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Fibre broadband provides very fast internet speeds and a reliable connection, meaning you can get some of the best broadband deals around if you opt for a fibre package.
Monthly cost may rise during contract
Fibre broadband is faster and more reliable than standard broadband. Openreach1 claims that it is 70 to 80 more stable than older internet networks, and it can reach speeds of up to 70Mbps, much higher than the 24Mbps of a standard connection.
Before the introduction of fibre optic cables, the UK’s broadband network was based on copper. These same lines provided a landline service into your home, meaning that to access standard broadband, you also need a landline connection. Copper networks still exist in the UK, and some residents still require a broadband and phone deal to secure a stable internet connection.
The majority of broadband providers use Openreach’s network, which allows more people to access fibre broadband and thus, faster speeds. Openreach is aiming to roll out ultrafast full fibre broadband to 25 million homes by the end of 2026 to help more people access more reliable broadband. Virgin Media is the most noteworthy outlier, as the provider uses its own network.
Not all broadband is created equal. There are two main types of fibre broadband: full fibre, also known as fibre-to-the-premises, and fibre, also called fibre-to-the-cabinet. Other options include standard broadband (ADSL), mobile broadband and satellite broadband.
Full fibre broadband exclusively uses fibre optic cables to deliver an internet connection directly to your home from the broadband exchange.
With fibre broadband, fibre optic cables run to the cabinet in your street. From there, copper cables connect from the cabinet to your home via a phone line. Due to the upcoming PSTN switch off, some broadband deals come with a digital phone service instead of a traditional landline.
Basic broadband uses only copper wires to connect your home; this is the slowest of any other broadband connection.
Instead of using traditional infrastructure, mobile broadband sends data over a wireless network. This allows it to be used by people living in remote areas of the country and can come in the form of a mobile broadband SIM, a dongle, a portable hotspot or a mobile router.
Satellite broadband also opted out of using copper or fibre optic wires, instead sending signals through communication satellites, in the same vein as a satellite TV. This is another great alternative for people living in areas without access to traditional broadband.
We surveyed over 2,000 broadband customers in the UK* to better understand their habits. Below, you can see the most popular types of broadband connections in 2024.
Fibre broadband speeds are usually broken down into three categories:
Superfast broadband
Superfast broadband offers download speeds of up to 30Mbps2. Superfast broadband can either be delivered via fibre or full fibre broadband, depending on the package, and is available to most households in the UK.
Ultrafast broadband
Ultrafast broadband is 10 times faster than superfast broadband, providing download speeds of at least 300Mbps. Due to this, ultrafast broadband always requires a full fibre connection.
Gigabit fibre
Gigabit broadband delivers speeds up to 1,000Mbps (1Gbps), making it the fastest type of broadband in the UK. To help more people access gigabit broadband, the UK government has signed £1 billion in contracts to upgrade broadband infrastructure in rural communities3, aiming to connect 85 per cent of properties by 2025.
To get a better idea of how broadband speeds have increased over the last few years in the UK, we’ve created this comprehensive table using data from the latest Ofcom report4.
If one or more of the following applies to you, you should consider switching to fibre or full fibre broadband:
Generally, full fibre deals are ideal for households looking to upgrade their broadband speed. Our survey* showed that 93 per cent of respondents felt that speed was an important factor when picking a new broadband deal, with 94 per cent saying price was also an important factor.
If you can afford to indulge in a full fibre or fibre package, it will deliver much faster speeds than basic broadband.
Most households will benefit from a fibre broadband package, whether that be full fibre or partial fibre. Our survey revealed that full fibre broadband is the most popular connection in the UK, at 46 per cent, with fibre broadband coming in second with 31 per cent of users.
Fibre broadband allows for faster response times when browsing the web and opens the door to online gaming, seamless video conferencing and multiple devices streaming video content. If you are looking for a fibre broadband deal on a budget, take a look at any smaller broadband providers that operate in your area, as they can sometimes be more affordable than big name brands.
The easiest way to find out if fibre broadband is available in your area is to use our postcode checker at the top of this page. Use the Download Speeds filter to check whether you are eligible for fibre or full fibre deals, which will give you speeds above 24Mbps. If you are only finding deals below these numbers, it’s unlikely that your home is suitable for fibre broadband
Since fibre optic broadband does not yet have the same coverage as standard broadband, you may find that your home is only eligible for standard broadband. If you live in a rural area, you will have less likelihood than urbanites of finding a fibre broadband deal.
According to our survey*, fibre broadband deals cost an average of £48 per month, with full fibre deals averaging out at £54 per month. These costs are dependent on a few factors, including which provider you’re working with and what speeds you want.
Generally speaking, full fibre packages that offer speeds over 1,000Mbps will be more expensive than a 500Mbps deal. You can see a breakdown of the average cost of different types of broadband in the UK below.
Package deals vary even further; TV services, such as streaming platform subscriptions or additional TV channels, can also inflate the price, although this will depend on your provider. Phone services, on the other hand, will not have as large an impact on your monthly bill.
