About Wessex Internet Broadband Fibre
Providing rural internet with superfast speeds, specifically for people living in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, Wessex Internet gets you connected without a BT phone line. Wessex Internet’s broadband uses fibre connections for a fast and reliable connection, with speeds that are good enough for streaming movies and playing your favourite games online.
Rural communities often struggle to get a speedy internet connection. Wessex Internet makes it possible to stay connected, thanks to 1600km of Wessex Internet-owned fibre cables and 150 masts. The technology is called FTTM, or Fibre to the Mast, which means that you don’t need copper cables running directly to your home. Wessex Internet’s fibre network takes data to your nearest mast, where it’s beamed to your home through the air. The same thing happens in reverse, so you can upload as well as download. To get connected, you will need a dish installed on the outside of your house.
As well as offering FTTM internet connections in the countryside, Wessex Internet can provide gigabit internet with a full-fibre connection. If you wanted to go down this route then you’d need to fund connections yourself, likely with the rest of your local community to cover the prohibitive costs. There are government grants to cover up to £500 of those costs, with options including the Gigabit Voucher Scheme & the Rural Gigabit Connectivity scheme. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll stick to the readily available FTTM connections with four ultrafast packages.
Who is Wessex Internet?
Wessex Internet is a fibre broadband provider that’s designed for rural communities. Using their Fibre to the Mast technology, they can provide high-speed internet connections even in the most remote locations. These internet connections don’t require a BT phone line to the home, and Wessex Internet specifically covers Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire to offer its connections.
Four different fibre connections are available to choose from today. Installation requires a dish on the side of your house, since this connection beams to your house from the mast. You won’t have cables running straight to your home, so you’ll depend on a network of 150 masts throughout the South West countryside.
Wessex Internet Fibre Broadband Speed
There are three different connection speeds available through Wessex Internet.
The Home Starter package has average download speeds of 30Mbps. This is enough for an individual or couple getting online for everyday browsing.
The Home Family package offers average speeds of 40Mbps. This is suitable for a larger family doing things like checking their social media or banking online. This connection can also cope with a small amount of streaming or gaming, though isn’t enough to rely on for the most intensive use.
Home Unlimited has speeds of up to 50Mbps, as well as unlimited data for non-stop connections. Wessex Internet’s other connections have data limits, ensuring that every customer can get connected when they need to. This internet connection is enough for gaming and streaming TV shows, with no worries about going over your data allowance.
How fast is Wessex Internet fibre broadband?
Wessex Internet’s fibre broadband may not be the fastest on the market, but it reaches a unique audience that might otherwise be left with no connection. As a Wessex Internet customer, you’ll need to deal with data limits that stop you from browsing too freely. If you can stay within your limits, you’ll have good enough speeds for most everyday internet browsing.
Wessex Internet’s Unlimited package comes with unlimited data, and its speeds that average 50Mbps are enough for some gaming and streaming. Other providers offer better speeds if you’re in a suitable location, but with Wessex Internet, even the most remote farmhouse will have a reliable connection.
What speeds are available with Wessex Internet fibre optic broadband?
Expect average download speeds of 30Mbps with the Home Starter Package. The average upload speeds for this package are 5Mbps.
The Home Family package has average download speeds of 40Mbps. Average upload speeds for this package are 10Mbps.
The Home Unlimited package has average download speeds of 50Mbps. This unlimited data package offers uploads at speeds that average 10Mbps, as well.
If you’re a demanding household, wanting to enjoy your favourite shows on Netflix whilst the kids play Minecraft online, you’re absolutely going to need the Home Unlimited package. This option also means that you can relax, free from worry about going over your data allowance.
If you want to save a bit of money and don’t regularly spend time online, a Home Family package or Home Starter package will be fast enough for most basic browsing. With the Home Family package, you will be able to sit down to the occasional movie.
