Gigaclear Broadband Reviews

Gigaclear Fibre Broadband Review

Overview Of Gigaclear

The aim of Gigaclear Broadband is simply to provide the fastest broadband possible to customers in rural areas. The provider targets customers which have been unable to access fast fibre services via the Virgin Media and Openreach network, which is great news for many people.

The company have more than 20,000 customers already, however, availability is still very limited. For those which do fall within a Gigaclear area, this is a great fibre choice. In this review we will consider various important factors such as speed, coverage, installation, and customer service, so you can decide whether Gigaclear is the provider for you.

What Speeds Are Available With Gigaclear

Every package provided by Gigaclear uses a full-fibre network, which means speeds are very impressive. Unlike Openreach’s fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) service which uses a combination of fibre optic and copper wires, Gigaclear only uses fibre optic cables. This means the network is capable of offering symmetrical connections, with equal upload and download speeds.

Currently, there are four fibre packages available with speeds of 30Mbps, 100Mbps, 300Mbps and an extremely fast 900Mbps. In addition, if you would like to increase speeds and flexibility within your home it is possible to add nodes through extensions which increase coverage and performance.

The entry-level 30Mbps package is ideal for homes with light internet usage, with the 100Mbps and 300Mbps packages ideal for large households which stream 4K TV, enjoy gaming and regularly need to upload large files to the cloud. The fastest 900Mbps package is perfect for tech-heavy homes, with a service that provides the fastest speeds available in the UK.

The services are more expensive than many other providers, with prices starting from £39 per month up to the fastest package which costs £75 per month. However, considering the small customer base and the costs involved in building a network which covers rural areas, we think this is very impressive.

If you want to check what speed you can get with Gigaclear you could check the Gigaclear Speed Test

Coverage: Where Is Gigaclear Available?

Coverage is limited to specific areas of the country. However, if you are unable to access fibre at the moment, it may be possible to add your location to the Gigaclear waiting list. However, you will need to drum up enough support within your local area for Gigaclear to consider installing a fibre optic network connection.

To find out whether Gigaclear fibre is available in your area, you will need to visit the Gigaclear website. Simply enter your postcode and if your property is located within the Gigaclear database, you will be able to sign up for the service. It is most likely that you will not be situated in a Gigaclear area, however you can register your interest and the team will contact you if the service becomes available.

What Router Is Provided with The Gigaclear Broadband Service?

Gigaclear provide a smart router, which is capable of delivering high-speed internet connections this provider is known for. However, the 900Mbps top speeds also have to travel through walls, electromagnetic signals, and wiring, so no router will be able to deliver the max speeds Gigaclear advertise.

Unlike traditional routers, this smart WiFi router provides coverage throughout the home, with no reductions as you move further away from the router. To ensure reliable coverage throughout the home, range extenders can be added which enable your device to switch to the best signal as you move. The router also supports some useful features such as separate guest WiFi access, parental controls, and the ability to control which devices are connected.

What Happens With A Gigaclear Installation

Installation of a Gigaclear connection is not as quick and easy as those provided by other fibre companies, as your existing landline cannot be used to supply the connection. Instead, Gigaclear will need to run a fibre optic cable from the closest point of termination into your home. This means a surveyor will need to visit your home, followed by an engineer visit to install the cabling. This will potentially involve groundwork, with a trench dug to lay the cable and a hole drilled in the wall of your home to feed the cable into.

Although this type of landscaping work does sound destructive, the teams are highly experienced and in most cases, any damage is very minimal and is easily rectified. There is no charge for the installation, however, you will need to pay a £30 activation fee.

Is Gigaclear Customer Service Any Good?

As Gigaclear is so small in comparison to many UK providers, customers can expect a more personal service. According to Trustpilot, the main issues experienced are surrounding speeds, with some customers complaining that the speeds received are not those advertised.

However, the average speeds advertised by providers are only ever received by 50% of customers, so with every provider there is a chance that your connection may be slower. For a more accurate estimate, you should contact Gigaclear before ordering, as speeds will vary depending on your home’s location.

Conclusion

In comparison to rural broadband options such as 4G and satellite broadband, the Gigaclear service is cheaper, more reliable, faster and there are no latency issues. Although the 30Mbps is pretty standard in terms of speed, the faster packages are in line with some of the fastest connections currently available in the UK.

However, the service is so limited in terms of coverage that it is not likely to be readily available in your area. The contracts are 18-months long, although if you are based in a rural area which is unable to receive fibre from other providers, it is unlikely you will consider switching or cancelling your contract completely.

Advantages of Gigaclear Fibre Broadband

1) The speeds provided are in line with some of the fastest connections available in the UK.

2) Customers benefit from symmetrical upload and download speeds, which is great for those which rely on cloud storage.

3) There is no requirement to have a phone line, so you do not need to pay for an unnecessary service.

Disadvantages of Gigaclear Fibre Broadband

1) Availability is very limited, with only a handful of locations able to access the Gigaclear network.

2) The service is only provided if enough homes in the area are willing to sign up with Gigaclear.

3) If you do want a landline, Gigaclear do not offer this service.