We are on a mission to make sure you get the best available broadband. Since 2016 Fibre Compare has been helping customers with our fibre broadband checker to search, compare and switch.

How to decide on a broadband deal

There are hundreds and hundreds of different broadband deals – so which one should you pick? The best offer for you and your household isn’t necessarily the cheapest. Budget is an important factor, but don’t make the mistake of just picking the lowest price available. If you are using your broadband regularly every day the cheapest package might not meet your needs.

Think about speed

Speed – It’s the top most important factor for most. Too slow and you’ll struggle. Too fast and you’ll be paying for a service you don’t actually need.

The range of speeds available is huge, although these might not necessarily all be within reach to your home. There’s everything from the most basic 10Mbps to ultrafast fibre with lightening speeds of over 1000Mbps.

So, how much do you actually need? This will depend on various factors such as:

• The number of people in your home
• The amount of devices on your Wi-Fi using the internet at the same time
• What your household are using the internet for e.g. working from home, gaming, steaming

As a basic rule, you’ll need at least 10Mbps per broadband user. Although this should be doubled for any users who are gaming or streaming 4K content.

If you want an even more simplified version without the need for any type of maths at all, we’ve broken it down again so you can have a better idea of what you should be shopping around for.

1-2 person households Recommended speed: 36-100Mbps

3-4 person households Recommended speed: 60 - 300Mbps

4+ households, or gamers Recommended speed: 70 - 1000Mbps

What is the fastest speed in my area?

The first thing that you should be looking at before even beginning to whittle down the best deal is to find out what speeds are actually available to your home.

The higher speeds aren't available everywhere – or with every provider – just yet.

The speed of broadband you can access depends on whether your postcode has access to full fibre broadband yet.

Check to see what the average download speeds are where you live with our broadband postcode tool.

Remember – there are two different types of fibre broadband

Fibre broadband is a type of internet connection that offers faster and more reliable internet connections than ever before. But most connections referred to as ‘fibre broadband’ should more accurately be thought of as ‘partial fibre’ or ‘fibre-to-the-cabinet’ (FTTC). This offers faster speeds than ADSL – also known as standard broadband – but slower speeds than full fibre.

Like standard broadband, partial fibre still connects from the street cabinets, hence the name fibre-to-the-cabinet. But, it’s faster, because instead of running through the older, copper cables from the broadband exchange, the fibre network uses its own new fibre-optic cables.

However, the network from street cabinet to your property, is still a copper phoneline, which means the absolute maximum speed that can be reached is 80Mbps. If you see any package advertising speeds between 30Mbps and 80Mbps, it’s likely that this will be through a partial fibre connection.

What exactly is full fibre?

Full fibre is the fastest broadband available. It’s also known as Ultrafast Fibre and can give you speeds of between 100 and 1000Mbps. That’s 30 times faster than standard broadband.

This technology relies entirely on fibre optic cables that run from the broadband exchange to your property, which is also why it can be known as ‘fibre to the premises’ (FTTP). It is future-proofing businesses and homes because, once installed, there won’t be the need to invest in new broadband cables for decades.

Do I actually need full fibre?

Full fibre gives you ultrafast speeds of between 100Mbps - 1Gbps.

Do you need these? Even if you are a small household with light internet usage it is still worth thinking about full fibre. Because of the latest competitive pricing, you might not be paying much more – or sometimes any more – for these significantly greater speeds.

Also, think future-proofing. With the quality of TV shows and video games improving, smart home devices expanding and hybrid home working on the rise, the need for more bandwidth will only get greater. So, if the price is right, full fibre would always make a sensible choice if available.

Can I get full fibre broadband?

Before you get too excited about all those high speeds, you’ll need to make sure that you have access to full fibre broadband. Currently only about 60% of the UK has had the infrastructure installed for this speedy technology.

The government’s target to deliver full fibre broadband nationwide aims to see a minimum of 85% of premises being able to have reach by 2025. There is a £5 billion programme, Project Gigabit, now in place to enable hard-to-reach communities to have access to lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband. It’s tackling pockets of poor connectivity in urban areas and rural and remote communities.

Enter your postcode to see whether your home has full fibre access:

Find out more about full fibre broadband.

