Broadband: The Complete UK Guide
Everything you need to compare broadband types, understand the speeds you actually need, and find the best deal available at your address.
UK home broadband comes in four main flavours: standard ADSL over copper, superfast FTTC with fibre to your street cabinet, full fibre FTTP straight into your home, and mobile broadband via 4G or 5G. The type you can get depends entirely on your address.
Superfast is now available to 97% of UK homes. Full fibre coverage has passed 70% and is still rolling out fast. For most households, the right move is either superfast or full fibre — with full fibre worth the small extra cost if it is available at your address.
Bottom line
For most UK homes, superfast or full fibre broadband is the right choice.
Standard ADSL is only worth considering if nothing else is available at your address. Full fibre prices have fallen to the point where they are often only a few pounds more than superfast — and if you work from home or have a larger household, the difference in reliability is worth it. Check your postcode to see what is actually available where you are.
Broadband types at a glance
Typical figures for a UK home in 2026. Actual speeds vary by address and provider.
| Standard (ADSL) | Superfast (FTTC) | Full Fibre (FTTP) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical download | Up to 24 Mbps | 35-80 Mbps | 100 Mbps - 1 Gbps |
| Typical upload | 1-2 Mbps | 10-20 Mbps | 50-500 Mbps |
| Technology | Copper phone line | Fibre to cabinet | Fibre to home |
| UK coverage | 99% | 97% | 70%+ |
| Typical monthly cost | £20-25 | £25-35 | £28-45 |
Understand
Work out what speed you need
Start here if you are not sure which type of broadband to go for. These guides cover what the numbers actually mean, how different technologies compare, and how to match a speed to your household.
What broadband speed do you actually need?
From casual browsing to 4K streaming on multiple screens, here is how to work out the download speed your household actually needs — without paying for more than that.
Read guideBroadband speeds explained: Mbps, download vs upload
Download speed, upload speed, Mbps, Gbps — plain English explanations of what the numbers on broadband deals actually mean and which ones matter for your use case.
Read guidePlan
Think about how you use it
Broadband needs vary a lot by household. Working from home, gaming and 4K streaming have different requirements to casual browsing. Get the spec right before you commit to a contract.
Best broadband for working from home
Remote workers need reliable upload speeds and low latency, not just raw download. Here is what to look for and which connection types hold up under a full working day.
Read guideUnderstanding broadband contracts
Contract length, early exit fees, mid-contract price rises — the small print decoded so you know exactly what you are signing up to before you commit.
Read guideChoose
Find the right provider for your address
Not every provider covers every address. Enter your postcode to see which ones are available where you are, then compare on price, speed and contract terms.
UK broadband providers compared
All the major home broadband, mobile broadband and satellite providers in one place. See who covers your area and what type of connection each one offers.
Read guideHow to improve your home Wi-Fi
Slow Wi-Fi is often a router placement or interference problem, not a broadband speed problem. These fixes cost nothing and most take under ten minutes.
Read guideCheck availability at your address
Switch
Switch without the hassle
One Touch Switching means you no longer need to cancel your old contract before your new one starts. Your new provider handles the transfer, and you keep the same phone number.
Check your postcode
See what is available at your address
Enter your postcode to see which broadband types and providers cover your specific address.