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How to choose the best fibre broadband UK

A good fibre broadband deal is one that suits the needs of your flat, apartment, office, or the place you like to call home. It isn’t always the cheapest, the fastest, or the deal with the most extras — it’s the one that offers what you need.

We’ll give you some examples.

If you only use your broadband to access your work emails or banking app, the definition of a good broadband deal might equate to the cheapest one you can find.

If you spend the best part of your day on Instagram, have Netflix on constantly in the background, or your daughter is streaming videos about LOL dolls, a brilliant broadband deal should boast a decent connection and snappy broadband speeds.

Read our guide about choosing the right broadband speed here.

As you can see, the best fibre broadband deal depends on how you use the internet. And if a fibre broadband checker tool or salesperson tells you otherwise, then they’re just trying to make a sale out of you. Sorry, but there’s no one size fits all! It works in your favour to do the research before you buy.

Fibre broadband deals in my area

When searching for the best broadband deals for your home or office, you can also choose which extras would complement your usage. Once you’ve got an idea of what your package looks like, you can sift out any unnecessary extras weighing down the price. Here are some of the extras you’ll see:

• Cashback
• Store gift cards
• TV bundles
• Phone lines
• Pay-as-you-go smartphones
• Free access to WiFi spots

Via our website, you can compare a wide range of fibre broadband deals. It’s easy to do, just enter your current speed, price, and provider and the search tool will return the best deals in your area.

How to compare fibre broadband deals

Here comes the important part, so listen up! Choosing the right package will save you money and ensure you have all the basics and extras you need. Here are a few things to think about before picking a deal:

• Check the monthly price (it should be cheaper than what you pay now)
• Check the contract length – 12mo, 18mo, 24mo, or rolling
• Compare broadband speed
• Read up on setup fees – the cost of delivery, installation, and activation
• See if the extras are worth it

Compare fibre broadband bundles and packages to find a better deal

While fibre broadband is best to purchase from an experienced provider, you can get good deals on other essential services from telecoms companies, too. For example, it might work out more affordable to group your landline or TV subscriptions together with your fibre broadband to create a bundle.

Adding calls to your fibre broadband package

Many fibre broadband companies advertise call packages, which could lower your monthly utility bills if you still get use out of your home landline. If you’d benefit from a fibre broadband deal with calls included, visit our smart comparison webpage for phone and fibre broadband package deals

Adding TV to your fibre broadband package

A good chunk of big fibre broadband providers also advertise pay-TV services as an addition to their fibre broadband deals. Again, it could work out cheaper to buy your broadband and TV together as a joint package, rather than paying for both services separately. Weigh up whether you’d get full use out of the TV service first though – for example, if you record shows or watch football games, a joint bundle might be worth it.

Once you’ve weighed it up, visit our dedicated webpage which allows you to compare fibre broadband packages with TV as an extra.

Who are the best rated fibre broadband providers?

The best fibre broadband providers generally rise and fall in popularity, depending on who is offering the most competitive price, how many extras you get for your money, who can offer the quickest speed in your area, and a handful of other factors.

• British Telecommunications (BT): The biggest multinational telecoms provider operating in the UK, BT is a trusted brand which caters for customers of all shapes and sizes.
• Sky UK Limited: Sky is a British-born telecoms and broadcasting company, well-known for its fantastic selection of TV and film packages.
• Virgin Media: Also a big player in the fibre broadband industry, it is also known for managing businesses of all different kinds, not just broadband. Virgin offers super quick broadband and decent prices.
• TalkTalk: Always competitive, oftentimes cheap, TalkTalk is usually the go-to budget provider for fibre broadband and similar services.
• Plusnet: Faultless customer service, down-to-earth, and always interested in getting customers an excellent deal. It’s a smaller service provider, but this doesn’t hinder its capabilities.
• Vodafone: This provider needs no introduction, really. Mobile may be what they’re popular for first and foremost, but they are pretty slick at finding top broadband deals.

Most fibre broadband providers offer deals that are worth the extra pennies they charge. This is especially true when upgrading from ADSL. Here are a couple of reasons why:

• Nifty broadband speeds: Fibre broadband is quicker than traditional broadband and ranges from roughly 36Mbps to 1000Mbps (or 1Gbps) depending on the fibre connection you can get in your area. Traditional broadband, or ADSL, typically achieves 10Mbps.

