Broadband Deals Northern Ireland 2026: Fibre £23.99

Last updated: 29 October 2026

What are the best broadband deals in Northern Ireland? As of 29 October 2026, BT Full Fibre 150 costs £23.99 a month on a 24-month contract through BT’s offer page, Virgin Media advertises M125 from £23.99 a month in its network areas, and Fibrus, Northern Ireland’s own full fibre network, lists Full Fibre 150 at £19.99 to £24.99 a month with no price rises during the contract. Coverage is the good news: Ofcom says 95% of homes in Northern Ireland could get full fibre in January 2026, against 82% across the UK. Check your postcode first, then compare the cheapest full fibre deal with the price rises written into each contract, because those rises change what you really pay. This SwitchSquid guide shows who covers which parts of Northern Ireland, what each deal costs over its contract and how to switch. If you sign up through the buttons on this page, we may earn a commission; it does not change your price.

Sources: Ofcom Connected Nations, spring 2026, ISPreview on Ofcom’s nation figures, uSwitch Northern Ireland and Belfast, thinkbroadband Fibrus page, Fibrus, BT and Virgin Media, checked on 28 and 29 October 2026.

Why Northern Ireland has more full fibre than the rest of the UK

Northern Ireland is the best-connected part of the UK for full fibre, and by a wide margin. Ofcom’s Connected Nations figures for January 2026, as tabled by ISPreview, put full fibre availability at 95% of homes in Northern Ireland, compared with 82% in England and Wales, 75% in Scotland and 82% for the UK overall. Ofcom’s Northern Ireland report adds that availability for rural households rose from 89% in January 2025 to 91% in January 2026.

There are three reasons. Openreach started building fibre to the premises in Northern Ireland early and covered most of greater Belfast street by street. Virgin Media runs its own cable network in the largest towns. And Project Stratum, the publicly funded rural programme delivered by Fibrus, took full fibre to many farms, villages and isolated homes that would wait years for it elsewhere.

People are also using it. The same Ofcom data shows 65% of Northern Ireland premises that can get full fibre had taken it up by January 2026, compared with 47% across the UK. If you are still on an old copper or part-fibre line, there is a good chance a faster, similarly priced full fibre deal is already available at your address.

Who provides broadband in Northern Ireland?

Most homes can choose between several providers on three kinds of network:

• Openreach full fibre (BT, EE, Sky, Vodafone, TalkTalk, Plusnet and others): uSwitch describes Openreach’s full fibre coverage as extensive across the whole Belfast metropolitan area, with wide availability in towns elsewhere. thinkbroadband lists BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone among the main providers serving Northern Ireland.

• Virgin Media cable: Virgin Media runs its own network in Northern Ireland’s biggest towns and cities. uSwitch names Belfast’s urban areas and nearby towns including Lisburn, Newtownabbey, Dundonald and Bangor.

• Fibrus: Northern Ireland’s own full fibre provider, set up in 2018 to serve rural communities. uSwitch says it covers around 40% of premises in Northern Ireland, mainly outside the big urban areas, and it holds the Project Stratum contract.

• YouFibre: available in a few parts of Belfast and Derry~Londonderry, according to uSwitch, including Andersonstown, Twinbrook, Poleglass and Derriaghy.

Which of these you can get depends on your exact address, not just your town. Use our broadband postcode checker or check deals for your postcode with Squid AI before you compare prices.

Northern Ireland broadband deals compared: October 2026

The table sets out the main full fibre and cable deals available in Northern Ireland, with the price rises that apply during each contract. BT and Virgin Media details come from their own pages through our links on 29 October 2026. Fibrus prices are the listings on thinkbroadband and uSwitch, checked on 28 October 2026; Fibrus quotes prices by address.

Virgin Media did not show monthly prices without an address; its broadband page advertised M125 from £23.99 and gigabit from £29.99 a month in October 2026. Fibrus speeds are the averages uSwitch lists. For a deeper look at Fibrus, including its £400 exit-fee help and its offer for TalkTalk customers, see our Fibrus broadband deals guide.

What each deal really costs over the contract

The monthly price on the advert is only part of the story. Since 17 January 2025, Ofcom rules mean any price rise built into a new broadband contract has to be set out in pounds and pence when you sign, so you can add it up before you commit. Here is what that looks like.

• BT Full Fibre 150: 5 months at £23.99 (November 2026 to March 2027), 12 months at £27.99 and 7 months at £31.99 comes to £679.76 over 24 months, or an average of £28.32 a month. The exact split depends on your start date, because the rises fall each March.

• Fibrus Full Fibre 150 at £24.99: 18 months at a fixed £24.99 is £449.82. At the lower £19.99 listing it is £359.82.

• Fibrus Full Fibre 1000 at £29.99: 18 months is £539.82, with gigabit speeds and no rises.

Contracts of different lengths are not directly comparable, so look at the average monthly cost as well as the total. On that measure, a Fibrus deal is often the cheaper choice where you can get it, while BT gives you a nationwide brand with a £300 leaving-fee credit to help you exit your current contract. Our guide to broadband mid-contract price rises explains the rules in more detail.