Wessex Internet Fibre Broadband Review
Wessex Internet’s fibre broadband might not be the best in the UK, but it serves a very unique market that might not otherwise get connected. If you live in Wiltshire, Somerset or Dorset and are in a rural location, you’re likely to find that Wessex Internet is exactly what you need.
Where most of the country’s main internet service providers serve up to 95% of UK homes, it’s the other 5% that will need to be served by local companies like Wessex Internet.
Is Wessex Internet fibre broadband good?
Don’t expect ground-breaking speeds, or even a connection you can use all the time unless you choose the Home Unlimited package. Wessex Internet provides a connection with usage restrictions for most customers, and with speeds that can be described as super fast but don’t match up to what a company like
Sky or BT could offer. Here, the goal is not to provide the very best internet ever. Instead, it’s to provide the very best internet for places that can’t otherwise be reached.
With Wessex Internet, there’s local support, available five days a week. The core network is also monitored 24/7, so if there’s a problem that starts outside your home then engineers will fix it as soon as possible.
Wessex Internet Fibre Broadband Packages
With three different packages to choose from for home use, Wessex Internet accommodates the needs of rural communities. Affordable pricing and great reliability, even in the worst winter weather, will ensure that most customers are very happy with their Wessex Internet broadband.
To access any Wessex Internet package, you will need a receiver dish fixed to the outside of your home.
What Wessex Internet fibre packages are available?
For home use, there are three packages to choose from. Home Starter is enough for all the basics, like shopping online or checking your bank balance whilst you chat with friends on social networks.
If several people want to stay connected, Home Family can get you connected for browsing on multiple devices at once.
Both Home Starter and Home Family have data restrictions, and speeds that might limit activities like gaming and streaming. To rid yourself of data restrictions and get a connection that’s fast enough for Netflix, you’ll want to sign up to Home Unlimited.
Fibre Home Starter
Home Starter is Wessex Internet’s most basic
fibre broadband only no landline package. With average speeds of 30Mbps, it’s really only suitable for checking social media and browsing the internet generally. This low-cost package is best suited to homes with just one or two people.
Your data transfer will be limited to 60GB per month. That’s enough for a couple of hours of streaming every day, but doesn’t mean that you can use the internet from dawn ‘til dusk. With Home Starter you must monitor your usage, to avoid being hit with extra charges.
If you go beyond your Home Starter data limit, you are automatically opted into out-of-bundle usage. This means that you can keep using your connection but will be hit with a big bill. If you want to avoid this, call and opt-out so your internet will stop you when you’ve used too much data in one month.
You also have the option to remove your data limit during off-peak hours. From midnight to 7 am, you can upload and download as much as you want. To add this to your package, you’ll pay an extra £15 per month.
Fibre Home Family
For a family with multiple devices, and everyone connecting at once, you’ll want the Home Family package. This has average speeds of 40Mbps, which will be enough for browsing and occasional streaming.
Your data will be limited to 300GB per month. For a family of three, this is more than enough to be almost constantly connected. Larger families might need to limit their internet use, avoiding streaming too much.
If you use too much data and go past your limit, extra charges will be applied. If you want to avoid these, choose to opt-out of the out-of-bundle usage. If you opt-out, your internet connection will stop working once you’ve used your monthly allowance.
With the Home Family package, you will have the option of unlimited data during off-peak hours – between midnight and 7 am. Add this for £15 per month, and upload or download as much as you want in the early hours of the morning.
Fibre Home Unlimited
With Home Unlimited, there are no data restrictions. You’re free to browse, stream and play as much as you want. This is Wessex Internet’s fastest connection with average download speeds of 50Mbps. This won’t quite compete with the UK’s big internet service providers, but it’s more than enough for most families – even with teens!
Unlimited usage means you won’t be disconnected or pay more to use the internet a lot. You’re free to relax and get online whenever you want to or need to.
Fibre Home Worker
Wessex Internet, as well as offering three different packages for home use, can help businesses to stay connected. If you run a business from home, choose Fibre Home Worker for a connection that’s ideal for work activity.
