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Best known for their expansive list of broadcasting options, Sky is a mainstay of British living rooms. Their long list of entertainment, sports, films and news channels, bolstered by a range of original content, has made them the largest pay-TV broadcaster in the UK
For low-cost broadband from a trusted brand, you could do a lost worse than the Post Office. Their growing, loyal customer base is testament to that.
TalkTalk offer high speed fibre broadband, line rental, and an excellent range of TV channel packages, at rock bottom prices.
NOW TV started out offering on demand alternatives to Sky TV packages, and have since branched into the broadband market. NOW Broadband offer internet with 12 month or rolling monthly contracts, along with streaming TV packages.
Virgin Media really needs no introduction. High speed cable broadband, wide ranging TV packages, and mobile tariffs to boot. If you want a one stop shop to satisfy all your telecoms needs, Virgin Media will have you covered.
Plusnet grew from humble beginnings to become one of the UK’s largest and most popular broadband and phone providers, well-liked for their low prices and attentive customer service.
BT is another very well known broadband and telecoms provider, serving millions of households across the UK. BT offers ADSL broadband, and fibre through the Openreach network, as well as line rental and tv packages.
Another provider better known for its mobile offerings, Vodafone has made serious inroads in the domestic broadband market, building up a solid customer base over the years.
Department store John Lewis has been operating in the broadband market for a while now, offering tariffs powered by Plusnet but under the John Lewis branding and with the great customer service they are known for.
There are currently over 150 broadband providers in operation across the UK, meaning you should have a range of options when it comes to comparing broadband deals for your home. However, the vast majority of these companies are relatively small and only cover limited areas, so you’re more likely to find deals from the major providers we’ve listed on this page. For more information on each provider and to see their current deals, click through to their individual provider pages.
BT is currently the largest broadband provider in the UK, covering the vast majority of the country with its Openreach network of copper cables and wires. Many other well-known broadband providers use BT’s Openreach network, including Sky Broadband, TalkTalk and Vodafone to name a few, meaning their coverage is also widespread. Meanwhile, Virgin Media use their own network of fibre optic cables to deliver internet to your home, which means faster speeds but lower overall coverage. To see which broadband providers are available in your area, simply pop in your postcode into our broadband comparison page and we’ll get back to you with a list of quotes.
Speed is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a new broadband deal. Some providers, including Hyperoptic and Gigaclear, can offer insanely fast speeds of up to 1Gbps, but these deals are only yet available in limited locations. Virgin Media, which offers average speeds of over 500Mbps on its top-tier packages, is much more widely available and faster than what other major providers using BT’s Openreach network can currently offer.
Price is another crucial factor when looking for the best broadband deal, and you don’t want to be paying for what you don’t need or use. Typically, the cheapest broadband deals will be ADSL packages, which should be fine for basic users although gamers and streamers will want something a bit faster. Plusnet, TalkTalk and the Post Office all offer cheap ADSL broadband only deals starting at under £20 a month.
Many broadband providers will offer bundle deals that include a TV subscription service as part of the package. These deals are great for those who like to watch live TV and sports, as they invariably work out cheaper then getting broadband and TV deals separately. Sky Broadband currently offer the widest range of channels with their TV bundles, although BT, NOW Broadband and Virgin Media all offer enticing bundle deals too.
Customer service is also important when looking for the best broadband provider. Often overlooked, good customer service can be the difference between getting your broadband connection up and running quickly after any loss of service, and waiting hours on the phone, or sometimes days for your connection to be restored. EE Broadband, Sky Broadband and Virgin Media have all scored good customer satisfaction scores in recent times, according to the industry regulator Ofcom.
Broadband providers will often offer free rewards, such as cashback, vouchers or bill credit, as a way to incentivise you to switch to their services. Rewards and free gifts on certain deals are constantly changing, so make sure you keep an eye out for any provider’s offers you might be interested in. BT are probably the most well-known provider of vouchers and reward cards with their broadband deals, while Plusnet and TalkTalk also offer similar perks regularly.
When setting up a broadband connection at your home, your provider will send you a router which will be used to connect any devices in your home to the internet. While all routers will do the basics (send and receive WiFi signals), some are more appealing than others, coming with more nifty features and controls, and even stronger signals. BT, Sky and Virgin Media all offer top-of-the-range routers on their best packages.
This is not so easy to answer, as each customer will have different requirements depending on their specific needs. If you live in a large household, you like to stream a lot of content or play games online, then your best bet would be a high-speed provider like Virgin Media or Hyperoptic. On the other hand, if you only need your broadband to do the basics, or you’re on a tight budget, you’ll probably prefer a cheaper provider like Plusnet or TalkTalk. Or if you’re a big sports fan or you love watching all the latest movies, you might think Sky or BT offer the best deals for your needs. Compare broadband providers now to see which one is the best for you.