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Finding the best broadband deals for your household can be a complicated affair, which is why our expert team has catalogued all the best deals on offer, as well as several common questions and queries to help you on your journey. We 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 also must consider the broadband provider itself. Our expert team has catalogued all of the best broadband deals from a wide range of providers, considering different price points, speeds and contract lengths.
Depending on which broadband provider you’re looking at, you can choose between a wide variety of broadband packages. There are several types of broadband packages, with some companies offering bundles featuring more than one service.
Broadband-only deals 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.
Broadband and phone deals come with a landline service. This package is mandatory for households that require copper landline wires for a broadband connection or those who wish to use a landline service.
Broadband and TV deals 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. Broadband and TV deals can actually work out cheaper in the long run and can make it easier to handle multiple subscriptions since they all fall under one contract.
If low-cost broadband is your number one priority, then you may want to look towards slower broadband deals. Standard broadband, also known as ADSL, is the cheapest type of broadband, offering speeds averaging around 11Mbps, although some deals can go as high as 24Mbps.
Standard broadband requires a telephone line and is the most widespread in terms of accessibility, meaning you’re more likely to be eligible for ADSL than any other type of broadband.
Those looking to play video games online will want to invest in a gaming broadband deal, ideally with an FTTP connection type. EE is one of the fastest broadband providers available throughout the country, offering speeds of up to 1,600Mbps. While ultrafast connections are generally more expensive, they are a necessity for gamers.
There are several different types of broadband, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. While you may not be eligible for every broadband solution, 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 |
Hybrid fibre broadband | 30Mbps-100Mbps | Offers high speeds | Can suffer lower speeds during peak times and generally slower than FTTP |
Mobile broadband | 32-133Mbps | Portable | Signal is not always consistent, can incur rolling charges and potentially low speeds |
Satellite broadband | 30-220Mbps | Offers broadband access to remote areas | Can be expensive with slower speeds than fibre optic |
Working out the most effective way to compare broadband deals comes down to a couple of key factors. Here are some of the most important factors to consider before committing to a new broadband deal.
Picking the right broadband speed will depend on a few factors, namely how much you use the internet and what you are using it for. Your internet can only handle so much traffic at once; slower speeds will be suitable for only one or two residents, but you will need faster speeds for a busier household with multiple people.
And not all online activity is created equal; streaming video content, playing video games and video calls use a lot more data than answering emails or editing documents. Consider which activities you often engage in and pick a package that can handle your workload.
Generally, speeds between 20-30Mbps are suitable for streaming, 50Mbps is ideal for gaming and 100Mbps or above is more luxurious. For a comprehensive view of which broadband speeds you require, consult our 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+ |
Using a broadband speed test is the best way to check how fast your broadband speeds are. Knowing your current broadband speeds can offer insight into if you need an upgrade, whether in terms of speed or additional services.
Your current broadband provider may have a speed checker on its website; otherwise, use broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk.
Your need for fibre broadband 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.
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.
Major broadband providers these days will offer fibre optic, due to its faster connections, increased reliability, and signal quality over large distances compared to traditional cable. So, get if you can: 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.
Fibre optic broadband does not yet have the same scope as traditional broadband across the UK; according to a recent report from Ofcom, 52 per cent of UK households have access to fibre broadband, with availability being more common in urban areas.
Use the postcode checker at the top of this page to understand if your postcode is eligible for fibre broadband. Fibre broadband has speeds ranging from 35Mbps to 60Mbps, with full fibre broadband reaching above 100Mbps. If you’re only finding deals below these numbers, then it’s very likely your house is not suitable for fibre broadband.
The best contract length will depend on how long you plan to stay at your current residence and how long you want to stay with one company.
Most contracts last up to 12, 18 or 24 months. Generally, long-term contracts are more cost-effective, however, you’ll be liable for cancellation fees if you decide to terminate your contract before its end date. The fee will be dependent on the remaining length of your contract and if you opted for any additional services or features.
If you want to avoid this issue, some providers offer no-contract broadband deals. No-contract broadband deals are ideal for students and renters, but they usually are more expensive, whether that be in the monthly fee or the upfront costs.
Ultimately, if you’re able, 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.
Switching broadband deals is a relatively simple task. You can switch broadband deals by following these three steps.
You can switch broadband providers at any time in your contract. However, if you’re still in contract with your current provider, 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.
Broadband is your internet connection: the back-and-forth data stream enabled by your internet provider. Wifi is just one of the technologies that lets you connect your own devices to that broadband, like a wireless extension cable.
Most broadband providers will list two speed measurements in their deals: average speed and minimum guaranteed speed. The latter will most likely be a fair bit lower than the average speed and will be bespoke to your location; it’s a more accurate estimate of the speeds you can expect at your postcode during busier times of the day, when average speeds are usually lower because more people are using the network. In theory, you should at least get the minimum guaranteed speed. If your speeds are regularly below this promise, your broadband provider can try to fix the problem, but if they can’t, you might be entitled to compensation or an early exit from your contract to switch providers without paying any fees.
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 a connection, then you may need to pay for a line rental. Many providers are starting to phase out traditional landline services in place of digital landlines, with the move to digital home phones taking place by December 2025.
The move over to a digital landline will depend on your provider and other factors, such as your age, broadband accessibility and any other disclosed additional needs.
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. It’s still common to find yourself with a 4G connection sometimes, though, as 5G coverage isn’t quite as widespread outside of urban areas.
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 providers 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. To find out more about social tariff broadband and if you qualify, consult our article.