• Consistency: Because of the modern infrastructure, fibre broadband consistently delivers a quick, decent broadband connection. Fibre-optic cables are capable of transporting more data than copper wires, so households with fibre broadband will still get excellent service when there are lots of customers trying to connect at the same time.

More about the benefits of fibre broadband

Fibre broadband – the king of speed

Though free gifts and extras help to sweeten the deal, speed is arguably the deciding factor on which fibre broadband package you go for.

If speed is your priority, then it’s pivotal to know that you are limited to what’s technologically feasible on your street. The best fibre broadband deals available under your postcode will depend on the fixed lines and the infrastructure where you live. This means not all broadband deals will be available in your area, but on the flip side, you will be privy to deals that others can’t get.

We’ll break it down for you.

If you can tap into a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, then you might be able to get a package with ultrafast or gigabit broadband speeds. However, if there are traditional copper phone lines near you, you’ll be limited to slower connections like FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) broadband or standard copper-based ADSL. To give you an idea of speeds, ADSL runs at 10-30Mbps while fibre reaches anywhere between 60-100Mbps.

Can I get fibre broadband in my area?

Over 95% of the country has access to fibre broadband, so there’s a good chance you’ll get it in your area. And with more providers connecting via fibre-optic cables, prices for fibre broadband have dropped massively, so you’ll probably be able to afford it, too!

Find out if you have access with our fibre broadband checker

If you’d like to find out which broadband speeds your area can get, use a fibre broadband checker.

There’s a smart network checker on our website that not only tells you which speeds are available in your home, but on your street too. It calculates local deals from some of the UK’s biggest fibre broadband providers as well, so it’s worth a go!

Things that can affect your fibre broadband speed

While we’re telling you about the different purchasing options, it’s important we also let you know about things that can affect your broadband speed. Broadband is like anything else- once you understand how it works, you’ll be able to get the most out of it. There are a handful of factors that can impact the broadband speed you get, including:

1. Whether you’ve got ADSL or fibre broadband

Fibre broadband is quicker and more reliable, largely due to the way the wiring system processes and carries larger quantities of data at once. We won’t bore you by digging any further into the technicals!

2. The distance between your house and the broadband cabinet

Fibre broadband isn’t fuelled entirely by fibre cables, so you will still rely on getting a good signal from the cabinet to some degree, as you would traditional ADSL broadband.

3. The location of your router

If your fibre broadband is dragging its feet, it could be to do with where the router is housed. Make sure your router is positioned somewhere out in the open and away from obstructions such as thick walls, metal, or other electronic devices. We know, we know – they’re not aesthetically pleasing, but it’s not their job to be! You should see your signal improve drastically after you’ve relocated your box.

4. Whether it’s the morning, afternoon, or evening

The more people accessing the internet, the more it tends to drag. It’s like a digital traffic jam. To avoid this, try picking a quiet time to do things which require a quick broadband speed, like downloading videos or editing multimedia content (if you’ve got the capacity to do this, easier said than done – we know!).

Fair Usage Policies also commonly impact fibre broadband speed. To learn more about them through our expert guide, read here.

Tempted by fibre broadband? Here’s how to switch today

If the idea of quick and cheap fibre broadband with cool extras tickles your fancy, you might now consider switching from your current plan. Here are a few things to think about first:

Am I able to switch fibre broadband provider immediately?

The quick answer is yes, you can if you are out of contract. If you are still in a broadband contract, however, you may have to pay an end of contract charge or pay for the rest of your contract in one lump sum. It largely depends on what you agreed in terms of switching contract when you signed the initial one. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to check your contract or contact your current provider before signing your life away to a new broadband provider.

How will I know once my current contract ends?

If you’re a Compare Fibre customer, you will get an ‘end of contract notification’ letting you know your contract has ended. The notifications come in several forms – via SMS, post or email. Your current provider is legally obliged to tell you when it ends, so you’ll find out either way. This is basically to stop providers taking advantage of the repeat monthly bills you have to pay and to prevent them from rolling your contract or hiking the price without telling you.

According to Ofcom, these obligations must be followed by providers:

1. They have to tell you when your contract is ending and about alternative deals you can get
2. If you are paying too much for your contract

If you’re still unsure, you can read our guide on end of contract notifications here.

Compare fibre and make the switch for better broadband today

Like what you see? Speak to our friendly experts at Compare Fibre today by calling 0333 733 8050 or visiting our website comparefibre.co.uk. We’re looking forward to talking fibre with you!