Dan Howdle | May 3rd, 2023
BT Broadband, which for so long offered only FTTC broadband up to about 75Mbps has over the last couple of years been steadily rolling out its full fibre FTTC service, which offers speeds up to 900Mbps. Sitting in the middle of its current line-up is BT Full Fibre 500, offering average speeds, as the name suggests, of 500Mbps. But it's not available everywhere. Let's take a look.
With BT Full Fibre 500, fibre cabling is used all the way to your property, unlike standard fibre connections that use copper wiring for the last stretch from the local street cabinet to your home. This ensures that there is no slowdown, providing these exceptionally fast speeds (500Mbps).
BT Full Fibre 500 is the perfect choice for those who demand fast speeds for busy households, including gamers, streamers and everything else. With an average download speed of 500Mbps, it offers five times the speed of BT’s Fibre 2 package, which averages only 67Mbps. Whether you are a heavy internet user or have dozens of smart devices in your household, BT Full Fibre 500 has you covered.
Here’s the rundown of what you can expect from the Full Fibre 500 package:
Price | £49.99 per month |
---|---|
Download speed | 500Mbps |
Upload speed | 73Mbps |
Broadband | Fibre to the premises (FTTP) |
Home phone | None, Evening & Weekends, Anytime |
Parental controls | Yes |
Router | Smart Hub 2 |
Packages available | Broadband only, Broadband & phone, Broadband & TV |
Contract length | 24 months |
BT Full Fibre 500 is the ideal package for those who require the fastest internet speeds available. With an average download speed of 500Mbps, it offers lightning-fast connectivity, making it perfect for households or individuals who demand the best possible performance. Here are some examples of who would benefit from getting BT Full Fibre 500:
Here's a handy price comparison so you can see how much Full Fibre 500 costs compared to BT's other broadband packages.
Broadband Package | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Broadband | 10Mbps | 1Mbps | £29.99 per month |
BT Fibre 1 | 50Mbps | 9.5Mbps | £34.99 per month |
Fibre Essential | 36Mbps | 9.5Mbps | £28.99 per month |
BT Fibre 2 | 67Mbps | 19Mbps | £29.99 per month |
BT Full Fibre 100 | 150Mbps | 28Mbps | £30.99 per month |
BT Full Fibre 500 | 500Mbps | 73Mbps | £49.99 per month |
BT Full Fibre 900 | 900Mbps | 110Mbps | £49.99 per month |
BT Full Fibre 100 is fully unlimited, with no constrictions on either downloads or uploads.
The BT Smart Hub 2 is BT’s most recent router and is supplied as standard with all the BT Full Fibre packages. An extremely capable piece of kit, the BT Smart Hub 2 will easily support all your devices on a 100Mbps connection.
When you subscribe to BT Full Fibre 500, you get more than just fast internet speeds. BT offers various security software features at no extra cost to all its broadband customers.
BT Web Protect is one of the included security features. This software operates at the router level, and it protects any device connected to your Smart Hub 2 from online scams such as viruses and phishing attacks. It scans your emails for viruses, blocks spam, scans for spyware, and blocks pop-ups.
BT Virus Protect, powered by Norton, offers device-specific virus protection to keep your computer, tablet, or phone safe from online threats. Additionally, it comes with Norton Password Manager, which helps you create and store complex passwords for secure data access.
Another included feature is BT Parental Controls. This feature works at the router level, so the settings you choose will apply to all devices connected to your home network. With three basic filter settings - Light, Moderate, and Strict - you can customize it according to your requirements to ensure your family's safety online.
Lastly, all BT Broadband customers, including those subscribed to BT Full Fibre 500, get free access to BT WiFi when they're out and about. With the BT Wifi app, you can easily log in and connect automatically to a BT Wifi hotspot wherever you go, as there are over five million hotspots located throughout the UK in hotels, airports, cafes, and more.
The number one issue when it comes to flat-out recommending BT Full Fibre 500 is availability. Though BT's rollout of its full fibre network continues apace, there's still only somewhere around a one in four or one in finve chance you can actually get it where you live. Virgin Media has equally fast, and faster speeds available, tends to be a bit cheaper and is available to twice as many homes and businesses.
The other drawback is that BT will lock you in for two years, where most other providers offer 18-month contracts. That said, if you can get it and you're willing to pay the premium for what is after all a premium service, there are plenty of reasons to choose BT including top-tier customer service, a great router, and a raft of useful extras.