Think about budget

Work out what you want to spend a month on your broadband before starting to search for a new deal. And don’t forget the extras on top of the monthly cost. Do you have to pay for a set-up fee? Routers? Engineer visits?

Also consider mid-contract price rises. Most providers make yearly inflation-linked price rises at the end of every March. These will be written into contracts and customers will have to consent to these forthcoming unknown price rises when signing up.

Which means if you sign up to an 18 or 24-month contract, don’t just pay attention to the cost that is being advertised, look ahead to what is coming. You could easily be looking at an additional £130 over the course of your contract thanks to unpredictable inflation-linked mid-contract price rises.

Not all providers follow this practice though. Read our mid-contract broadband price rises – who, why and when feature to find out more.

Think about contract length

For those who can’t commit, contract length could be an important consideration. There are a number of reasons why you might need short-term broadband. Perhaps you’re one of the UK’s 2.86 million students and you're renting for a short period – or maybe you’re working away from home or temporarily living with relatives.

Whatever your reason there are a few broadband options to check out. Short-term contracts normally come in the form of rolling one-month contract broadband, which means you can cancel any time, you just need to give 30 days' notice to leave at any point. Unlike 18 or 24-months deals there’s never a cancellation fee and you can leave any time. Although this can be a very useful option.

What providers offer no-contract broadband?

The majority don’t offer a rolling one-month contract. You’ll pay a bit more for the advantage of these and there probably won’t be any type of incentive or reward attached. But you will find decent deals with Now Broadband, Hyperoptic and Virgin Media.

What type of broadband package should I choose?

Lots of providers offer broadband alongside landline and TV in different combinations. Depending on your needs and the services, these bundles could represent a better deal.

Combining your broadband, TV and phone can be a smart convenient way of getting all your services for less money and less admin.

It won’t make sense for everyone to choose a broadband bundle, in some cases you’ll simply end up signing up for additional services you won’t take full advantage of. All providers offer broadband-only deals which can be a smart straightforward internet service if you’re not interested in any of the extras.

Do I actually need a TV package as an extra?

You could save money and make your life admin a little bit easier by choosing to bundle broadband and TV with a single service provider. So this could help inform your next broadband deal.

If you never watch live television and just stream from platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime, a TV package might not save a huge amount of money. But for many it can be a great idea to bundle a broadband and TV deal together, there's loads of benefits to this, including:

Saving money – you'll often get discounts as an incentive to sign up for bundles. You also might be getting more value by not paying separately for your TV services.

Rewards – many providers offer cash back, bill credit, reward cards or free gadgets as extra motivation for anyone considering signing up to a TV and broadband package.

Convenience – with TV and broadband streamlined, you'll have just one place to manage your services and payments.

Which provider should I pick for entertainment extras?

The top TV and broadband providers are Sky, Virgin Media, BT, NOW and TalkTalk TV. Although forget Sky or Virgin Media if you are looking for the absolute cheapest offers available. These entertainment giants give you top quality and quantity, but you’ll pay a premium for it.

For value and flexibility, the cheapest TV packages will probably be the add-ons you can pick from NOW TV. These give you access to Sky content whilst avoiding any contract. Plus, you don’t even need NOW Broadband to get these either.

If you just want access to Freeview channels and your streaming subscriptions all in one place, it’s also worth looking at Vodafone, TalkTalk or EE as a TV package add-on as some of these start from just £5 a month.

Providers we work with

We compare broadband deals from a range of trusted providers, including:

Virgin Media

Virgin Media, it's an all-round digital powerhouse that offers the fastest speeds with a ton of tempting TV and mobile options too.

Our Virgin Media broadband deals

Our Virgin Media broadband review

Sky

Known for over 30 years as the UK’s biggest paid-TV provider, Sky now sits in the top three as a broadband service too.

Our Sky broadband deals

Our Sky broadband review

BT

Attracted by its well-known name, fast speeds and great TV and broadband bundles, BT is officially the UK’s biggest broadband provider.

Our BT broadband deals

Our BT broadband review

Vodafone

Well known for its competitively priced deals and wide range of packages, mighty Vodafone is the biggest full fibre provider in the UK.

