Is Connect Fibre broadband a good choice?
Choosing a smaller broadband brand can feel like a leap of faith – and that’s fair. But, as with many alt-nets running their own full-fibre, gigabit-capable networks, there are so many good reasons to give these a try.
Connect Fibre has four straightforward plans, from 250Mbps up to a blistering 2,000Mbps. All packages offer symmetrical speeds (uploads match downloads), Wi-Fi 7 routers, and are typically far cheaper than the big names. Connect Fibre also commits to no mid-contract price rises.
There are tempting add-ons too, including TV options and mesh systems. The main caveat is availability: the network currently only reaches around 10,000 UK premises, although this is growing, so check your postcode before you get your hopes up.
In our full review we take a look at the pros and cons of each area in more detail: speed, full fibre review, cost, setup and customer service.
Very fast! Connect Fibre outpaces many nationwide Openreach-based services, avoiding the slowdown caused by copper cabling and delivering those sought-after symmetrical speeds – where your upload matches your download.
Speed is often the biggest consideration when choosing a broadband package. If you have multiple people using the internet at one time, then a higher speed and bandwidth will be essential. Equally, if it’s a small household using the internet for everyday usage, paying for business-grade bandwidth will be a waste.
You should decide what speed is right for you, based on your broadband habits at home. Here’s a handy guide to help show what bandwidth usage your different applications need.
There are four full-fibre options. All with symmetrical download and upload speeds.
Even Connect Fibre’s slowest plan offers an impressive 250Mbps upload an download speed. This speedy package can easily handle 8-10 devices all requiring an internet connection at the same time. Gamers will be kept happy with its equal-to-download 250Mbps upload speed.
Incredibly fast connection, great for large households, multiple devices and downloading and streaming movies and videogames in UHD (ultra high definition). This has an average download and upload speed of 500Mbps.
Connect Fibre’s most popular plan. This full fibre package offers users a lightning fast average download and upload speed of 900Mbps which will easily support 12+ devices for the ultimate experience in large, busy households.
There's fast and then there's this. Will you ever need an average download – and upload – speed of 2000Mbps? Probably not. But it will cover all your needs seamlessly, so you're basically future-proofed and covered in every way.
Around 85% of UK homes can now access this ultrafast service, known as ‘Fibre to the Premises’ (FTTP), via a range of networks – including Connect Fibre. Unlike older connections that rely on copper phone lines, full fibre uses fibre-optic cables running directly to your home. This eliminates slowdowns between the street cabinet and your property, delivering faster, more reliable speeds than any previous broadband technology.
Once installed, full fibre is designed to future-proof homes and businesses for decades, with no need for new cabling to support faster services in the future.
If you can’t get full fibre yet, it may not be long before you can. The UK government’s goal is for 99% of the country to have access to gigabit-capable broadband by 2030.
Find out whether your postcode has Connect Fibre full fibre availability
Because Connect Fibre runs on its own full fibre network, it controls every aspect of delivering your internet service – unlike many providers that rely on the Openreach network. This has clear benefits. On Trustpilot, customers frequently praise Connect Fibre’s smooth and stable connection.
For peace of mind connectivity, you can add Connect Mesh to your plan. This mesh Wi-Fi service ensures top-tier speed, reliability and coverage in every room – perfect for larger homes or properties with thick walls where a single router might struggle.
It includes a powerful Wi-Fi extender, which can be set up in minutes to supercharge your Connect Fibre connection. By creating a seamless network between your main router and this, you’ll enjoy consistent signal strength.
Connect Fibre offers excellent value. Deals start from just £25 a month for 250Mbps and prices are fixed for the length of your contract – so no mid-term hikes to worry about. There are also no upfront costs, with setup, installation and activation all included for free. It’s a refreshingly transparent approach.
Connect Fibre offers great flexibility with its contracts, allowing you to take any of its four packages on a 12 month or 24 month term. The longer the contract, the lower the monthly cost – but the short-term option is ideal if you only need internet for a limited time.
A key difference with Connect Fibre compared to other alternative networks is that it does offer a TV package. For an extra £10/month, you can add Connect Fibre TV, which includes a 4K set-top box with live pause/record, 230+ live channels, 40+ apps, and around 200,000 hours of on-demand content.
You can also add a home phone as a VoIP service:
This smaller provider rarely offers any gift cards or cashback rewards. However, Connect Fibre deals are sometimes available with a sign-up offer, such as flash sales where the first few months are heavily reduced.
There is also a refer and earn incentive. You’ll earn a £60 credit for you and a friend for every referral you make.
No, it doesn’t. Unlike many other providers all plans promise: ‘No in-contract price hikes’ at any time
Find out more about mid-contract price rises
Connect Fibre aim to have new customers switched over within 7-10 days.
Most customers will need an engineer visit. On installation day, an engineer will fit a socket or internal fibre converter, connect your router and ensure everything is running smoothly – typically within an hour.
Connect Fibre takes care of the entire switching process, so you won’t need to contact your current provider. They’ll handle the transfer from start to finish.
Any new customer will get one of the best routers around when signing up.
Connect Fibre now gives a free Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi Pro router (this comes with the Fibre2000 fastest plan) with all of its packages. The main thing to know is that these are built with Wi-Fi 7 tech which means it is the newest, fastest, smartest wireless standard. They are both designed to provided improved Wi-Fi performance for anyone on Gigafast speeds.
These hubs offers features such as dual-band operation (2.4Ghz and 5Ghz), Gigabit Ethernet ports, mesh technology capabilities for extenders and support for Wi-Fi 7 for faster speeds and reduced lag. They can support up to 200 devices connected simultaneously.
Because of its relatively smaller size compared to other broadband providers, Connect Fibre’s customer service hasn’t been rated by Ofcom yet.
Trustpilot gives Connect Fibre an excellent 4.7 for its customer support score with 88% scoring the provider 5-stars. There’s plenty of positive feedback that points towards prompt, polite and friendly service. Have a look at the latest reviews here.
Connect Fibre customer service is open 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Call Connect Fibre broadband customer service: 01223 080 790
Message via: Connect Fibre contact form
Email: support@connectfibre.co.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/Connect FibreUK/
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