Our overall rating: 44/50
toob – yes, this brand is spelt with a small 't' – started up as a ultrafast broadband business in 2017, mainly in the Southampton and Hampshire area. Then a partnership (March 2022) with the CityFibre network helped open it up to millions more households across the UK.
Its delightfully simple and only offers two full fibre speeds – 900Mbps and 150Mbps – that are both symmetrical (upload is just as fast as download). And unlike most of the bigger mainstream providers it gives a guarantee of no mid-contract price hikes.
toob’s prices are brilliantly good value and it even offers a monthly rolling contract for slightly more. Not available in London or anywhere north of York (yet), your first port of call is to check with its postcode finder to see if you’ve got access to its full fibre networks.
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! It uses newer full fibre technology to deliver lightning-fast speeds. Smaller, independent networks like toob are transforming our digital landscape with their fibre optic networks.
Full fibre gives you the fastest broadband speed possible. It 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). Issues like buffering and outages will become a thing of the past.
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.
Enter your postcode to see packages available in your area:
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 two full fibre options. Both 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 handle very large file uploads and gaming.
Home150
A great plan that powers a download speed and upload speed of 150Mbps. It’s well equipped to handle large content uploads, streaming and online gaming.
Home900
toob’s fastest plan gives gigabit speeds with an average download and upload speed of 900Mbps. This incredibly fast connection offers the ultimate internet for large households with multiple devices who need peace of mind that everyone will have all their digital needs met.
What exactly is full fibre?
Full fibre is 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).
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.
All of toob’s packages are full fibre broadband.
toob runs on its own full fibre network and the full fibre services of CityFibre to deliver its broadband. In general there seems to be a positive general consensus that it offers reliable and fast internet connection, although at times some users have reported occasional outages, especially in areas with ongoing network construction.
It isn’t currently signed up to Ofcom’s voluntary code practice on better broadband speeds, but customer scores are above average on its Trustpilot rating for connectivity.
Complete Wi-Fi
For an extra £6 a month, customers can add Complete Wi-Fi to their package. This add-on uses mesh extenders to make sure you get seamless coverage all around your home with guaranteed minimum speeds, too.
Starting from £22 a month for full fibre speeds, it’s difficult to find a cheaper offer. Plus, toob has no one-off upfront set-up costs or hidden fees. It also has a price lock that promises never to unexpectedly increase your price mid-contract, so your deal will stay the same for the whole time.
Average price guide
toob's contracts are 18 months and, where available (your home has to be in reach of a toob network rather than through CityFibre), one month rolling. You’ll pay more for this flexible no-contract option, but even at this price it is still cheaper than a lot of other providers.
toob is a broadband-only supplier and there are no TV or mobile add on options.
Like a lot of other alternative networks, toob doesn’t offer any landline phone services with its broadband. Instead it has a VOIP (voice over internet protocol) partnership with Vonage where you can add Wi-Fi calling options alongside its broadband.
toob has a refer a friend incentive. Share your unique code with friends and family and if they sign up you’ll both get £25 gift card.
No, it doesn’t. It has a #toobpromise that you’ll benefit from a fixed price for the full duration of your contract.
Once your order is placed, toob aims to connect your broadband service within two weeks. Because it uses its own full fibre network, unless your home has had toob or another CityFibre provider before, you’ll need an engineer visit.
Standard installation and activation is free. However, some properties may need additional infrastructure put into place and this could mean an engineer charge. But you should be told all of this before any of the work starts.
With every toob broadband package you'll get a free router. It's a good one, too. They've partnered with Linksys and have a dedicated Wi-Fi 6 compatible hub which delivers a faster connection to your devices. This can all be managed through the toob App and there are features you can easily update such as guest Wi-Fi and password settings.
Trustpilot gives toob a strong 4.5 for its customer support score with 79% scoring the provider 5-stars. There’s plenty of positive feedback that points towards a professional, polite and friendly service. Have a look at the latest reviews here.
toob customer service team is available via: 023 9300 9300
Monday-Friday: 8am - 8pm, Saturday: 8am-6pm, Sunday: 10am-4pm
Live chat (click on the bottom righthand tab): here
Post here: facebook/toobbroadband
Tweet here: @toobbroadband
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