it akin to the mini disk player when Apple are about to launch the iPod. G.Fast is only available if your local exchange has been upgraded to accommodate the G.Fast technology. To see if G.Fast broadband is available in your area, enter your postcode into the broadband availability checker above.

Cable broadband is uniquely different to fibre broadband. Instead of using a fibre cable, it’s delivered down a coaxial cable. Currently, Virgin Media dominate this market with its independent cable network. Cable broadband is capable of achieving a download speed of 1130Mbps when ordering a Gig1 broadband package.

There are alternative ways to get a faster broadband connection, e.g. by installing satellite broadband, microwave radio transmission or the more familiar 4G broadband. But, as fibre broadband now covers 95% of the UK, you can probably get a fast broadband connection installed via one of the many UK ISPs. Just enter your postcode into our broadband availability checker to find the best broadband deals available in your area. Alternatively, you can compare 4G and 5G home broadband options on our mobile broadband comparison page.