Our overall rating: 9 out of 10
Over 100 smaller full-fibre providers have popped up in the last few years offering ultrafast broadband connections via their own network, normally for much lower prices than the big brands.
These alternative networks, or altnets, are often great options. It can be daunting to switch to a lesser known name, but those who don’t let that bother them are reaping the rewards. Hey!Broadband is no exception. It goes out of its way to gain trust with superfast deals from just £23, flexible monthly rolling contracts and clear, transparent plans that promise not to suddenly hike up your price.
Hey!Broadband is only available to a handful of home counties, but we’re hopeful that the reason you are reading this, is because you live somewhere with availability.
The positives
The negatives
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! As a full fibre service on its own network, Hey!Broadband uses its own full fibre connection to deliver lightning-fast speeds to households.
But remember, where you live will also play a big factor. We’ll list everything below, but you’ll also need to check your postcode to see what is currently available.
Find out what Wi-Fi is available with our postcode checker.
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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 probably end up being 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 three full-fibre options. All are very fast. And all are symmetrical. This means that they give the same upload and download speeds. Upload speeds are normally considerably lower, which makes this a great choice if you need a connection that can deal with very large file uploads, video meetings and gaming.
Their entry-level superfast package with an average speed of 150Mbps can easily handle ten+ devices all requiring an internet connection at the same time.
Megafast 400
Incredibly fast connection, perfect for large households, multiple devices and downloading and streaming movies and videogames in UHD (ultra high definition). This package has an average download and upload ultrafast speed of 400Mbps.
Gigafast 900
Hey!Broadband’s fastest service. This full-fibre package offers users an impressive average download and upload speed of 900Mbps which will easily cover all high-use working and gaming internet usage in large, busy households.
What exactly is full fibre?
It’s the fastest available internet in the UK.
Around two-thirds of homes in the UK can now access ultrafast broadband via fibre-optic technology called ‘G.fast’ or ‘Fibre To The Premises’ (FTTP).
FTTP, also known as full fibre, is the next generation of broadband. It removes the need to rely on copper phone lines and instead connects fibre cables straight to your home. This means there’s no slowdown on the data between the street cabinet and your property and the speed and strength are much more powerful than any previous fibre broadband technology as a result. Common internet issues like buffering and outages become almost non existent.
This technology will future-proof homes and businesses across the UK because, once it’s installed, properties won’t need to install new cables for their broadband for decades.
Hey!Broadband runs on its own full fibre network to deliver its internet services. This is different to many other suppliers as they mainly rely on Openreach’s copper network for their connections (BT, Sky, NOW, Plusnet and Vodafone).
This seems to be a good thing as it means they don’t depend on another company to fix any faults or dictate rollout locations. Hey!Broadband has shown to have a very stable network and when there are problems they are quickly dealt with using an in-house team of engineers.
Hey!Broadband isn’t currently signed up to Ofcom’s voluntary code practice on better broadband speeds. Customers scores are mixed, but mainly above average, on its Trustpilot score for connectivity.
If you want to boost coverage around your home, there’s a smart Wi-Fi add on for £7 a month. With this you’ll get the easy-to-use excellent Plume mesh pods.
Plume spreads Wi-fi signal across your entire home. Just plug the pods straight into your wall and it will distribute Wi-Fi from your existing router to every corner.
Starting from just £23 a month for full fibre speeds, Hey!Broadband offers much faster packages for less money. It’s great value and there are no one-off upfront set-up costs or fees. Currently its fastest 900Mbps plan is on offer for just £26 (on a 2-year contract) making it one of the cheapest available.
It also promises not to hike its prices up mid-contract, so whatever you start out paying will be honoured until your contract is up.
Average price guide
Choose from a flexible 30 days leave-any-time option, 12 months or 24 months. The shorter the contract the more you’ll pay.
Hey!Broadband doesn’t have TV or mobile packages you can bundle with its broadband, it just focuses on full fibre broadband.
There is an option to add a phone line as an add-on service. This currently costs an extra £9.50 per month on and includes calls to all local UK landline numbers. a This phone line is not a traditional landline, instead it is delivered via your broadband line in the form of VoIP (voice over IP).
There’s currently no rewards on offer, but there is a refer a friend scheme. Introduce a friend or family member to Hey!Broadband and you’ll both enjoy a £50 Amazon voucher.
No, unlike many other broadband providers, Hey!Broadband doesn’t raise its prices every spring. It promises transparent pricing which includes no mid-contract price increases.
Because it uses its own infrastructure rather than your existing landline, you’ll need an engineer visitor to install its cable network.
Your home’s internet connection will be connected externally to the network in two ways. Either overhead from a telephone pole or underground to the nearest Hey!Broadband connection point. The process shouldn’t take longer than two hours.
The engineering process will be free of charge, unless a particularly bespoke installation is needed.
There are two available routers, which one you receive depends on whether you’re taking out the VoIP telephone line, too.
Those who are having a phone line included will get the Adtran 854-v6 hub and those who are getting standalone broadband receive the Linksys MX4000.
Both very decent bits of kit that are Wi-Fi 6 compatible and able to give the best output for high speeds.
Trustpilot gives Hey!Broadband a respectable 4.1 for its customer support score with an impressive 75% scoring the provider with 5-stars. There’s plenty of positive feedback that points towards prompt, polite and friendly service. Have a look at the latest reviews here.
By phone: 0808 168 1616
Monday to Sunday, 8am-8pm
By email: info@heyb.co.uk
Get a response within 24 hours
By Live chat
Monday to Sunday, 8am-8pm
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