With Home Worker, you’ll get internet speeds that average 40Mbps. This allows for a couple of hours of video meetings every day, or for everything you need to spend the day online and make sure that you’re keeping up with work.
The Home Worker package has a data limit of 500GB per month. That’s essentially unlimited, though this package is more expensive than the standard residential options and comes with extra VAT charges.
Wessex Internet Fibre Broadband Offers
If you’re choosing Wessex Internet, the likelihood is that your options for broadband are limited. You probably can’t just shop around and find a different provider, so its always worth looking out for Wessex Internet
fibre broadband offers.
Consider the cost of out-of-bundle charges, and whether it’s better to get a faster connection where you’re less likely to browse beyond your data limits. Also consider adding the option of unlimited off-peak browsing, which could be ideal if you want to download movies and TV to watch later.
How much does Wessex Internet fibre broadband cost?
To get connected on the Home Starter package you’ll pay £25 per month. To add unlimited off-peak data, you’ll pay an extra £15 monthly. Watch out for out-of-bundle charges that you’ll pay if you use too much data. With Home Starter, there’s a 60GB monthly data transfer limit.
The Home Family package costs £39 per month. With this package, your data transfer limit is set at 300GB. You can transfer this much data before extra charges come in. Again, you can choose to add unlimited off-peak data for an extra £15.
The Home Unlimited package comes at a monthly cost of £49, but with no unexpected surprises. You already get unlimited data, so don’t have to pay extra for this. You’ll never be hit with extra charges that will add to your monthly broadband bill.
If you work from home, you may need the Home Worker package. This costs £49 per month plus VAT, for a connection that’s no faster than the Home Family package but comes with a higher data limit for your video meetings.
If you do have out-of-bundle charges applied, these will be between £3 and £6 per 10GB of extra data.
How long is the minimum contract length for Wessex Internet fibre broadband?
In all cases, you’ll be locked into an 18-month minimum contract. You can choose to upgrade at any time, or to downgrade to a lower package if you give at least 30 days’ notice. There may be extra costs involved, or payment in full, if you choose to leave early.
Wessex Internet Fibre Broadband Checker
Provide your postcode to check if you’re covered with the Wessex Internet broadband checker. You can also view a Coverage Map on the Wessex Internet website, or view a list of villages served by Wessex Internet.
How do I check if Wessex Internet fibre broadband is in my area?
The easiest way to check if Wessex Internet’s
fibre broadband is in your area, is to view the internet coverage map on the website. To get started, simply click ‘Find out more’ on the Check Your Coverage bar.
If you’d prefer the information in a different form, you can browse a list of villages.
If your village isn’t already connected, you can register your interest in getting a Wessex Internet connection. Wessex Internet will then review overall demand and see if expansion is worthwhile.
What is Wessex Internet’s fibre coverage in the UK?
Wessex Internet offers connections in a very small part of the country. This is mainly in and around the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding National Beauty. This internet service provider’s sole purpose is to help connect rural locations, in villages and rural locations where other connections aren’t available.
Where most internet providers will advertise their 95% UK coverage, it’s smaller companies like Wessex Internet that help the remaining 5%.
Wessex Internet fibre broadband availability checker
Use the coverage map or village list to check if you’re able to get Wessex Internet at home. The coverage map is the easiest way to check availability quickly. If you’re just a short distance, less than a mile, outside of an area they serve, Wessex Internet may still be able to offer a broadband connection.
Wessex Internet Fibre Customer Services
Wessex Internet provides customer support during office hours on weekdays. Outside the hours of 8 am-5.30 pm Monday to Friday, you’ll need to use the online guides to help with any problem-solving.
Wessex Internet teams will constantly monitor their equipment and connections. If there’s a problem that starts outside your home, this will be fixed automatically. Wessex Internet engineers can fix problems 24/7, even heading out for emergencies over the weekend or Christmas period.
What is the Wessex Internet customer service number?
If you need to contact Wessex Internet, it’s easiest to give them a call. You can reach customer support by calling 0333 240 7997.