Best broadband in Belfast vs the rest of Northern Ireland

Belfast and the larger towns: you will usually have the widest choice. Openreach full fibre is close to universal in greater Belfast, so BT, Sky, Vodafone, EE and TalkTalk can all sell you full fibre. Many streets also have Virgin Media, and parts of west Belfast have YouFibre. With that much competition, compare at least one Openreach deal, one Virgin Media deal and Fibrus if your address shows it.

Rural Northern Ireland: Fibrus is often the only full fibre network, and in some areas it is the only provider offering gigabit speeds. Openreach also reaches many rural properties. If your home was part of Project Stratum, a postcode check on Fibrus’s site is the quickest test.

Derry~Londonderry, Newry, Armagh and the market towns: coverage is high everywhere, not just in Belfast. Ofcom’s local authority data, as summarised by PlainBroadband, shows full fibre above 90% of premises in every council area, from 90.9% in Fermanagh and Omagh to 96.7% in Antrim and Newtownabbey. Virgin Media coverage is more patchy outside the biggest towns, so check the address rather than the town name.

If you want more background on rural coverage, see our rural full fibre availability guide, and for UK-wide deals, our full fibre broadband deals roundup.

How to switch broadband in Northern Ireland

1. Check your contract end date. Your provider must tell you when your minimum term ends. Leaving early may mean an exit fee, which BT’s £300 credit or Fibrus’s exit help can offset.

2. Check your postcode. Confirm which networks reach your address and the price for that address.

3. Compare total contract cost. Add up the monthly price and any set price rises, then divide by the number of months.

4. Order the new service. Under One Touch Switch, the new provider arranges the move for most switches between fixed broadband networks, so you usually do not need to call your old provider first. Our One Touch Switch guide explains how it works.

5. Book installation. Full fibre may need an engineer visit to fit a small fibre box inside your home.

On a low income or benefits? Most big providers in Northern Ireland offer social tariffs, and thinkbroadband lists Fibrus Full Fibre Essentials at £14.99 a month for 50Mbps. Our social tariff broadband guide covers who qualifies.

Fit summary

• Good for BT Full Fibre 150: homes on Openreach full fibre that want a well-known provider, £0 activation and up to £300 towards leaving fees.

• Good for Virgin Media: Belfast and larger-town households that want very fast speeds, especially Gig1 at 1,130Mbps average.

• Good for Fibrus: rural and suburban homes in its network, and anyone who wants no price rises during the contract.

• Consider alternatives if: you may move within a year, in which case a shorter contract may be worth a slightly higher monthly price.

Important conditions

• Availability and prices depend on your exact address. Always check the price shown for your postcode before ordering.

• BT’s £23.99 price rises to £27.99 from March 2027 and £31.99 from March 2028. The leaving-fee credit is up to £300 as bill credit.

• Virgin Media prices are advertised “from” prices and appear in full once you enter a postcode. An engineer installation costs £30.

• Fibrus prices are third-party listings checked on 28 October 2026; Fibrus quotes by address.

FAQ

What is the cheapest broadband in Northern Ireland?

The cheapest full fibre listing in this guide is Fibrus Full Fibre 150 at £19.99 a month on thinkbroadband, where Fibrus covers your address. Elsewhere, BT Full Fibre 150 costs £23.99 a month on BT’s offer page through our link, and Virgin Media advertises M125 from £23.99. Social tariffs, such as Fibrus Full Fibre Essentials at £14.99, cost less if you qualify.

How much of Northern Ireland has full fibre?

Ofcom’s January 2026 data puts full fibre availability at 95% of homes in Northern Ireland, the highest of the four UK nations. The UK figure is 82%. Rural availability in Northern Ireland reached 91%.

Is Virgin Media available in Northern Ireland?

Yes, in the larger towns and cities. Virgin Media runs its own cable network in places such as Belfast, Lisburn, Newtownabbey, Dundonald and Bangor. Coverage varies street by street, so check your postcode.

Is Fibrus better than BT?

Fibrus keeps the same price throughout its contract and often lists lower prices, while BT’s £23.99 price rises each March. BT is available in more places and offers up to £300 towards leaving fees. Where you can get both, compare the total cost over each contract.

Can I get gigabit broadband in Northern Ireland?

Most homes can. Fibrus Full Fibre 1000, Virgin Media Gig1 and Openreach-based gigabit packages all serve parts of Northern Ireland. Gigabit availability depends on your address, so run a postcode check first.

Do I need a phone line for broadband in Northern Ireland?

No. Full fibre and Virgin Media cable deals do not need a traditional landline. If you want a home phone, providers offer digital voice calls through your router instead.

Final decision card

Northern Ireland has the UK’s best full fibre coverage, so most homes can get a fast, fairly priced deal. If Fibrus reaches you, its fixed prices from £19.99 to £29.99 are hard to beat. If you are on Openreach full fibre, BT Full Fibre 150 at £23.99 a month with £0 activation and up to £300 towards leaving fees is a strong start. In Belfast and the bigger towns, check Virgin Media, especially if you want gigabit speeds. Not sure which fits your home? Ask Squid AI to compare deals for your postcode.