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Looking for the best broadband deals for your household? We can help. Our expert team has catalogued the best deals on offer, as well as several common questions and queries to help you on your journey.
They considered a wide range of broadband providers, broadband types, contract lengths, speeds and prices to ensure you move ahead with a broadband deal that really works for you.
Finding the best broadband deal should not just come down to the price; you should also consider the broadband provider itself, how long you’re signing up for and what internet speeds you need for your usage.
Monthly cost may rise during contract
Depending on which broadband provider you’re looking at, you can choose between a variety of broadband packages. There are several types of broadband packages on the market, as some companies offer bundles featuring more than one service.
Broadband-only offers only come with an internet connection, negating any additional features. Broadband-only deals are ideal for those working on a budget, or someone looking for a no-frills package that only comes with the necessities.
Monthly cost may rise during contract
Broadband and phone packages come with a landline service as well as broadband. This package is mandatory for households that require copper landline wires for a broadband connection or those who have use for a landline.
Monthly cost may rise during contract
Broadband and TV packages come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with the potential to include additional TV channels or subscriptions to services such as Netflix or NOW TV. If you’re after entertainment subscriptions, broadband and TV deals can actually work out cheaper in the long run and make it easier to handle multiple subscriptions since they all fall under one contract.
Monthly cost may rise during contract
Finding the best broadband deal for your household can be an overwhelming task. To make your journey easier, we’re going to take a deep dive into some of the most important factors to consider before committing to a new broadband deal.
Our expert team performed a survey on over 2,000 broadband customers to find out how they feel about their broadband service, and what they most value in a broadband deal. We asked about pricing, speeds, reliability and customer service, among other things. If you want to find out more about how we conducted this survey, take a look at our methodology*.
Below are just some things to consider when taking out a new broadband contract.
Knowing what broadband deals are available in your area is paramount, as it opens the door to various packages and types of broadband. You can use our postcode checker to quickly find out which broadband deals operate in your area.
When looking for a new broadband deal, you must ensure that it fits your current budget. Opting for an ultrafast package or adding multiple services to your deal will inflate the price, but you can always look towards cheaper broadband deals if you don’t want to spend big.
We asked over 2,000 people how they felt about their broadband services, including if they thought their current deal reflected a good value for money. As you can see from the table below, Three is rated highest in this category, closely followed by Vodafone and NOW Broadband.
Upfront costs aren’t the only thing to consider when checking the affordability of various broadband deals; factors such as transparency around prices and how often they can be increased as part of your contract will also have an impact on your monthly bill.
Our survey revealed that one of the biggest issues people have with their current broadband provider is Price Hikes, at 30 per cent. This was closely followed by Slow Speeds (28 per cent) and High Prices (23 per cent). We found that Three was viewed as the best in terms of fair price increases, with 65 per cent of respondents voting Very Fair or Somewhat Fair. Consult the table below for an in-depth view of how respondents felt about the price increases in their broadband service.
Knowing what speed you need is also critical, as you don’t want to invest in a deal that won’t provide adequate performance for your required usage. On the other hand, you want to avoid overpaying for a service that you won’t make enough use of.
For more information about which broadband speed is best for your household, consult the table below.
| Speed | HD streaming | 4K streaming | Online gaming | Working from home | For how many users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 10Mbps | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | 1 |
| 10-30Mbps | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | 1-2 |
| 30-100Mbps | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 2-4 |
| 100-900Mbps | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 4-10 |
| 1GBps + | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 10+ |
Once you’ve established what broadband speed is best for your household, it’s important to check what speeds you are currently receiving if you have a broadband contract. Using a broadband speed test is the best way to verify this and can prove whether your provider is promising on its advertised speeds, and if you truly need an updated deal.
If you do determine that your broadband speeds are lagging, you should consider investing in a broadband deal that offers a more consistent performance. According to our survey, 80 per cent of UK broadband customers are satisfied with the speed of their current broadband connection, and 33 per cent are very satisfied.
