TalkTalk Full Fibre 500 broadband package

Dan Howdle | February 9th, 2024

TalkTalk Full Fibre 500 is, technically, TalkTalk's 'middle' speed, but only due to the existence of Full Fibre 900. In reality, full fibre (contrasted from just 'fibre' due to every part of the network being fibre optic) is only available to around one in four households in the UK, and packages like TalkTalk's Full Fibre 500 represent speeds most of us cannot take advantage of. So, as well as being something most of us can't get and most of us also don't need, what else do we need to know?

Key features

Here’s a quick summary of what you can expect to find with Full Fibre 500.

Full Fibre 500

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0330 221 8482

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• 525Mb average speed
• Unlimited monthly downloads
• Zero one-off cost
• 18 month contract
• No phone line

£39.00 per month (CPI rate of inflation + 3.7% price increase annually from April 2024)

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£39.00 per month (CPI rate of inflation + 3.7% price increase annually from April 2024)

Visit Now

order by phone

0330 221 8482

Who is TalkTalk Fibre 500 for?

Look, this is seriously fast broadband. Most folk are probably aware that streaming 4K TV and movies is one of the most demanding applications for a home broadband connection. Well, for a thorough idea of just how fast the 525Mbps offered by TalkTalk's Full Fibre 500 is, we can tell tou it's fast enough to stream 26 different 4K movies to 26 separate televisions simultaneously. That's ridiculous, We can hear you cry. Sure, but broadband this fast does have one application likely to make it popular: downloading videogames.

Videogames come in huge sizes these days, while discs in boxes are rapidly vanishing. In a way, we would prefer TalkTalk and others offering these sorts of speeds to label these packages as 'gamer broadband' – because really, that's what this is. There will be a few edge cases, certain types of home worker for example, who can also make use of all of some of that bandwidth, but for most households, this is going to be too fast.

The sort of households and lifestyles we think would best benefit from full Fibre 500 are:

• Households with 7+ occupants – And when we say 'occupants' what we really mean is people who use the internet for things like streaming and gaming. Large families with half a dozen teenagers, or large shared student households might just about be able to make use of all this speed
• Smart homes – The Amazon eero Wi-Fi 6 router you'll get with TalkTalk's Full Fibre 500 is truly an excellent bit of kit – more than up to the task. Extremely large households with a lot of smart devices will be able to make use of the 75+ concurrent devices supported by it
• Houses full of gamers – And when we talk about gaming here, what we really mean is 'downloading games and updates', where most times you'll be waiting for minutes or seconds with TalkTalk Full Fibre 500, as opposed to minutes and hours. For example, the latest Call Of Duty (Modern Warfare 3) weights in at a stonking 240GB. Downloading that on a typical 61Mbps fibre connection would take eight hours and 45 minutes, while downloading it on TalkTalk Full Fibre 500 would take a far more reasonable one hour flat
• Working from home – For specific types of jobs that involve uploading and downloading large files for sharing with colleagues – architects and graphic designers come to mind – the faster the better, and TalkTalk Full Fibre 500 might be just the ticket

How does Fibre 500 compare?

What's included with Fibre 500?

All full fibre broadband plans with TalkTalk are supplied with a brand new eero 6 by Amazon router. The state-of-the-art router comes with WiFi 6 tech, which can supply faster speeds than WiFi 5 routers, and to more devices. This advanced piece of kit also promises stronger coverage around the home. Amazon’s eero routers sport mesh technology, meaning you can quickly and easily boost your broadband coverage with extra eero devices should you want.

TalkTalk’s broadband is truly unlimited, with no pesky quotas or download caps to catch you out.

There is a £4.95 router delivery charge to be paid up front on Full Fibre 500, but other than that, setup ios free. Full Fibre installation has a few more steps than your typical broadband connection, as it requires a new hole to be drilled into your exterior wall to feed the fibre cabling into your home. This is necessary to receive an FTTP service, so you will need your landlord’s permission if you are a renter.

Amazon eero 6 router specification

• Next generation WiFi – The eero 6 router includes emerging WiFi 6 technology (802.11ax), which first appeared in 2019. WiFi 6 will eventually become the new standard for routers and devices alike
• Truemesh channel selection – Similar to features seen on other routers, the eero’s TrueMesh software automatically connects your devices to the strongest channel available, with limited interruption or interference
• Dual band – Now the standard for most home hubs, the eero 6 router has two bands – 2.4GHz and 5GHz – to ensure you receive the optimal signal around your home
• Zigbee built-in – Amazon’s eero 6 routers have built-in Zigbee hubs, so you can connect devices like Amazon’s Alexa without the need for an additional hub plugged into your router. Zigbee is the same tech used by Philips Hue bulbs, as well as IKEA’s smart lighting
• Two gigabit ethernet ports – The eero 6 router features two gigabit Ethernet ports. This is fewer than the typical router, but you can boost this number with additional eero devices, if you desire

Extras

TalkTalk broadband customers can access two safety features when in contract, namely HomeSafe and SuperSafe. HomeSafe is a web filter built-in to your broadband supply, which can be activated to block certain content, or restrict it with a PIN code. The benefit here is you can place a blanket ban on websites known to be malicious, but can set PIN access for websites that you don’t want the kids to see, without blocking yourself from these same sites.

SuperSafe, on the other hand, is a premium add-on which offers protection per device, through a standalone app. SuperSafe, also known as Online Defence, costs £4 per month and is developed by F-Secure. F-Secure is award-winning, and it also powers Virgin Media’s dedicated Internet Security app. SuperSafe can be installed on up to ten devices, guarding you from viruses, malware and phishing scams on the move.

Worth noting, TalkTalk’s Full Fibre packages are broadband-only deals, meaning no landline is included or available when placing your order. Customers should bear this in mind, as you will need to sort out a separate call plan if you need a landline supply. No line rental may appeal to those who have no need for a landline, and are happy to use a mobile phone instead. You can, however, purchase a landline as an add-on and keep your existing phone number too.

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What we think

Once you get to 500Mbps and above, broadband packages tend to become more niche. Sure, they may well appeal to people who want to fire and forget and never have to worry about hitting any speed limits. And they will certainly appeal to avid gamers for whom waiting for a large videogame to download on release day can be more painful on slower packages. But for the average household, provided you can get full fibre (most households can't), TalkTalk's Full Fibre 150 is a more sensible choice.

There's also something to be said for getting a Full Fibre package from TalkTalk simply to take advantage of the better router. But even then, the router stays the same whether you get Full Fibre 150 or Full Fibre 900. It's a great router, and a well-priced package, so there's also an argument to be made that if you can afford it, why not?