What's the best broadband in my area?
In this guide
- Broadband postcode checker
- Best broadband deals in my area in September 2020
- What's the fastest broadband speed in my area?
- What's the cheapest broadband in my area?
- Who are the best broadband providers?
- Fibre broadband in my area
- Fibre broadband or standard broadband?
- Broadband speed tests
- What affects broadband speed?
- Frequently asked questions
Choosing the right broadband that suits your circumstances is essential. One of the key factors in making this choice is being able to find out what services are available in your area. Our postcode availability checker will tell you what you need to know.
There are so many enticing broadband deals out there right now you could be forgiven for jumping in and taking advantage before it’s too late. However, before you make your final decision, you need to know what broadband speed your household needs and whether that particular package is available in your area.
Broadband postcode availability checker
By entering your postcode into our broadband checker above you’ll instantly be able to see what sort of broadband packages are available in your area. Alternatively, we've picked out some of the best widely available deals available right now for you just below that.
Next you need to think about what you need out of your broadband package. If you’ve already done all your homework, you can dive straight into our broadband comparison page and select the best deal for you. If you’re still uncertain, here are two simple things to think about. How many internet users do you have in your house and what exactly do you use it for?
Best broadband deals in my area in September 2020
-
BT Fibre 2
- 67Mb average speed
- Unlimited usage
- PAYG calls
£120 Reward Card -
TalkTalk Superfast Fibre Broadband
-
Plusnet Unlimited Fibre Broadband
- 36Mb average speed
- Unlimited usage
- PAYG calls
£60 Reward Card
What's the fastest broadband speed in my area?
The higher the number of megabits, the faster the broadband connection will be. A fibre optic line will give you the fastest available speeds, allowing for much swifter downloads and uploads, much smoother streaming capabilities, and is ideal for impatient gamers.
| Broadband Provider | Average Speed |
|---|---|
| Virgin Media | 362Mbps |
| TalkTalk | 67Mbps |
| EE | 67Mbps |
| BT | 67Mbps |
| Plusnet | 66Mbps |
| John Lewis | 66Mbps |
| Vodafone | 63Mbps |
| SSE | 63Mbps |
| Sky | 59Mbps |
The UK’s current speed titan is Virgin Media with its 350Mbps option, but this is way beyond the needs of almost any household. Its 100Mbps package is ideal for households with a need for speed. Alternatively, if Virgin has not yet reached you, all providers operating on the separate Openreach network offer fibre speeds averaging 65Mbps.
What's the cheapest broadband in my area?
Standard broadband connections tend to be cheaper than the fibre packages but, as a consequence, are slower and can be subject to usage limits and traffic management policies. This can result in slowdowns during peak periods in order to ensure consistent speed for everyone across the provider's network.
However, for those of you who are general browsers, rather than regular streamers or downloaders, it’s likely you won’t be too concerned by this and will be satisfied that the speeds – and monthly bill – suit you.
Who are the best broadband providers?
The best broadband providers where you live will depend on a number of factors including availability, speed and price. The easiest way to check is to use our postcode checker above. We've also compiled a simple list so you can quickly see what providers are best known for:
- Best for speed: Virgin Media is the fastest widely available provider in the UK with speeds up to 500Mpbs
- Best by popularity: TalkTalk is our most popular provider – low prices with decent incentives
- Best for free gifts: BT is the king of vouchers and reward cards
- Best for price: Plusnet currently offer the cheapest standard and fibre broadband deals in the UK
- Best for broadband and TV: Sky
- Best for London: Hyperoptic
Fibre broadband in my area
To find out if you can get fibre optic broadband in your area including superfast fibre, ultrafast fibre and gigabit broadband, use our fibre broadband checker.
Fibre optic or standard broadband?
Once seen as limited in availability and somewhat on the steep side in terms of financial outlay compared to standard broadband, fibre is now becoming the preferred choice, and the norm, for many households.
The technical difference between fibre and standard is quite straightforward. Standard broadband – the elder of the two – uses traditional copper cable to transfer data, whereas fibre uses a more modern network of high-speed fibre optic cables that are more resilient. Presently, fibre optic connections cover around 80% of the UK population.
As previously mentioned, Virgin Media’s 350Mbps option is the fastest broadband around, but most providers offer fibre packages averaging 35Mbps. Fibre is much more compatible for those households wanting to connect using a number of devices – phone, laptops etc – all at the same time without seeing any change in speed. You can find out more about the differences between fibre and standard broadband elsewhere on the site.
Remember, though, the key is not to seek the fastest speeds at all costs. The deal has to be right for your needs and one that is available in your area.
Broadband speed tests
Whilst our broadband availability checker is a great place to start for giving you an approximate estimate of download speeds available within your postcode, our speed test will give you a much more accurate assessment of the speed on your line.
The broadband speeds available to you will inevitably be influenced by the network usage during peak times throughout the day. Naturally the speeds will be affected when there are more people connected than not.
What affects broadband speed?
There are quite a few factors that can affect the performance of your broadband speed. For standard broadband in particular, the distance between your home and the nearest exchange can cause problems as those old copper wires don’t take too kindly to travelling too far these days; broadband signal deteriorates the further it has to travel.
Traffic management policies are also a scourge of speed performance. Typically targeted at peak times during the weekends and evenings, it is worth considering opting for a truly unlimited package to avoid such restrictions.
There are also hurdles to jump from within your own home as well as outside. Wireless routers are not as effective as those connected by cable and more likely to incur interference and, thus, affect your broadband speed. Other household electrical devices such as microwaves can also interfere with your router hence why it’s advisable to keep it somewhere more isolated such as the hallway.
Frequently asked questions
What broadband speed can I get in my area?
The simplest way to determine which broadband providers and deals are available to your household is to use our broadband postcode checker, which you can find at the top of this page. This will present you with the deals and providers available.
Is superfast fibre broadband available in my area?
Over 97% of UK households can get superfast fibre broadband. To confirm you can get it, enter your postcode at the top of this page and you will be presented with the providers and speeds you can get.
What is the cheapest broadband where I live?
It's worth remembering that not all broadband is created equal. Sometimes the cheapest broadband deals mean the poorest equipment and so can be a false economy. To find out which is the cheapest deal right now, enter your postcode on this page.
Who is the best provider available where I live?
If you can get it, it's Virgin Media. Virgin Media runs on its own network and so can offer broadband that's more reliable and many times faster than other broadband providers. Not everyone can get it, though, with availability to only around 60% of UK households. To check if you can get it, enter your postcode.
Can I get Virgin Media broadband?
Virgin Media broadband is available to around 60% of the UK. To find out if it's available at your address simply enter your postcode at the top of this page.