Compare the Best Broadband Deals

Broadband speed (technically download speed) is measured in Megabits per second (Mbps).

Internet providers used to advertise ‘up to’ broadband speeds but, following a directive from the Advertising Standards Authority that took effect in May 2018, they’re now required to advertise ‘average’ broadband speeds, defined as the download speed 50% of users can achieve during peak hours between 8pm and 10 pm. This is why advertised broadband speeds may be slightly lower than when you last searched for an internet tariff.

Superfast broadband is defined as broadband with speeds exceeding 24 Mbps. Of the types of broadband, only fibre and cable deliver superfast speeds. You’ll need a superfast connection if you’re planning on streaming video content, internet gaming, or video calling and/or if there are multiple internet users in your house. As more users and devices hitch a ride onto your internet connection, the bandwidth available to each of them is reduced, limiting speeds. If you want to comfortably browse the internet while your partner watches Netflix, you’ll need to plump for a superfast connection.

Many broadband providers offer packages deals of internet and premium TV channels. If you’re interested in expanding your TV choices beyond Freeview, you could explore the TV services of ISPs like Sky, Virgin, BT, and TalkTalk. Bundling your broadband and TV services could be a way to save money and avoid the hassle of multiple providers, contracts, and monthly bills for your telecoms services.

Today, the vast majority of internet connections come with unlimited download allowances, meaning you can consume as much internet as you like without penalty or extra charge. A few home broadband providers—and all mobile broadband providers—still offer tariffs with caps and while they might be cheaper, you should approach them with caution. They’re generally unsuitable for anyone who wants to stream video content and without careful monitoring of your usage, it’s easy to incur fees for excessive usage.

There are four main types of broadband connection in the UK, including three fixed line or ‘home’ broadband technologies, which operate over in-ground wires (ADSL, fibre optic, and cable), and one type that harnesses the mobile phone network (mobile broadband).

Standard or ADSL broadband:

broadband that operates over the copper wires of the landline phone network, delivering average download speeds of 10 to 11 Mbps. It’s available to 99% of UK households.

Fibre optic broadband:

Fibre optic broadband delivers internet over fibre optic cables, which enable a faster transit of data than copper telephone wires. Most forms of fibre broadband available in the UK are FTTC, or fibre to the cabinet, which covers the last mile between your local street cabinet and home on the traditional copper telephone lines. FTTC connections are available to 95% of UK premises and often for just a few pounds a month more than ADSL packages.

There are two tiers of widely available fibre in the UK: those offering average speeds of 35-36 Mbps and those offering average speeds of 62-67 Mbps. FTTP (fibre to the premises) or full-fibre, which coverages the entire distance between your home and your local telephone exchange on fibre optic cables, delivers even faster speeds but is currently available to only 4% of UK addresses.

Cable broadband:

Cable broadband bypasses the copper phone network entirely and delivers the internet over coaxial cables. The main cable provider in the UK is Virgin Media, which offers broadband with speeds starting at 54 Mbps all the way up to 362 Mbps—the fastest widely available domestic broadband in the UK.

Virgin cable connections are available to just half of UK addresses, however, and switching between a cable provider and one that uses the Openreach landline network is slightly more complicated and will involve you give notice to your existing provider and possibly arrange for an engineer’s visit.

Mobile broadband is internet delivered over the 3G and 4G mobile networks, via devices such as dongles or personal hotspots (MiFis) or data-only SIMs. You can get online with a mobile broadband device wherever you have adequate phone service but speeds are more limited than those for fixed line broadband (UK mobile networks deliver average speeds of between 15 and 30 Mbps on 4G and 5 and 8 Mbps on 3G) and connections will be limited by download allowances. This means that mobile broadband isn’t usually cost-effective substitute for fixed line broadband in your home but its portability could make it an attractive additional service for people who want internet on the go.