*Prices may fluctuate throughout your contract unless otherwise specified. Your broadband provider may adjust monthly fees in line with the retail or consumer price index each year. Please review the terms and conditions of individual broadband providers before signing up.
Fortunately, UK broadband coverage comprises of multiple (100+) ISP's (Internet service providers). This vast array of companies helps to keep prices competitive. So, if you want or need to reduce your bills, it's very likely that you can find a cheaper broadband deal in your area. The UK broadband market is dominated by the big 4; BT, Sky, Virgin Media & TalkTalk. This is mainly down to their large-scale coverage - but it doesn't mean they are the best broadband provider in your area! Word of mouth is sometimes a good place to start in that hunt for a better deal. Alternatively, you can enter your postcode into our broadband availability checker above and find out which broadband deals are available in your area. We regularly have exclusive deals that are cheaper than going direct to the provider. If there's a bargain out there, we will find it for you! Results can be filtered by price, speed, provider and contract length ensuring you find the best broadband for your needs.
There's a bewildering amount of terminology that internet service providers (ISPs) use which can leave consumers confused. For example, you may be looking for a faster broadband connection and be told you can get fibre broadband. However, a standard fibre broadband connection will still utilise your old copper phone line to complete the last part of the connection from your local exchange to your home. So, it’s not hard to see why some customers get confused when they hear that they can upgrade their fibre broadband to a ‘Full Fibre’ connection.
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.
Whilst trying to remain impartial, we all have our favourites. It’s easier to find negative reviews than glowing ones - but that glowing review might not be the best broadband deal for you. If you are looking for the fastest broadband provider, then Virgin Media is a good place to start. If you're an avid online gamer and latency and upload speed are paramount, then BT and Zen are worth considering. If it’s a budget broadband package that you are looking for, start with TalkTalk. For just plain, good old customer service, we would steer you towards Plusnet.
No ..... but we do compare the majority of major UK broadband providers and some of the smaller ones. Unlike some other broadband comparison websites, our broadband results are not sponsored or driven by commission. Just apply filter options to tailor the results that you want to see. If you enter your postcode into the availability checker above, the results will only show you deals that are available in your area. Here are the broadband providers that we do compare (in no particular order): TalkTalk, Plusnet, Virgin Media, EE Broadband, Vodafone, Zen, Onestream, Hyperoptic, BT, Community Fibre, OneStream, NOW broadband , Cuckoo Broadband, Kcom, Trooli, G.Network, Truespeed, Sky, Hey Broadband & Shell Energy.
Switching your broadband provider has become a more streamlined process, making it less cumbersome than in the past. Before initiating the switch, you must ensure you're no longer bound by a contract with your current broadband provider. Failure to do so may result in financial penalties, requiring payment for the remaining months on your contract. If your contract has ended and you're ready to switch, there's no need to contact your existing supplier directly. The switch is initiated by the new broadband provider you've chosen. An exception to this process arises when switching to Virgin Media. Virgin Media Fibre distinguishes itself by not relying on copper phone line cables for broadband delivery, setting it apart from other providers. If opting for a Virgin Media package, it's advisable to notify your current broadband provider after Virgin Media has provided an installation date. This ensures minimal disruption during the switch. If you're ready to start looking for a better broadband deal, enter your postcode into our broadband availability checker at the top of this page to compare broadband deals in your area.
While some ADSL (Standard broadband) packages may be available without an active phone line, it's important to note that the phone line cable is still utilised for the broadband connection. Therefore, opting for such packages might result in minimal savings as the underlying infrastructure relies on the copper phone lines, and remains in use for broadband delivery. In contrast, Full Fibre Broadband (FTTP) offers a more comprehensive solution by completely bypassing the reliance on old copper cables, providing superior speeds and reliability. While the installation of FTTP may entail additional costs, the pricing has become increasingly competitive and is now comparable to a standard phone and broadband package.
The simple answer is YES! As long as you're not moving house away from your current telephone exchange. If you're switching to Virgin Media, they will allow you to keep your old telephone number. You will be asked which telephone number you would like to transfer during the sign-up process.
If you're only switching your broadband and not the telephone provider, your switchover should be almost seamless. If you are switching both your phone and broadband provider, this will require an engineer to visit your local telephone exchange. The switchover is usually complete within 3 hours of disconnection. If you are switching to Virgin Media, it is possible to keep your old broadband connection until your Virgin Media broadband has been installed and is active.