Remember that the cost of fibre broadband can vary greatly depending on:
You can also look towards social tariff broadband deals; these deals are available for households who receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit and other benefits and are more affordable than other deals on the market.
No broadband deal will be right for everyone. Use this guide to find out what type of broadband connection you need.
Before you start looking into deals, determine how much you can or want to spend on your broadband. Generally speaking, slower speeds are cheaper and faster deals are more expensive. Be aware of yearly price hikes, which usually occur in April and can raise the price of your broadband deal by an additional 3 to 3.9 per cent.
Knowing what speeds you’re currently getting can help determine if you need to invest in a faster deal; use our broadband speed test to find out what speeds you’re getting with your current contract.
Many broadband providers offer broadband and TV or broadband and phone deals alongside a fibre connection. These are more expensive than broadband only deals, but combining these services can be easier to manage and work out cheaper in the long term.
Now you have a better understanding of your overall broadband needs, you can start looking at deals. Using our postcode checker will provide you with instant access to all the best broadband deals in your area with the option to filter the results to better match your needs.
The majority of broadband providers offer fibre and full fibre broadband deals, giving you a lot of options when it comes to picking the right company for you. Our expert team has catalogued some of the best fibre deals available to make picking your next provider a lot more simple.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media full fibre broadband starts with minimum download speeds of 66Mbps and goes all the way up to 565Mbps. The provider’s plans tend to be a bit more expensive than competitors, in part because it uses its own network rather than BT Openreach. One bonus is that you can get an 18-month contract for the M125, M500 and Gig1 plans, though in the case of the M125 package you’ll pay £2 more per month than you would for a 24-month contract.
| Package name | Price per month | Minimum download speed* |
|---|---|---|
| M125 Fibre Broadband | £25-27 | 66Mbps |
| M250 Fibre Broadband | £31 | 132Mbps |
| M350 Fibre Broadband | £38.50 | 181Mbps |
| M500 Fibre Broadband | £39 | 258Mbps |
| Gig1 Fibre Broadband | £45 | 565Mbps |
BT
BT offers a range of fibre broadband deals. From the Full Fibre 100 package onwards you can add BT TV Entertainment for an extra £20 a month, while Full Fibre 500 and 900 each come with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. As of 6 December 2023, BT users were migrated to the EE network and many of the company’s existing products have since been rebranded. Existing customers have the option to continue with their BT packages or move to EE if desired.
| Package name | Price per month | Minimum download speed* |
|---|---|---|
| Full Fibre Essentials | £27.99 | 18Mbps |
| Full Fibre 1 | £30.99 | 25Mbps |
| Full Fibre 100 | £29.99 | 100Mbps |
| Full Fibre 300 | £32.99 | 150Mbps |
| Full Fibre 500 | £34.99 | 425Mbps |
| Full Fibre 900 | £44.99 | 700Mbps |
TalkTalk
Aside from Full Fibre 65, all of TalkTalk’s full fibre options come with WiFi 6 and at least one Amazon eero 6 router.
| Package name | Price per month | Minimum download speed* |
|---|---|---|
| Full Fibre 65 | £28 | 55Mbps |
| Full Fibre 150 | £28 | 120Mbps |
| Full Fibre 500 | £35 | 440Mbps |
| Full Fibre 900 | £45 | 725Mbps |
| Package name | Price per month | Minimum download speed* |
|---|---|---|
| Full Fibre 100 | £28.50 | 90Mbps |
| Ultrafast | £30 | 100Mbps |
| Ultrafast Plus | £34 | 400Mbps |
| Gigafast | £44 | 600Mbps |
Vodafone
Vodafone has the most full fibre broadband deals of the major providers. Each package can be upgraded to ‘Pro II’, which comes with a WiFi 6E Ultra Hub, a super WiFi 6E booster, and automatic 4G broadband backup. You can also further upgrade by adding on Vodafone Xtra, which includes a free Apple TV 4K and 24 months of Apple TV+.
| Package name | Price per month | Minimum download speed* |
|---|---|---|
| Full Fibre 2 | £25.50 | 37Mbps |
| Pro II Full Fibre 2 | £38.50 | 37Mbps |
| Full Fibre 100 | £28 | 50Mbps |
| Pro II Full Fibre 100 | £41 | 50Mbps |
| Full Fibre 200 | £29.50 | 100Mbps |
| Pro II Full Fibre 200 | £39.50 | 100Mbps |
| Full Fibre 500 | £32 | 250Mbps |
| Pro II Full Fibre 500 | £42 | 250Mbps |
| Full Fibre 900 | £38 | 455Mbps |
| Pro II Full Fibre 900 | £48 | 455Mbps |
Plusnet
Every Plusnet full fibre broadband deal comes with Plusnet Safeguard and Plusnet Protect. From the Full Fibre 145 package onwards, you may be able to claim a reward card worth at least £50 with your purchase.