Our Vodafone broadband deals

Our Vodafone broadband review

TalkTalk

With its competitive pricing and wide range of packages, TalkTalk brands itself as ‘the value provider’. An attractive option for anyone looking to cut costs on their monthly broadband spend.

Our TalkTalk broadband deals

Our TalkTalk broadband review

Community Fibre

If you live in London and are looking for ultrafast fibre broadband, then the alternative network, Community Fibre could be the best provider for you.

Our Community Fibre broadband deals

Our Community Fibre broadband review

Plusnet

Known for its straightforward, budget-friendly broadband deals and UK-based customer services, Plusnet is a tempting option for anyone looking to switch and save.

Our Plusnet broadband deals

Our Plusnet broadband reviews

Hyperoptic

Hyperoptic is part of a new wave of alternative network providers offering very fast broadband using its own network. Its main customers have traditionally been centred around newbuild London apartment blocks. But that is expanding as it rolls out across the country.

Our Hyperoptic deals

Our Hyperoptic broadband review

NOW Broadband

Affordable and flexible with great TV add add-ons, NOW Broadband doesn’t have the quickest speeds but it does have some of the best prices and rolling one-month contract options.

Our NOW Broadband deals

Our NOW Broadband review

Gigaclear

Part of a new wave of alternative network providers (alnet) offering very fast full fibre broadband using its own network, Gigaclear is on a mission to bring full fibre faster speeds to residents living in rural areas.

Our Gigaclear deals

Our Gigaclear review

How to switch broadband providers

It’s never been easier to switch. If you are out of your contract or coming to the end of one, just put your postcode into our finely tuned postcode availability checker to search, compare and switch to the best fibre broadband provider of your choice.

It’s simple, we’ll show you all the latest offers including some exclusive deals that you won’t be able to find available anywhere else. It’s much easier than systematically visiting every broadband provider in the UK separately to see if they service your area and have anything worth considering.

You can filter your search too by speed, contract length and provider if you have a preference. We’ll bring the best deals up and you can compare all the major fibre broadband providers and their fibre, ultrafast fibre, Full Fibre and TV packages.

Select the right deal for you by clicking on your chosen broadband package and you’ll be taken to the provider’s website to make the purchase. Then it will just be the case of filling in details and you’re all set. Most of the time you won’t even need an engineer to set you up on your new broadband deal. You normally won’t be required to tell your old provider you’re leaving either – Virgin Media being the main exception –that will be taken care of for you.

The actual switch can vary depending on if your new connection needs an engineer visit or not. The average wait time is two weeks and you should have broadband throughout apart from maybe roughly 30 minutes when the switch actually takes place.

If you have remained with the same provider each year, then it’s likely you are spending more than you need to. You can save money and benefit from some amazing introductory offers that are available when you switch provider.

Compare broadband deals

Whatever you’re looking for, find the best broadband offer that works for you.

• Broadband and TV
• Broadband and phone
• Broadband only
• Fibre broadband

Broadband locations

Where you live will depend on what broadband is available to you. Find out more about the best providers for different cities, what the full fibre availability is and what broadband speeds you can expect from your location.

• Broadband in London
• Broadband in Birmingham
• Broadband in Glasgow
• Broadband in Liverpool
• Broadband in Bristol
• Broadband in Manchester
• Broadband in Sheffield
• Broadband in Edinburgh
• Broadband in Leeds
• Broadband in Leicester

Compare Broadband And TV Deals

You could save money and make your life admin a little bit easier by choosing to bundle broadband and TV with a single service provider.

The top TV and broadband providers are Sky, Virgin Media, BT, NOW and TalkTalk TV. But who to choose and what package to pick? We'll help you with that decision. Have a look at our latest offers and then read our guide to making the best broadband and TV choices.

Should I get a broadband and TV bundle?

Maybe! It all depends on your viewing habits. If you never watch live television and just stream from platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime, a TV package might not save a huge amount of money. But for many it can be a great idea to bundle a broadband and TV deal together, there's loads of benefits to this, including:

• Saving money – you'll often get discounts as an incentive to sign up for bundles. You also might be getting more value by not paying separately for your TV services.
• Rewards – many providers offer cash back, bill credit, reward cards or free gadgets as extra motivation for anyone considering signing up to a TV and broadband package.
• Convenience – with TV and broadband streamlined, you'll have just one place to manage your services and payments.

