Broadband providers

How to choose a broadband provider

This page provides a basic overview of some of the UK’s biggest broadband providers: the services they provide, average speeds, special features, and how to compare deals from different providers.

As there are currently more than 150 providers in total, we’ve included only the biggest, most popular, and most affordable broadband companies who provide a range of services including standard broadband, fibre broadband, and mobile broadband.

Not all services are provided in areas of the UK. Our postcode checker can tell you what’s available where you live.

Compare UK broadband providers

At Cable.co.uk, we compare deals from the UK’s most popular internet providers, including:

BT: The largest broadband provider in the UK, BT offers award-winning home broadband, along with phone and TV packages and mobile broadband.

Direct Save: With UK based customer service centres and technical support teams, Direct Save offers fantastic value broadband.

EE: Best known as a mobile phone provider, EE offers a speedy 4G mobile broadband service, along with affordable and reliable standard and fibre broadband for the home. Existing EE mobile customers can boost their data plans by purchasing EE broadband.

Hyperoptic: With a range of packages offering broadband speeds of up to 900Mbps, hyperoptic offers a range of flexible broadband deals.

John Lewis: John Lewis brings its trustworthy reputation to broadband provision with three simple broadband and phone packages.

NOW Broadband: The provider offers competitively priced standard and fibre broadband deals, typically on a 12-month fixed contract.

Plusnet: A multi-award winning budget provider, Plusnet boasts high-quality customer service and affordable ADSL and fibre broadband deals.

Post Office: One of Britain’s best-loved and oldest brands, The Post Office offers fibre and standard broadband packages at reasonable prices, all with unlimited usage.

Shell Energy: The provider offers well-priced, straight-forward, simple standard and fibre broadband packages that come with no fuss or complicated extras.

Sky: Sky is one of the biggest digital TV providers in the UK, offering a great range of TV and home phone services within their broadband bundles.

SSE: SSE offers unlimited standard and fibre broadband packages at low prices, with regular discounts for existing SSE energy customers.

TalkTalk: TalkTalk are one of the biggest internet providers in the UK, offering great-value ADSL and fibre broadband deals.

Virgin Media: Virgin Media provides far and away the fastest widely available broadband in the UK, with speeds of up to 500Mbps.

Vodafone: A mobile phone operator turned broadband provider, Vodafone offers competitively priced broadband packages.

Compare broadband deals

How to compare broadband providers with Cable.co.uk

At Cable.co.uk, we’ll help you compare great deals from the best broadband providers in the UK - both for stand alone broadband, and for broadband bundles that include TV, landline phone calls, or mobile phone service.

We’ll help you find the broadband deal that’s right for you, filtering with criteria that includes broadband type, broadband speed, size of household, additional services like TV and landline phone, provider, contract length, upfront charges, early-exit fees, and more.

It’s simple, really. All you have to do is enter your postcode and we’ll display a list of deals available in your area.

Compare deals in your area

Internet provider speeds

Although broadband speeds by type are similar across the most popular UK broadband providers, there are some small differences - and a huge leap between Virgin Media’s average speeds and the competition.

Before comparing broadband deals through different UK internet providers, you should use our broadband speed checker to find out what speed you’re currently receiving. If you’re happy with this, you can filter your results by similar speeds. If not, we’ll help you search for a deal that gives you a faster connection.

If you’re not sure what internet speed you need, our Guide to Broadband Speed will help you work it out.

Compare fast broadband

Who is the best UK broadband provider?

Each broadband provider has their own strengths and their own range of deals, bundles, and special offers.

It’s also important to decide what factors matter most to you (e.g. speed, price, contract length, etc) and look for a deal that combines these features in a way that’s right for you.

All of our broadband providers come with plenty of customer reviews, which is a great way to find out what it’s genuinely like to sign up for one of their deals.

It’s important to remember that not all types of broadband or provider are available to all areas of the UK. Before deciding what provider or deal you’d like, it’s worth using our postcode checker to make sure what you want is available in your area.

We’ve put together a shortlist of providers who are known for offering the best broadband packages by the following:

Speed:Virgin Media is the fastest widely available provider in the UK with speeds up to 500Mpbs.

Popularity:TalkTalk is our most popular provider – low prices with decent incentives.

Free gifts:BT is the king of vouchers and reward cards – and they regularly score highly for satisfied customers

Cheapest: Plusnet currently offer the cheapest standard and fibre broadband deals in the UK.

Packages: Sky’s TV and broadband offering provides you with a massive range of channels and great broadband options.

London: Hyperoptic is only available in a few areas across the UK and offer some of the fastest broadband available.

Compare broadband deals

Contacting your broadband provider

If you experience an issue with your home broadband, or have questions about your contract or provision, you should contact your provider directly. Cable.co.uk do not have access to the customer records of any provider, and will be unable to assist you with your query.

Here are some contact numbers for the UK’s biggest broadband providers:

• BT: 0800 800 150
• Virgin Media: 0870 444 1820
• Sky: 03442 411 653
• TalkTalk: 0870 444 1820
• Plusnet: 0800 432 0200
• Post Office: 0345 600 3210
• EE broadband: 0800 079 8586
• Vodafone broadband: 08080 034 511
• SSE: 0800 975 8292
• John Lewis broadband: 0800 022 3300
• Origin broadband: 01302 235060
• Hyperoptic: 0333 332 1111
• XLN: 0344 880 7777
• Zen: 01706 902100
• Direct Save Telecom: 0800 280 2228
• Gigaclear: 01865 591 131

If you need to make a complaint to your broadband provider, read our guide.