The greatest bargains in your location will rely on the types of internet connections that are accessible to you when you run a broadband comparison search. Some are more widely available than others, so it’s worth checking the
broadband availability in your area frequently.

For example, if you have your heart set on a provider that offers gigabit download speeds, you may be disappointed if your home is unable to receive that speed due to a lack of cables and equipment in your area.

Broadband providers, on the other hand, are continually improving their networks, so keep checking to see what’s new.

If full-fibre broadband (also known as fibre-to-the-premises or FTTP) has been installed on your block, you may be able to get ultrafast and even gigabit broadband speeds (1,000Mbps).

If you only have access to classic copper phone lines, you may be limited to slower but more generally available connections such as superfast FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet) broadband or even standard copper-based ADSL.

Use our broadband postcode checker to narrow down your search to deals that you can obtain before browsing and comparing broadband deals online.

After clicking on a package you like, you’ll need to confirm availability at your precise address on the provider’s website.

When most of us compare internet deals, the first thing we look at is the price. Furthermore, if you’ve completed your initial contract, you’ll almost certainly be charged high out-of-contract penalties, so a new broadband plan will
almost always be less expensive than your present one.

When you signed up for your last broadband package, you most likely agreed to a fixed-term contract. Depending on the provider, these can last anywhere from 12 to 24 months. When that term expires, however, carriers frequently increase
the price by a large amount – as much as 61 percent in some cases.

So you know right immediately when you’re evaluating new deals that switching will save you money.

Many carriers offer more cheap options for customers who don’t use the internet very much if you’re trying to save money on your next contract.

Look through our selection of low-cost broadband plans to find some excellent deals and exclusives.

If you’re on Universal Credit or another form of financial assistance, you might be eligible for a low-cost broadband plan. To determine if you qualify for a broadband bargain for low-income families, go to our “broadband deals for
low-income families” page.

Keeping track of your household bills might be difficult. With so many contracts to remember, it’s easy to lose track of when you first signed up for each one. However, you should be aware that if you can’t recall when your contract was
supposed to finish, you may be paying more than you should be right now.

There’s no reason to be concerned if you can’t recollect when you signed up. To assist you to avoid paying more than you should for your broadband, broadband providers are required to notify you when your contract is coming to an end.

This notice must also include an offer of similar deals that the supplier currently has available, albeit it’s worth mentioning that there may be better deals available on the market. As a result, it’s always a good idea to shop around
for deals from a variety of providers before settling on the first one you come across.

Check out our complete guide to end-of-contract notices for more information, including when you should be contacted and what further services the provider might provide.

When it comes to choosing a broadband plan, broadband speed is usually the most crucial decision factor after price.

Faster download speeds enable you to accomplish a lot more online and stream movies, TV shows, and music in higher quality, but they usually come at a larger monthly cost. So, choose a broadband plan that’s fast enough for your needs,
but don’t go for more speed than you need if you want to save money.

Of course, you could always prioritize obtaining the cheapest internet plan available, but if the speed isn’t fast enough for your household’s needs, it won’t be a great deal.

Compare your current internet speed to what’s available in your neighborhood.

Longer contracts aren’t inherently scary; although they’re longer, they usually just mean you’ll be paying a reduced monthly fee for a longer period.

If you’re a student or rent your house, be cautious since you don’t want to be hit with early termination penalties if you have to terminate your contract before the fixed term is up when you move out.

Check the deal you desire for setup charges, as they can counteract at least some of the savings you get from a low monthly price.

On all of the packages we show, setup charges are explicitly displayed underneath the monthly prices; they often include all of the delivery, installation, and activation costs you’ll incur when purchasing a certain internet plan.

There’s more to life than simply broadband; many broadband bundles include a slew of extra services.

Providers will frequently “sweeten the pot” with some form of reward or incentive, such as cashback, bill credits, or a gift of some kind, to make their offerings stand out.

Depending on the value of these benefits (and, more importantly, their value to you), they can make the effective monthly cost more ‘worth it,’ or enrich your package a little more.

These incentives are usually only available for a limited time, so don’t be rushed into making a decision.

Ideally, if you know what you want from a new broadband package, don’t be swayed by short-term benefits such as a £100 gift card if it’s not the perfect deal for you. If the deal appeals to you, don’t wait too long because you can
miss out on some valuable bonuses.

The faster your internet connection, the faster you can download files, movies, and TV shows, and the higher the picture quality when streaming. But what broadband speed do you need and is paying a higher monthly premium for the
fastest alternatives worth it?

The unit of measurement for broadband speed is Mbps, which stands for “megabits per second.” This is the maximum amount of data you can download (or upload) in a single second.

On any of our Switch Squid offer tables, it’s quite simple to filter out deals with higher or lower speeds than what you’re looking for — just go to the left sidebar and select the speeds you want.

If you’re satisfied with the speed of your current broadband connection, it’s a good idea to limit your search to offers that match your current package’s speed.

Running a broadband speed test while at home and connected to your Wi-Fi router is a smart way to find out what speed you presently have. This will tell you how fast you can download and upload with your current bundle. You may then
use that information to find broadband deals that meet your speed requirements.

It makes sense to look for something faster if your connection is slow, unreliable, frequently buffering, or taking a long time to download anything.

Because you won’t always obtain the same speed when using the internet on your Wi-Fi, broadband speeds are always marketed as ‘average speeds.’