| Package name | Price per month | Minimum download speed* |
|---|---|---|
| Full Fibre 74 | £24.99 | 40Mbps |
| Full Fibre 145 | £26.99 | 80Mbps |
| Full Fibre 300 | £30.99 | 165Mbps |
| Full Fibre 500 | £34.99 | 275Mbps |
| Full Fibre 900 | £43.99 | 500Mbps |
EE
Every EE full fibre broadband option comes with SmartHub Plus, and Full Fibre 500 and Gigabit Full Works both include Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
| Package name | Price per month | Minimum download speed* |
|---|---|---|
| Full Fibre 36 Essentials | £27.99 | 18Mbps |
| Full Fibre 50 Essentials | £32.99 | 25Mbps |
| Full Fibre 74 Essentials | £35.99 | 37Mbps |
| Full Fibre 150 Essentials | £29.99 | 100Mbps |
| Full Fibre 300 Essentials | £37.99 | 150Mbps |
| Full Fibre 500 Essentials | £34.99 | 425Mbps |
| Full Fibre Gigabit Essentials | £57.99 | 700Mbps |
| Busiest Home Bundle | £69.99 | 1.3Gbps |
We’ve researched and compared more than 30 different broadband packages from 11 different broadband providers. We also surveyed over 2,000 UK broadband customers* to better understand the general public’s priorities when searching for a fibre broadband deal.
Some of the biggest factors we consider are:
We also update our deals regularly to ensure that you can access the most up to date information about various packages and providers.
Not always – it depends on whether you are getting a fibre or full fibre connection.
Fibre broadband deals use copper lines, which connect to a landline. Full fibre only uses fibre optic, meaning that you don’t need a landline for it to work, although some companies do offer a phone line as an additional service.
However, due to the PSTN switch off, some fibre deals do not come with a traditional landline but instead, a service called Digital Voice. Digital Voice runs via your broadband connection, allowing you to make and receive calls through an internet connection.
Fibre optic broadband is critical if you are hoping to get your business online, as you want to experience the fastest speeds possible for a smooth experience. There are a wide variety of business broadband packages available, all of which are fibre.
Business broadband deals can be more expensive than home packages, but they usually come with more features that will make your browsing experience more seamless. These features include:
We surveyed 2,003 broadband customers in the UK to better understand how people feel about their broadband services. We asked them over 20 questions regarding their current broadband provider, including how they felt about the speeds they receive, the pricing of their plan, value for money and their overall satisfaction.
*Survey of broadband customers aged between 24-64 conducted on Censuswide, 11-14 March 2024. Survey sample: 2,003 respondents, totalling Sky (489), BT Broadband (412), Virgin Media (396), EE (134), Vodafone (124), Other (102), Plusnet (66), NOW Broadband (45), Three (31), Hyperoptic (14), Community Fibre (8), Unsure (7). Respondents who selected Hyperoptic, Community Fibre, Other or Unsure were discarded from our review, however, the information gathered for Hyperoptic and Community Fibre was used in our Broadband Providers evaluation. Respondents were asked to rate each category on a five-point scale, from Very Poor to Excellent, or from Never to Always, with the option of selecting Don’t Know for all questions. For the question “What issues, if any, have you experienced with your current broadband provider”, respondents could select from the following: Price Hikes, Slow Speeds, High Prices, Frequent Disconnections, Poor Customer Service, Billing Issues, Other and N/A.
Ofcom, Faster full-fibre broadband now available to half of UK homes.
Some providers offer broadband with no upfront cost deals, while others may require you to pay some costs upfront. This could range from as little as £2 to £11.99 for the postage and packaging of your new router.
If you have a fibre-to-the-cabinet connection, you likely won’t need to have an engineer come to your home, as it uses the existing phone line. If you are in a new build without a phone line installed, you will need an engineer visit.
If you want full fibre broadband, however, you may need an engineer to come to your home to install a new modem. This is so the fibre optic cables can run straight from the broadband exchange to your household.
It is possible to cancel your fibre broadband package. However, it will normally come with an exit fee. This can be based on how much your tariff costs and the number of months you have left on the contract.
There are times when you can cancel your broadband for free. For example, if your broadband provider raises its prices during your contract, you have the legal right to cancel your contract within the 30-day notice period.
Since basic broadband uses the old copper phone line network and fibre broadband uses fibre optic cables, the latter is much more reliable. It is less likely to be affected by weather damage, needs less maintenance and does not suffer from signal degradation.
Moreover, fibre broadband offers much faster speeds than its predecessor, making it the better option for larger households or those who require ultrafast or gigabit speeds.
Depending on where you live, you may not be eligible for fibre broadband. Fibre broadband is available to 97 per cent of UK households, but full fibre is only available to 57 per cent of homes. So you may find that your home is eligible for fibre broadband, but not full fibre.
The reasons for this are varied, but mostly down to your location; our survey found that those living in large towns have the highest advertised broadband speed (189Mbps) while those living in rural areas have the lowest advertised broadband speed (129Mbps). Rural areas have less access to fibre optic broadband due to a lower population density and fewer providers operating within those areas.
If you cannot access full fibre broadband but want to experience faster speeds than fibre broadband can offer, consider investing in mobile or satellite broadband. These services can be more expensive but can offer faster speeds, making them ideal alternatives for certain households.
