Compare the best home broadband deals.

Frequently asked questions

• Are there any hidden costs?▼

  Some providers charge a fee for hardware, activation, or postage and packaging when sending you a router – but we include all these charges in ‘Setup Costs’ so you can see them upfront. Line rental is also included in the monthly costs.

  If you don’t have an existing line, some providers will charge for installation as this requires an engineer to visit. We’re working on including this in our listings – for now please check the provider’s website.

  We don’t include any out-of-bundle charges such as calls, because they depend on how much you use the phone. It might be worth getting a calls package if you use the landline a lot.

  Some ISPs will charge admin fees if you’re not able to pay by direct debit.

• Can I get broadband without a landline?▼

  It’s possible, but most broadband comes through landlines in the final stretch from the street cabinet to your door. Most deals include line rental in the cost.

  If you don’t have an existing line, some (but not all) providers will charge to install one.

  The exceptions are Virgin Media and the new FTTP providers, where the fibre-optic cable comes all the way to your property. Some providers (including Plusnet) will allow you to get your landline from another provider and just charge for broadband, but it’s likely to be more expensive overall. So – most of us will need a landline – but of course you don’t have to use it for calls.

• Can I keep my email address when I switch broadband?▼

  If you’re still using an email address from your internet provider (e.g. JoBloggs@talktalk.net) then this can be difficult to move.  It’s possible with some providers, but not all, and they may charge you to keep using your old address after you switch.

  We strongly recommend moving to a different email provider than your ISP  – there are plenty of great free options, such as Gmail, Outlook.com or Yahoo Mail – or you could consider upgrading to your own domain name for a few pounds a year.

  Changing email address can be a real hassle, but if you don’t want to be shackled to one ISP for life, sooner or later you’ll have to bite the bullet. You’ll have to let people know and update your address with any services you want to keep, but on the plus side, it’s an opportunity to cut all that annoying spam out of your life!

• How long does it take to get broadband installed?▼

  Typically 1-2 weeks. Your provider will send you a new router, let your old provider know, and get everything set up ready to go live as soon as possible. Normally setup is as simple as plugging the new router into your phone line, but if there are issues you may need a appointment with an engineer which can take a bit longer.

  If you don’t have an existing landline, or you’re moving to Virgin Media or one of the new FTTP providers, they will need to run a new cable from the street to your property.

• Can I keep my phone number when I switch broadband?▼

  Yes – it’s not difficult for most ISPs to do, especially if your old provider and your new one both use the Openreach network to give you broadband. If you’re changing between any of the main providers it’s very simple – just ask your new broadband provider and they’ll do it all for you.

  It’s a bit more technically complex with Virgin Media and the new FTTP providers as they build their own cable and fibre networks, so your phone number will need to be transferred to the new network again. However, that’s not your problem – just tell them that you want to keep your number when you sign up for a broadband deal and they’ll take care of the rest.

  It’s available as an option in the sign up process for most deals.

• What are 'fair usage' policies?▼

  Fair or acceptable usage is a term that’s usually tacked onto the small print of unlimited broadband deals. It means that your data usage is unlimited, but only if you use it fairly. It’s very rare that home users have any problem with this – you’d have to really go out of your way to break the rules.

  It’s there to stop people intentionally exploiting unlimited allowances on home broadband. So for example, running a file-sharing server for hundreds of people or seeding torrents 24/7 might cause an issue.

  We link to every provider’s fair usage policy under more info for each deal – if you’re planning to use massive amounts of bandwidth, you can always check it out first.

• What does fibre broadband mean?▼

  Fibre means fibre-optic – this is a type of cable that sends data using light pulses, rather than electrical signals, which allows for much greater capacity (bandwidth).

  Most households (over 90%) can get some sort of fibre connection if they choose, but normally that will mean FTTC, or Fibre To The Cabinet. The cabinet is the green box you see on the street. The final stretch from the cabinet to your house or flat still tends to be the old-fashioned copper phone line, but it’s still much faster than standard ADSL – anywhere from 3X to 10X the speed.

  If you’re one of the lucky 6% of households in a fully cabled area, you’ll be able to get Full Fibre (FTTP) which is faster still.

• What if I don't want a long contract?▼

  If you’re not sure how long you will need your broadband deal, most providers now offer monthly rolling contract options. However, it will definitely be more expensive, because you won’t benefit from introductory discounts and you’ll need to pay more to cover the costs of hardware and setup.

  If you need a shorter contract because you’re planning to move house, bear in mind that providers will normally let you bring your contract with you, and if that’s not possible, some may let you out early. If not, it may still be cheaper to pay a few months more than you need.

  There are special 9 month deals available for students, but they’re normally only advertised before the start of the academic year.

• Why are broadband speeds listed as 'average'?▼

  The rules on advertising broadband deals changed in May 2018 – before then, most ISPs would quote an ‘up to’ speed which was the maximum speed possible for the type of connection. Thanks to Ofcom, providers now have to quote the average speeds obtained by at least 50% of users, even at peak times.

  The change means that the speeds you see advertised are much more realistic, but beware – not everyone will be able to get them, especially if you live a long way from the nearest exchange. Some providers can give you a more accurate speed estimate using your landline number and your full address – check their websites to be certain.

• Why can't I get some deals at my postcode?▼

  Unfortunately it’s a bit of a postcode lottery, and it mostly depends on the infrastructure in your area.

  Some providers can only supply households on their own cable networks, such as Virgin, Gigaclear and KCOM. Most others are reliant on the Openreach network which covers most of the country – but not everywhere. Often rural areas get the short straw because the expense of running cables can be prohibitive.

  To get fibre deals, you need to be in an area where the exchange and cabinets have been upgraded to fibre optic cables and there needs to be spare capacity available for your connection.
  Providers may choose not to supply your postcode if they aren’t confident of giving you a good speed.

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