What’s included in a broadband and TV package?

It will come as no surprise that broadband and TV are included in the price, these packages also often include a phone line too.

The broadband will be fibre – standard or full fibre – and the TV part of your deal will vary greatly depending on the provider. We’ve broken down the section section into what you can get from each.

What types of TV package are there?

Here’s the top broadband and TV providers current offering:

Virgin Media

The UK’s only cable TV network offers all your favourite TV shows in one convenient location. With every package you’ll get a Virgin TV 360 box which lets you pause, rewind and record and gives you access to all the free-to-air channels.

The more you pay, the more you get. You can go all out with packages that give you TNT Sports, Sky channels and Netflix. Prices start from £33 and go up to £85.

• Virgin Media Big Bundle (132Mb average speed) – 100+ TV channels
• Virgin Bigger Sports HD Combo Bundle (264Mb average speed) – 195 +TV channels, Sky Sports HD
• Virgin Bigger Combo Bundle (264Mb average speed) – 190+ TV channels
• Virgin Bigger Movies Combo Bundle (132Mb average speed) – 200+ TV channels, Sky Cinema HD
• Virgin Biggest Combo Bundle (132Mb average speed) – 210+ TV channels, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, Netflix
• Virgin Mega Volt Bundle (1130Mb average speed) – 230+ TV channels inc. Sky Sports HD, Sky Cinema HD and Netflix.

Sky

Sky’s latest TV service is adaptable and straightforward. No dish is needed these days and you can get over 30,000 shows streaming to your TV.

There are three TV and broadband packaging to pick from, they all include a Sky Stream box, Sky TV package and Netflix. It’s just the full fibre broadband speed that varies. Each of these is fully customisable so you can add extra packs such as Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, TNT Sports and Sky Kids.

• Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Superfast Broadband (100Mb average speed)
• Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Ultrafast Broadband (145Mb average speed)
• Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Ultrafast Plus Broadband (900Mb average speed)

BT TV

There are five flexible – you can swap with another whenever you want – TV packages to pick from. The entertainment packages come with NOW TV membership, Netflix and channels like Sky Atlantic. The BT Sports packages include four TNT Sorts channels with access to live Premier League and Europa League games.

All of these come with a free-to-air and recordable TV box. Then on top of these plans, you can choose EE TV extras such as NOW and TNT Sports. These can be added or removed on a monthly basis too.

Bundle broadband such as Fibre 2 (67Mb) , Full Fibre 100, Full Fibre 500 or Full Fibre 900 with any of these TV packages:

• BT Sport

All four TNT Sports Channels, Eurosport 1 and 2 and discovery+ Premium (incl. TNT Sports)

• BT Big Sport

Everything from the Sport package plus every Sky Sports channel with NOW Sports and discovery+ Premium

• BT Entertainment

Sky Atlantic and more with NOW Entertainment, Netflix, discover+ Basic and free-to-air channels

• BT Big Entertainment

Everything from Entertainment plus every Sky Cinema channel with NOW Cinema and discovery+ Basic

• BT Full Works

Everything from Big Entertainment and Big Sport, Netflix Standard, HD and discover+ Premium

TalkTalk TV

For a £5 monthly add-on, you can get a simple, commitment-free (cancel any month), set-top box for online streaming.

The TV Hub will give you access to 70+ live Freeview channels and exclusive discounts on NOW memberships – normally half-price – if these interest you.

This can be added to any TalkTalk fibre broadband plan.

EE TV

You can add an Apple TV 4K to any of your EE broadband plans. You'll also get three months free Apple TV+ and you'll be able to watch free, on-demand streaming services like BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and All 4, through the set top box.

There's an option to add TNT Sports to the plan, too.

Vodafone TV

If you choose to add Vodafone Xtra to any of your broadband packages, you’ll get Apple TV 4K included, plus a 24-month Apple TV+ subscription.

NOW TV

You can add any of its four TV memberships onto your broadband plan and cancel at any time. You also don't have to be a NOW Broadband customer to take advantage of these rolling services.

Choose from NOW Entertainment, NOW Cinema, NOW Sports and NOW Hayu (reality) which you'll be able to stream onto your TV or device, no set-top box needed.

Can I get a bundle with broadband, TV, and landline?

