NOW Super Fibre broadband: Speed, Pricing, Features

Dan Howdle | March 20th, 2023

NOW is the little sibling of Sky TV and was first launched as an alternative to anyone wanting access to Sky’s premium TV offering without the long-term commitment. As well as TV, NOW also offers broadband services which can be taken independently of the TV packages, or in combination with them.

NOW offers three broadband speeds, of which NOW Super Fibre broadband is the fastest, with an average download speed of 63Mbps. We’ve taken a look at the details so you can decide if NOW broadband’s premium option is the right choice for your home.

Key features

Here’s a quick summary of what you can expect to find with NOW Super Fibre.

Super Fibre Broadband

New customers only

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• 63Mb average speed
• Unlimited monthly downloads
• £10 one-off cost
• 12 month contract
• Pay as you go calls

£23.00 per month (prices may change during contract)

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£23.00 per month (prices may change during contract)

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Who is NOW Super Fibre broadband for?

If you have a standard, ADSL connection that seems unable to cope with your home’s online demands, whether that is streaming Netflix or supporting Spotify while teenagers endlessly scroll through social media, making the leap to a fibre connnection will solve your problems. The extra speed will allow for several online activities at once and minimise shouts of irritation when your router struggles under the demands being placed on it and causes videogames and films to start buffering.

The first step up from standard broadband would be to an entry-level fibre package such as NOW Broadband Fab Fibre, which offers an average of 36Mbps. Alternatively, for a few extra pounds a month, NOW’s Super Fibre offers an average 63Mbps download speeds, and the xtra peace of mind that all your online requirements will be catered for.

Here’s who we think NOW Super Fibre is best suited to, and what benefits you can expect:

• Households with 2-4 occupants – For small to medium-sized households, Super Fibre speeds will be ample in most instances.
• Multiple devices – From phones and tablets to smart TVs and games consoles, a rapid fibre connection like NOW Super Fibre will keep everything connected and, importantly, everyone happy.
• Uninterrupted streaming – Not only will NOW Super FIbre ensure you don’t have to put up with any more buffering when watching your favourite TV show or film, but will also enable others to carry on scrolling or streaming at the same time.
• Cloud storage – IIf you use online cloud storage or regularly send photos or documents to family or friends, the 19Mbps upload speed that comes with NOW Super Fibre will ensure emails and messages sent rapidly and uploads happen without a hitch.
• Gamers – Although a download speed of only 3-5Mbps and an accompanying upload speed of 2Mbps is all that is necessary for playing online games, a fast fibre download speed means gamers can download new games quickly, without waiting around for hours to start playing.

How does NOW Super Fibre compare?

What's included with NOW Super Fibre?

NOW Super Fibre Broadband is truly unlimited, offering an average download speed of 63Mbps, with no limitations on speed and no traffic management, even at peak hours in the evenings, so you can enjoy the optimum speeds at any time of day. When you sign up with NOW Super Fibre, you will be told what your guaranteed minimum speed will be, and so should your speed dips below this, you have the peace of mind knowing that you will be able to leave your NOW contract without being penalised.

NOW provides all its broadband customers with the dual band, NOW Broadband Hub 2 router. This is a good, solid router, and is essentially identical to the Sky Q Hub. It comes with smart channel selection and five antennae that will ensure you always get the best signal possible on any devices you use, and its two gigabit ethernet ports mean you can connect two devices by ethernet cable directly into your router if you wish (internet speed over a cabled connection is always faster than over wifi).

NOW broadband runs on the same Openreach network of cables used by Sky, BT, EE and many other providers and hence is widely available across the country and you have a very good chance of being able to get it.

NOW Broadband Hub 2 router specification

• Reliable wifi – The NOW Broadband Hub 2 uses the 802.11ac standard, which is common amongst most other routers and essentially means you will get a reliable wifi signal around your home.
• Two gigabit ethernet ports – Although NOW doesn’t offer gigabit broadband, these two ethernet ports allow you to connect two devices of your choice by cable to your router, ensuring the fastest possible speeds and a reliable connection.
• Dual frequency bands – As with many other routers, the NOW Broadband Hub 2 uses both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequencies to make sure that every device is optimally connected at any one time/
• Smart channel selection – This means that the router automatically chooses the best of its two frequencies to connect your devices to your wifi signal at any time.
• Five antennae – The NOW broadband Hub has five antennae to ensure good coverage and minimise the number of wifi black spots in your home.

Extras

NOW Broadband is marketed as Sky broadband’s simpler and cheaper option and hence comes with little in the way of exciting extras. It is, in essence, a budget broadband offering, so there are no free gifts or extra data deals on offer.

However, all customers receive the NOW Broadband Buddy app free of charge, which comes with both security software to protect your devices from phishing and malware, and also enables parents to protect their children from inappropriate content and limit their time online.

All NOW broadband customers receive a pay-as-you-go landline at no extra cost, to which you can choose to add a calls package if you are a regular landline user.

Installation and activation with NOW Broadband is free (with the exception of a £5 router delivery charge), unless you choose the one-month, contract-free option, in which case you will have to pay a one-off, upfront cost of £60.

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What we think

NOW Super Fibre Broadband is a straightforward, affordable fibre broadband ideal for most households. Its average download speed of 63Mbps is comparable to regular fibre speeds available from most other providers and will easily allow you to stream on Netflix whilst also keeping several other devices connected at the same time. Running on the Openreach network also means NOW broadband is widely available. The security and parental control software provided by the NOW Broadband Buddy is a valuable free extra.

NOW is also one of those rare providers that offers one-month, contract-free broadband, ideal if you are looking for a short-term solution or just don’t like the idea of a long commitment. Additionally, it can be taken with any of the NOW TV memberships to create the ideal all-round home entertainment package.