Cheap Broadband Deals in the UK

Why do some broadband deals cost less?

The cost of your broadband deal depends on a number of different factors, such as connection speed, contract length and whether or not you’ve chosen to add on other services, such as home phone or TV.

Monthly costs can also be affected by your location and the number of internet providers competing in your region, as well as installation fees and the type of equipment used. While the variation can make navigating broadband packages difficult, it does mean you should be able to find a broadband deal to suit your needs and your budget.

What are the different types of broadband available?

Broadband can be delivered into your home in a number of different ways. The method you choose will affect your connection speed and, consequently, the types of online services you can access. The different types of broadband available are:

Standard broadband (ADSL)

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) broadband, or standard broadband, was one of the earliest methods of delivering broadband to homes and uses your existing copper phone line. It was preceded by dial-up connections and, as it uses a phone line to get you connected, it usually requires you to pay line rental as part of the deal.

The benefits of ADSL are that, because it uses your existing phone line, it’s the most widely available connection and likely to be the cheapest broadband deal you’ll find. The downside is that it offers the slowest broadband speeds of any method still in use. 

The average download speed available using ADSL is 10Mbps (megabits per second) and the average upload speed it offers is 1Mbps, but even this can be affected by how far away from the telephone exchange and the street cabinet you live. Data doesn’t travel quickly through copper cables, so the further away you live from either, the more delays you will experience.

Generally, standard broadband is suitable for light internet users, so it should suffice if you only go online to check emails, bank statements, or do some shopping. 

Fibre broadband

Fibre broadband provides much faster download speeds and upload speeds, making it suitable for families and those who frequently use streaming services. Fibre-broadband connections are also worth considering if you have multiple devices online at the same time.

There are two types of fibre broadband connections:

Fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC)

FTTC is the most readily available type of fibre broadband in the UK. It means that broadband is delivered to a nearby cabinet (the green boxes you see on most UK streets) using fibre-optic cables. The final leg of the journey into your home uses existing copper cables. 

This type of fibre connection enables you to have ‘superfast’ broadband, with speeds varying from about 30Mbps up to 80Mbps. As the final leg of its journey is made with phone cables, FTTC broadband also usually requires line rental to get you connected.

Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP)

FTTP is also known as fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) or full fibre. This type of connection uses only fibre-optic cables to deliver broadband to your home and bypasses the need for copper cables altogether. 

As a result, FTTP offers the fastest broadband connection available, with download speeds and upload speeds of up to 1Gbps, or ‘gigabit’ internet. Full-fibre connections do not always offer speeds this fast, however, ranging from 100Mbps to 1Gbps depending on availability in your area – you will often see these packages advertised as ‘ultrafast’ broadband.

Cable broadband

Rather than using fibre-optic or copper cables to deliver broadband into your home, this type of broadband uses coaxial cables instead. Virgin Media is the only major provider offering cable broadband in the UK, with its own network in place offering almost 50% availability across the country.

Cable broadband is often faster than FTTC, but not quite as fast as FTTP connections. Virgin Media packages offer download speeds of up to about 500Mbps to most customers, with a limited number able to get speeds of up to 1Gbps. As cable broadband does not require phone cables to provide a connection, you can get a Virgin Media broadband deal without line rental.

Mobile broadband

Mobile broadband is a completely different way of bringing broadband into your home. Whereas the most common connections use fibre or copper cables, mobile broadband uses a mobile network to connect your computer, laptop or tablet to the internet. 

The most common type of connection is through a USB dongle or a personal Wi-Fi device (called Mi-Fi). These external plug-in devices use the mobile 4G or 5G network to access the internet (as your smartphone would). You can also buy SIM-only or pay-as-you-go plans, which will provide you with a SIM card to use with your tablet – similar to getting a SIM-only deal for your smartphone. 

The greatest advantage of mobile broadband is the fact that it’s truly mobile. As long as you have your Mi-Fi or dongle with you, you’ll be able to get online no matter where you are. The disadvantage is that you’re relying on 4G and 5G, which aren’t available everywhere you go. This can be a particular problem if you’re going somewhere remote.