With any TV bundle, you’ll often get a landline included. But whether your phone calls are covered in this might vary. Packages will range from the basic ‘pay as you go’ plan to ‘anytime calls’. So factor on what you are using the line for and look for any extra add-ons available that include international calls or weekend calls.

Can I get broadband and TV without a telephone line?

Many broadband packages come with line rental included, because some providers are using the phone lines to get your internet through. But like many UK households these days you might never actually use it to make phone calls.

To get internet without a telephone landline, you’ll need to have a household that has access to full fibre broadband or Virgin Media’s cable broadband. These deliver your internet without the need for traditional copper cables of your phone line. It’s known as Ultrafast Fibre and can give you speeds of between 100 and 1000Mbps. That’s 30 times faster than standard broadband.

This technology relies entirely on fibre optic cables that run from the broadband exchange to your property, which is also why they can be known as ‘fibre to the premises’ (FTTP).

It is future-proofing businesses and homes because, once installed, there won’t be the need to invest in new broadband cables for decades.

What’s the cheapest TV package I can get?

Forget Sky or Virgin Media if you are looking for the cheapest offers available. These entertainment giants give you top quality and quantity, but you’ll pay a premium for it.

For value and flexibility, the cheapest TV packages will probably be the add-ons you can pick from NOW TV. These give you access to Sky content whilst avoiding any contract. Plus, you don’t even need NOW Broadband to get these either.

If you just want access to Freeview channels and your streaming subscriptions all in one place, it’s also worth looking at Vodafone, TalkTalk or EE as a TV package add-on as some of these start from just £5 a month.

What to look out for with TV deals

It depends on what you want from your television.

If the need for a wide choice of channels and live content plays the biggest impact in your decision making Sky, BT and Virgin Media packages offer the biggest and best options. Many people take out combined TV and broadband bundles because they want access to channels not available on Freeview.

But for those who mainly stream Apple TV or Prime, you might be best of with a TV box from EE or TalkTalk. These probably won't include the actual subscriptions to the apps, but it is a useful method of keeping everything together in one place and access to Freeview channels.

Look at what add-ons are available such as sports channels or extra Netflix subscriptions. Also look at contract lengths and flexibility as each will vary.

If you like being able to record, pause or rewind live TV, check to see if these are an option with your package too.

What channels can I get with my broadband and TV deal?

There are so many channels, we’ve listed some of the most popular and where and how you can watch these:

• Sky Cinema

Giving you access to early movie premieres and over 1,000 films on demand, you can watch Sky Cinema’s 11 channels through: Sky and Virgin Media. You can also get a monthly NOW Cinema pass which you can use with any broadband.

• Sky Atlantic

A must to keep up with thee latest and best series from America, you can get the likes of The White Lotus, Succession and House of Dragon, plus many more.

You can watch Sky Atlantic through certain packages on: Sky and BT TV. NOW Entertainment has a monthly pass which you can use with any broadband provider.

• TNT Sports

Previously known as ‘BT Sport’, TNT Sports was renamed after being taken over by Warner. Across its four channels you’ll get exclusive Premier League matches, UEFA Champions and the most extensive line-up of live sports anywhere in the UK and Ireland.

You can watch TNT Sports through: Virgin Media, Sky, BT, TalkTalk, Plusnet and on some EE mobile plans.

• Sky Sports

Showcasing a wide range of national and international sports and events, Sky Sports is a group of 11 sports channels covering everything sports.

You can watch Sky Sports through: Sky, Virgin Media, BT TV and NOW Sports Membership.

How can I save money on my broadband and TV package?

There are several options to consider, including:

• Switching broadband provider

If you are coming to the end of your broadband contract it’s worth considering a switch. Picking a new provider for your TV and broadband package will mean you get access to an affordably priced introductory offer which can cost significantly less to tempt you into switching.

• Looking out for rewards

Broadband providers often offer sweeteners to entice new customers to sign-up to their broadband and TV packages. These can be anything from vouchers and reward cards, to consoles, tablets and even televisions.

• Reconsidering your options

If you've had a pay-TV service for several years, double-check to see if it’s serving you well and whether you're paying the right amount. The increasing number of streaming services might mean that you don't watch pay TV channels as much as you used to. All of this means it's worth double-checking whether you still need your service and whether you could get a better deal with a different provider, or opting for a broadband-only deal instead.