Average speeds are assessed at peak times – between 8 pm and 10 pm when the majority of people are online — and must be available to at least 50% of users in the area to be accurately marketed.

This means that every time you use your broadband, you have a 50/50 chance of having speeds above or below this level.

The broadband speed you get might be influenced by several things.

Fiber broadband is generally faster and more dependable than copper ADSL broadband. This is because fiber-optic connections can transport far more data in a shorter amount of time. Furthermore, they experience fewer interruptions
than ADSL’s copper connections.

Depending on whether you have a 4G or 5G service, average speeds can range from 24Mbps to 300Mbps while using a mobile broadband connection. However, because mobile network signals are less reliable than those from a fixed-line
broadband connection, your broadband speed may vary significantly.

If you use satellite broadband in a distant section of the country, you’re probably used to hefty setup prices and modest average speeds of roughly 11Mbps. In the following months and years, however, Elon Musk’s Starlink project and
UK-based OneWeb are expected to make satellite broadband much quicker and more accessible.

Fibre broadband, despite its name, does not always imply that your connection is entirely made up of fiber-optic cables. In many circumstances, it simply means that the majority of it is.

If you have a fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) plan, the connection from the local street cabinet to your home is completed using the same classic copper cables that are used for ADSL broadband. As a result, the farther your home is from
the cabinet, the more copper cables your connection will rely on, slowing down your broadband speed. However, it is still far quicker than ADSL broadband, with maximum rates of roughly 70Mbps.

However, there is a developing network of broadband connections that are not dependent on copper wires. Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology, also known as full-fibre, runs fiber-optic cables directly from the broadband exchange
to your home, bypassing the lag that occurs between the cabinet and your home.

You’ll have the quickest connections accessible, with gigabit speeds (1000Mbps/1Gbps) possible.

If you’re having trouble with your internet speed, it can be as simple as shifting your Wi-Fi router to a better location. Because routers aren’t particularly attractive, we like to conceal them under furniture or in cabinets.

This, however, interferes with your home’s Wi-Fi signal, which can drastically impede your broadband connection — especially if it’s obstructed by thick walls, surrounding metal, or even a fish tank.

Keep your router in a central, open location of your home, ideally away from any other electrical gadgets, for a stronger signal across your home. More information on how to fix broadband connection problems in your house may be
found in our guide.

The busier the internet gets, the slower it tends to be, just like rush hour traffic. The demand for broadband providers skyrockets as more people use their Wi-Fi during peak hours, resulting in slower speeds for each household.
This is an issue that mostly affects ADSL broadband subscribers.

If there are individuals in the area who aren’t getting their fair share of bandwidth, a provider’s Fair Usage Policy measures may kick in, resulting in slower speeds for you.

In our dedicated guide, you can learn more about the Fair Usage Policy.

Fibre broadband is significantly superior to copper ADSL, and it is already available to 96% of the UK population. In addition, as the availability of fiber has risen, providers have become considerably more competitive. As a
result, it’s usually fairly affordable these days, costing around the same as ADSL deals.

The majority of companies offer fiber broadband packages that are well worth the extra monthly cost. Fiber broadband has several key advantages over ADSL:

Faster speeds: Fibre broadband is always faster than ADSL, with speeds ranging from 36Mbps to 1000Mbps (or 1Gbps), depending on the type of fiber connection and the price you’re willing to pay. ADSL broadband, on the other hand,
typically provides around 10Mbps. In today’s world, this speed would be insufficient to meet the needs of most families.

Fibre broadband provides a more stable and robust connection than ADSL due to higher-quality cables. Furthermore, because fibre-optic cables can carry more data than copper wires, households using fibre internet will not have the
same sluggish bandwidth during peak hours.

While the internet has become a home necessity, it is unlikely to be the sole critical service available from a telecoms provider. If you need a phone or a TV subscription in addition to your broadband, combining them into a bundle
of services could save you money.

Several broadband providers also offer call packages, which can help you save money if you still have a landline. Compare our top broadband and phone packages on our comparison page if you’re looking for a broadband deal that
includes calls.

A lot of major broadband providers bundle TV services with their broadband packages in addition to call packages.

Just keep in mind that these bundles only provide better value if you want to get the most out of your TV package, whether that means seeing exclusive content, recording episodes, or watching live sports or events.

You may compare broadband and TV offers on our featured page once you’ve decided on the features and channels you want in a broadband and TV bundle.

If you’re not locked into a contract, you can change broadband providers at any time and avoid paying early termination fees. Unless the provider changes the price of the monthly subscription you agreed to when you joined up, you’ll
have to either pay up or pay a charge if you’re still inside your contract period.

If you joined Switch Squid when you obtained your last broadband deal, you’ll get a notice when your contract expires automatically. If not, don’t panic; simply contact your service provider and inquire. They have a legal obligation
to inform you whether or not you are still under contract, as well as when your contract expires. Continue reading

An end of contract notification is a letter, message, or email that your broadband provider is required to give you before the end of your fixed-term contract.

Previously, companies could get away with drastically increasing your monthly price without informing you after you were no longer under contract. It is now required for them to tell you when your contract expires and what other
options are available.

Read our complete guide to contract termination notifications for more details.

Over 95% of the United Kingdom has access to fibre broadband. Prices for fibre broadband have dropped dramatically as more providers connect via fiber-optic cables, making it more inexpensive than ever.