Why choose BT fibre?
Faster than standard broadband
The major selling point for fibre broadband is its speed. Fibre Broadband has come quite a way in recent years, with most customers able to access it, and an ever-increasing number who can get Ultrafast (Full Fibre) Broadband. BT’s Superfast Fibre connections offer up to 73Mbps and its Ultrafast Fibre packages range from 100Mbps to 900Mbps. Take a look at our guide if you want to find out which broadband speed is right for you.
BT Sport is cheaper
BT Sport used to be free with BT fibre broadband, but now it’s available as an added extra that costs £16 per month. If you are a Sky customer and want to add BT sport, it will cost you £21 per month or £18 to add it to Virgin Media. There are four BT Sport channels, which show the Premier League, UEFA Champions League matches and Premiership rugby, among other sports.
Bundle with a TV and phone package
BT fibre can be combined with a landline and BT TV, which includes channels like Sky Atlantic, Sky One and Comedy Central, along with a NOW TV membership. You also get a recordable TV box with space for 600 hours of TV and the ability to record four different channels simultaneously. BT Broadband comes with its Smart Hub 2 router.
Which package is right for me?
Fibre Essential
BT Fibre Essential is the entry-level fibre package. It comes with a download speed averaging 36Mbps and no usage limit. This package is ideal for the average user who browses, streams, and shops online. It also comes with a raft of extra features, including BT SmartTalk, BT Parental Controls, the Smart Hub 2 and 2GB of storage on the BT Cloud.
Fibre 1
If you’re not after the fastest speed available, but want a bit more speed, then BT Superfast Fibre 1 is for you. It comes with an average download speed of 50Mbps and there is no usage limit.
Fibre 2
If you are after a decent package for the average household, then BT Superfast Fibre 2 should be right up your street. It comes with a download speed averaging 67Mbps and, like all other BT broadband packages, is totally unlimited, so you should be able to do everything you want online, including downloading and streaming.
Full Fibre 100
This is a good package for those living as a family of three or four. There is enough oomph for everyone to stream or game at the same time, and you can comfortably stream 4K movies. A 50GB game will take around one hour and six minutes to download if it is the only task your broadband connection is doing at the time.
Full Fibre 500
With this package we are entering very fast territory indeed. 500Mbps is enough to stream 4k movies on 20 devices at the same time. A 50GB game will download in around 13 minutes. This is one for the power users, who don’t want to wait for large downloads and want hassle-free streaming in Ultra High Definition on multiple devices. This package is only available in certain areas, so you’ll need to check before getting too excited. However, the rollout of Full Fibre has been picking up some serious speed over the last couple of years, so you may not have to wait too long.
Full Fibre 900
Much like Full Fibre 500, this service is not available everywhere. But if you can get it, you can look forward to streaming 4K movies on 36 devices at the same time, and downloading a 50GB game in around six or seven minutes. It is an incredibly fast connection which will probably be most useful to gamers who don’t want to wait hours for their consoles and games to update, those wishing to download 4K movies without waiting, and people working from home while their family or housemates use lots of bandwidth in other rooms.
What will I need?
To get BT’s fibre deals, you’ll need a fibre optic line, which is not available to everyone at the moment. You can find out whether you can receive a fibre optic connection in your area by putting your postcode into the box at the top of this page.
All the BT Superfast Fibre packages come with a 24-month contract, which is pretty standard for a deal like this, but still a long time to be with one provider. Make sure you’re happy with this level of commitment since if you break your contract early, you will be charged a cancellation fee.
How do I switch?
Switching to BT is fairly easy. First, you need to check what is available in your area, which can be done with our broadband comparison table above.
After you’ve chosen your package, you need to contact BT, which can be done directly by clicking next to the deal above.
If you are already with another provider, BT will contact them on your behalf and cancel your old services. (If you’re with Virgin Media, you’ll need to contact them yourself).
BT will let you know when the switch date will be and whether an engineer needs to visit the property. If you have any questions about switching, BT is able to assist.
For more information, take a look at our guide to switching broadband providers.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Faster than standard broadband, with Ultrafast options available in some areas
- Cheaper access to BT Sport
- Can be bundled with BT TV and a landline
Cons
- Still not quite as fast as Virgin Media and BT’s fastest speeds are not as widely available
- All deals require a 24-month contract
- Not the cheapest prices
What fibre packages are offered by BT?
BT’s fibre optic service was previously called BT Infinity, but now the company offers a collection of entry-level packages known as BT Fibre Essential, BT Fibre 1, and BT Fibre 2. In addition BT also offers the much faster Full Fibre options of Full Fibre 100, Full Fibre 500 and Full Fibre 900. Below you can find a few details about what each package offers, and you can also take a look at our in-depth BT fibre broadband guide for a full overview.
Our comparison page lists all the best BT fibre broadband deals, and if you want more information you can check out our guide on the differences between fibre broadband and standard ADSL.
Can I get BT fibre in my area?
BT fibre is currently available to around 95% of UK homes, meaning there is every chance you can get it, though for many the maximum available speed accessible is 67Mbps. BT Full Fibre is still being rolled out and is not currently available everywhere, but offers speeds up to 900Mbps in some areas. Along with almost all its competitors, BT provides its broadband services over the Openreach network.
Pop your postcode into the broadband checker before you start to compare broadband deals available in your area.