What is the cheapest way to watch TV shows?

The cheapest way is not to subscribe to an 18-month or two year contract with premium pay-TV company like Sky or Virgin. Cutting the cord on this and instead opting for streaming services like Freeview that gives you up to 70 channels free. Apps like All4, BBC iPlayer and UKTV Play don’t require any type of subscriptions and allow you to binge on box sets and other quality programmes and films for free.

If you do want access to premium content you could make the most of NOW TV passes. NOW Entertainment and NOW Cinema plans can be purchased with no contract from £6.99 a month. Sports is more expensive - £26 a month for Sky Sports - but still cheaper than a full Sky package.

How easy is it to switch TV and broadband providers?

It’s never been easier. If you are out of your contract or coming to the end of one, just put your postcode into our comparison search and we’ll show you the best deals available.

You probably won’t even have to talk to your current provider to notify them that you’re leaving as most will do all that admin for you. Most of the time you won’t even need an engineer to get you started on your new router and TV set up.

Which providers can I watch Sky Sports and Sky Cinema with?

There are a few different TV and broadband providers that Sky Sports and Sky Cinema are both accessible through.

Sky is the most obvious choice. Simply choose a deal, some will have these included already, and add these channels if they are not part of the package.

But you don’t have to go with Sky to access its content. Virgin Media works in exactly the same way, pick your package and add Sky Sports and Sky Cinema if they aren’t included already.

BT’s VIP package includes Sky Sports and Sky Cinema in its offering.

NOW is the easiest, more flexible way of accessing both of these. You can add a monthly NOW Cinema or NOW Sports pass any time, you don’t need to have NOW Broadband to have this option either.

Is it cheaper to get broadband and TV together?

Bundling your TV and broadband services together often means you get a better price as providers often offer discounts if you sign up to multiple products.

But this is only relevant if you really do use the paid TV channels these give you access to. If you just watch streaming services, you might be best off finding a cheaper broadband deal only and then getting separate apps or a NOW TV membership.

Can I get TV and broadband separately?

It all depends on the provider. Virgin Media, EE, TalkTalk or BT do not offer their TV packages without taking broadband too.

Sky TV and NOW TV do let you sign up to their TV services without having to include broadband too.

Can I get streaming services through my TV bundle?

All TV services will give you access to watching your favourite streamlining apps. Whether or not the subscriptions to these are included is a different matter. Some packages might include Netflix, NOW TV or Apple TV+ too. But in most cases, although you can access the apps through the TV equipment, you’ll probably have to pay separately for any extra streaming services you want to watch.

Which providers can I get Apple TV with?

Apple TV is a digital media player that connects to your television and allows you to stream content from a range of services including BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.

Vodafone and EE offer an Apple TV 4K box with their broadband and TV deals. These also often offer three months free to Apple TV+ to new subscribers.

Can I get fibre broadband with my TV package?

Yes. With any TV package you’ll get fibre broadband too. There are two types of fibre broadband that you will get with your deal with the main difference being that one is faster than the other. You’ll either get:

1. Partial fibre (also known as superfast or FTTC)

Currently the most common type of broadband connection in the UK, this technology is now available to 96% of households. It uses a blend of fibre and copper cables to deliver broadband to the premises via existing copper telephone wires. If you see any packages advertising speeds between 30Mbps and 80Mbps, it’s likely this will be a partial fibre connection.

2. Full fibre (also known as ultrafast or FTTP)

Full fibre gives you the fastest broadband speed possible. This technology relies entirely on fibre optic cables that run from the broadband exchange to your property, which is also why they can be known as ‘fibre to the premises’ (FTTP). There’s no need for anything in between. Using this technique it is possible to get speeds exceeding 1,000Mbps (1Gbps). It’s currently available to roughly 60% of the UK

How are TV bundles installed

This all depends on the provider you choose.

If your package just includes a simple set-top box, such as Apple TV, then you’ll be able to set this up yourself. And any NOW TV package is even easier, you just need to log in on the device you are watching on to stream your shows.

Sky, Virgin and BT will all likely require an engineer visit to install your TV service. This is often included in the pricing.