Picking the best broadband provider isn’t easy – especially when there are so many packages available from so many different providers. What kind of speeds do you need, and what kind of connection can you get for your home? What length of contract should you look out for, and how do you know whether a provider is reliable or not? Sign up and you could land the perfect broadband package, but it’s all too easy to get tied into an expensive mistake.
We’re here to clear up the confusion. Every year, we carry out a comprehensive review of internet packages offered by all the major UK ISPs. We will help you ensure you don’t get locked into a lengthy broadband contract you aren’t happy with, or don’t pay over the odds for a slow service.
What’s more, every year we conduct extensive research to find out what users think of the biggest ISPs. As with last year, we’re looking at customer satisfaction, speed, customer service, reliability and value for money – and handing out awards to the providers with the top scores in each category.
Below you will find our helpful how-to guide for choosing the best broadband provider for you. And, below that, our top picks of the best UK broadband providers in 2023
How to choose the best broadband provider for you
Check your coverage
When it comes to getting the best broadband, location makes a big difference. The speed and reliability of both fibre and ADSL connections will depend on the quality of the line between you and the nearest streetside cabinet and the distance between your home and the local exchange. Faster full-fibre connections may or may not be available, depending on whether the necessary cabling has been installed in your area. This makes checking your coverage essential.
All major ISPs have a page on their website where you can enter your postcode and check which services and speeds you can expect to receive. Do this before you start shopping in earnest or you may be disappointed.
Be aware of contract length
Some broadband contracts still last 12 months, but ISPs are increasingly trying to push new customers towards 18-month or even two-year deals. That might be fine if you’re happy with the service, but if you want to jump ship to a faster or cheaper provider, you could be looking at a long wait.
However, Ofcom regulations mean you can now back out of your contract if your provider fails to deliver a promised minimum speed and most providers will allow you to back out of your contract within the first month if you’re not getting what you pay for.
Work out the total cost of signing up
All ISPs will bill you on a monthly basis, but if you’re comparing different packages it’s smart to tally up how much you will pay in total over the course of the contract, including any upfront setup fee.
If you’re shopping around for a new ISP, review prices right up until the minute where you sign up. The market is incredibly competitive and deals frequently come along that can dramatically reduce the cost of certain contracts or see you get a higher speed for the same price as a lower-cost service.
Keep an eye on what happens after your initial contract term ends, too. Some ISPs hike the price up after the first year or 18 months, sometimes massively inflating the monthly charge. This is often negotiable, though, if you phone them up and say you’re planning to move to a different provider. If they won’t budge on the price, find a more amenable alternative.
Speeds are crucial, but don’t be fooled
ISPs are nowadays obliged to advertise average download speeds for their internet packages. These give you a good idea of which packages are faster than others but it doesn’t tell you much about how consistent or reliable the service is.
To get a clearer view, we combine the results of our reader-voted Best Broadband Awards survey – conducted in partnership with YouGov – with Ofcom’s annual broadband customer-satisfaction report, which brings together customer surveys and user-recorded data such as average download and upload speeds and connection reliability.
This allows us to see how the different providers stack up across the board. Just remember that the speed data from the Ofcom survey refers to the connection speed between the ISP and your router – if your laptop or smartphone is connected over Wi-Fi, that could slow things down.
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