Which are the cheapest broadband providers?

Most major broadband providers will offer a standard broadband package and these are likely to be the cheapest options available. 

However, in addition to the monthly cost of broadband, there are many other factors that are important to consider when you choose a package, such as:

• Connection speed – this is probably the most important factor in choosing a broadband package and can help you focus on the type of broadband you need in the first place. For example, if you never stream video content, ADSL broadband could be a better, more economical option than fibre broadband.
• Data caps – some broadband providers limit the amount of data available. This restricts the amount of content you can download, but you can pay extra for deals that offer unlimited broadband if you don’t want to worry about going over a limit. However, during the pandemic, most broadband providers lifted data caps, which haven’t (as yet) been reinstated. Broadband providers that did this included major UK operators, including BT (Openreach), Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Sky and Hyperoptic. 
• Contract length – consider the length of the contract being offered. Most internet providers will tie you into a 12-month contract, but some cheap broadband packages might need you to commit for 18 or 24 months, which means you’ll have to wait longer to switch to a better deal. 
• Customer care – if service is important to you, read reviews to check what current customers are saying about their providers. You can also read Ofcom’s quarterly complaints data, which sets out the number of customer complaints for each broadband provider. 
• Cost of equipment – you’ll usually be provided with equipment to access your broadband services (for instance, a router), but if you upgrade you might have to cover some or all of the cost of new equipment, so double-check what the small print says. 
• Set-up costs – providers often charge upfront set-up costs, so make sure to compare these to ensure you get the most cost-effective broadband deal.

What other services can I add to my broadband deal?

You can buy broadband-only deals, but packages are very often advertised as bundles that include other services, in addition to providing internet access. Typical bundles include:

• Broadband and phone
• Broadband and TV
• Broadband, phone and TV

Bundling services will increase the monthly cost, but it could work out cheaper than buying these as individual services.

Bundled packages also often come with extra benefits as providers try to attract your business. As a result, if you’re a new customer you could enjoy additional one-off perks such as no service-activation fee or be given gift vouchers or cashback.

What broadband speed do I need to use TV and film streaming services?

You can stream most TV and film services with a minimum broadband speed of 1Mbps, or 1.5Mbps. For better quality high-definition downloads, all the major streaming services (BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video) recommend an average download speed of at least 5Mbps.

If you prefer to watch films in 4K ultra-high definition, you’ll need a much higher fibre-broadband speed. Currently, Netflix recommends an average speed of 25Mbps for this.

Although these are the recommended speeds, you’ll also need to take into account other internet users in your household. For example, having the minimum 5Mbps might enable you to watch something on your tablet, but it won’t leave any leeway to carry out other online tasks at the same time. For families or other housemates wanting to get online, this could pose problems. With that in mind, you should consider an internet provider that can offer you a broadband deal with a connection speed of at least 10 or 11Mbps.

What is the fastest cheap broadband deal?

Broadband deals are updated on a regular basis so it’s well worth comparing packages when your current contract ends.

Remember that broadband providers will also vary by your location as not all of them operate throughout the UK. The simplest way to find cheap broadband deals where you live, is to search by postcode. This will enable you to compare packages specific to your area and avoid disappointment. 

Currently, the cheapest broadband deals available include:

How do I get a cheap broadband deal in my area?

Comparing broadband deals is the quickest, and simplest way to find a cheap broadband deal in your region. All you need to do is enter your postcode to see what’s available. 

To make sure you find the cheapest package, think about the type of internet user you are, as this will determine the download speed you’re likely to need. This will then influence the type of broadband that’s most suitable – for example, ADSL or fibre broadband.

You can then consider whether or not you want to add other services into your broadband bundle, such as a phone line or TV. If you decide you would like additional services, look out for any special discounts or other offers available. 

Incentives for new customers often include the waiving of one-off fees, such as set-up costs, or equipment like set-top boxes. You can also keep admin, and monthly costs down by paying for your broadband deal by direct debit.