Looking at individual broadband providers, 38 per cent of EE broadband customers surveyed were very satisfied with the speed of their broadband, compared to 29 per cent of customers for TalkTalk broadband. Check out the table below to see how each broadband provider stacks up in terms of how their broadband performs relative to the advertised speed.
Choosing the best contract length for you will depend on how long you plan to stay at your current residence and how long you want to stay with one provider.
Most contracts last up to 12, 18 or 24 months. Generally, long-term contracts are more cost-effective, but you’ll be liable for cancellation fees if you decide to terminate your contract before its end date. The exit fee will depend on the remaining length of your contract and if you opted for any additional services or features.
If you’re unsure how long you want to commit for and, some companies offer no-contract broadband packages. No-contract broadband deals are ideal for students and renters, but they usually are more expensive, either in terms of the monthly fee or the upfront costs.
Ultimately, if you’re able to, investing in a long-term broadband contract will be cheaper than a shorter or no-contract deal. Consider how long you’ll be living at your current address and how much you’re willing to pay when comparing broadband deals and contract lengths.
In an ideal world, you won’t need to contact your broadband provider; in reality, you will likely need help or advice to resolve any issues that may arise during your contract.
Effective customer service will make this process a lot easier and more streamlined, making it one of the most important factors to look for when considering a broadband deal. Our survey shows that almost 28 per cent of EE broadband customers rated their experience with customer service as excellent, compared to just 15 per cent of Virgin Media customers.
*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. 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 third 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. The questions used to calculate our score were: “How often, if at all, do you feel the actual speed of your broadband service matches the advertised speed,” “How would you rate your experience with customer service and support from your broadband provider,” ”What issues, if any, have you experienced with your current broadband provider? (Select all that apply),” “How easy or difficult is it/would it be to reach your provider using your preferred method,” “How do you rate the value for money of your broadband service,” “How would you rate the transparency of pricing and additional fees in your broadband service”.
Whether you need fibre broadband or not will depend on your internet usage – a busy household with multiple people engaging in intensive tasks like gaming, streaming, or video calls will be more likely to require fibre broadband than someone living alone or only lightly use the internet.
Fibre broadband – or, more accurately, fibre optic broadband – uses thin cables made of glass or plastic to send rays of light across large distances. This is much more efficient than traditional broadband cables, which transmit electrical signals through an insulated copper core.
These days, major broadband providers do offer fibre optic as it’s fast and more reliable than ADSL, and signal quality over large distances is much better than traditional cable. The fastest broadband deals use so-called ‘full fibre’ connections, whereas slower ‘fibre’ plans will use a mix of fibre optic and copper-wire cables.
“As more households gain access to full fibre broadband, its popularity is only growing; over 46 per cent of households opting have an ultrafast full fibre connection, according to our survey. To experience ultrafast speeds, check out this fantastic Plusnet Full Fibre 900 deal, which offers speeds up to 900Mbps for just £44.99 per month.”
Fibre optic broadband is not yet as available as traditional broadband across the UK; according to a recent report from Ofcom, 52 per cent of UK households have access to full fibre broadband, and availability is more common in urban areas.
Use the postcode checker at the top of this page to find out whether your postcode is eligible for fibre broadband. Fibre broadband offers speeds ranging from 35Mbps to 60Mbps, while full fibre broadband can reach above 100Mbps. If you’re only finding deals with slower speeds, then it’s very likely your house is not suitable to receive fibre broadband.
If low-cost broadband is your number one priority, then you may want to look towards slower broadband speeds. Standard broadband, also known as ADSL, is the cheapest type of broadband, offering speeds averaging around 11Mbps, although some deals offer speeds as high as 24Mbps.
Standard broadband requires a telephone line for installation. It’s the most widespread in terms of accessibility, meaning you’re more likely to be eligible for ADSL than other type of broadband such as fibre or full-fibre.
“On average, broadband customers in the UK pay £53 per month for their broadband deal. Those living in urban city centres tended to pay more, while those living in small villages paid a little less. If you are struggling to pay for your broadband, look into social tariff broadband deals, which are specially targeted at low-income households. If you do not qualify for social tariff broadband, consider cutting down your broadband deal and limiting any additional services; broadband and TV bundles are usually more expensive, as are ultrafast and superfast broadband deals.”
There are several different types of broadband connections, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. While you may not be eligible for every one, your postcode likely supports at least one connection.
Here is a selection of some of the most common types of broadband.
| Broadband type | Speeds available | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultrafast full fibre broadband (FTTP) | Up to 1Gbps | Fastest full fibre broadband solution in the UK | Highly dependent on infrastructure, poor coverage in rural areas |
| Superfast fibre broadband (FTTC) | 30-70Mbps | Partial fibre optic cables enable high speeds | Requires landline cables |
| Standard broadband (ADSL) | 10-24Mbps | High coverage across the UK | Lower speeds than fibre optic solutions and requires a landline connection |
| Hybrid fibre broadband | 30Mbps-100Mbps | Offers high speeds | Can suffer lower speeds during peak times and is generally slower than FTTP |
| Mobile broadband | 32-133Mbps | Portable | Signal is not always consistent and speeds can be low, can incur rolling charges |
| Satellite broadband | 30-220Mbps | Offers broadband access to remote areas | Can be expensive and has slower speeds than fibre optic |
Our Home Tech Expert Gemma says:
“We found that almost half of UK broadband users have considered switching to a new broadband provider over the past year. As it turns out, switching broadband deals is one of the best ways to save money and boost speeds; a majority of broadband providers offer exclusive deals to new customers with discounted rates for the first few months of your contract.”
So if you’re looking for a change, here are three quick steps to follow if you’re considering switching broadband deals.
You can switch broadband providers at any time in your contract. However, if you’re still in contract, you’ll most likely face a pricey cancellation fee. You should first make sure you’re no longer within the minimum terms of your current contract with your broadband provider. You can find out this information by either contracting the provider’s customer service or by checking your original confirmation email.
Use the postcode checker at the top of this page for instant access to all the best deals in your location.
Choose your broadband deal and pick a date for your service to go live. You might be required to arrange for an engineer to visit. Most providers will take care of the whole switch, as well as serve notice to your current provider and send you a brand new router via post. Your old provider will most likely send you instructions for returning your old router.
Ofcom, Faster full-fibre broadband now available to half of UK homes.
While cheaper broadband options might raise concerns about reliability, the reality is that many budget-friendly broadband providers maintain good, consistent service levels. Advances in technology and regulatory oversight have paved the way for companies to offer reliable connectivity without a hefty price tag.
Contrary to what you would expect, the cheapest deals are usually found on broadband and landline packages since these types of broadband require copper phone lines to connect to the network. However, if your home has access to fibre broadband, you can find cheaper broadband-only deals.
Low-income households can benefit from a selection of social tariff broadband deals. These discounted plans are available to customers on certain government benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, or Universal Credit, among others. Find out more about social tariff broadband and whether you qualify by reading our guide.
Most broadband providers will list two speed measurements in their deals: average speed and minimum guaranteed speed. The latter is more accurate in terms of the speeds you will receive on a day-to-day basis and is a baseline of what you should expect.
If you are experiencing frequently low speeds, contact your broadband provider to resolve the issue. If the issue persists, you may be entitled to compensation or an early exit option to switch deals without paying a fee. It’s advisable to run broadband speed tests every now and then, particularly if you think your internet speeds are lagging behind what your provider has promised.
If you live in an area without access to FTTP broadband and require copper lines for your internet connection, then you may need to pay for a line rental. Many providers are starting to phase out traditional landline services in favour of digital landlines; the move to digital home phones will take place by December 2025 for many providers including BT.
4G and 5G home broadband, also called mobile broadband, provides broadband speeds without the need for a landline or fibre optic/copper cables connecting to your home; it works in the same way as the cellular data that connects smartphones to the internet on the go.
Since 2019, 5G (5th Generation) has been the leading standard for mobile data connections thanks to faster upload/download speeds, increased efficiency and lower latency compared to previous iterations. As 5G coverage isn’t quite as widespread outside of urban areas, it’s still common to find yourself with a 4G connection.
