Top 10 Fibre Optic Broadband Deals

How does fibre optic broadband work?

Fibre optic (fiber optic) is broadband that runs over cables in the ground, unlike ADSL broadband that runs over copper telephone wires. The reason fibre optic (fiber optic) broadband is so much faster is the material the cables are made of.

Fibre optic cables are made of glass or plastic, which are materials that facilitate fast movement of data along their length. In traditional ADSL broadband, which is delivered along copper wire, speed is lost quickly over long distances, with the result that speeds vary depending on how far a house is from the exchange.

With fibre optic broadband, however, less speed is lost over long distances. This makes it a superior option for those looking for super-fast broadband.

Which providers offers fibre optic broadband?

Not too long ago, Virgin Media was the only UK fibre optic broadband provider. However, since then a host of competitors have come to market with rival products. Not least BT, whose lightning fast Infinity product uses fibre to the cabinet technology to deliver broadband speeds of up to 76Mbps.

TalkTalk's top-end fibre broadband product also offers speeds of up to 76Mb, as does Plusnet's, TalkTalk's and EE's.

Fibre broadband customers on the Sky's and John Lewis's premium service, meanwhile, can expect top speeds of up to 38Mb, while 39Mb is up for grabs with Eclipse.

Find out about BT Infinity and compare the best Infinity deals at uSwitch's BT Infinity page

To compare all Virgin Media's broadband packages see our dedicated Virgin Media provider page

Virgin Media fibre optic broadband packages

Virgin Media has a range of fibre optic broadband offers to suit every need and, more importantly, every pocket. The sheer speed of Virgin Media's service means its offerings are many people's pick as the best fibre optic broadband deals around.

• Broadband and home phone deals: Virgin Media’s "M phone", "L phone" and "XL phone" offers combine super-fast fibre optic broadband with free weekend calls to UK landlines.
• Broadband bundles: combine your broadband with home phone, digital TV and/or mobile phone packages to make great savings.
• Stand-alone broadband: Virgin Media's fibre optic broadband gives customers outstanding value without asking them to commit to transferring other utilities too. So-called broadband only deals can be a great way of saving money if you don't need a landline.

The fastest broadband speed on offer with a Virgin Media fibre optic broadband deal is 100Mb or up to 120Mb for customers where the company has enhanced its service. However, it's important to note that the 100Mb/120Mb service is only available in areas where important upgrade work has been completed. The company's 50Mb/60Mb service is much more widely available and if you're in a large town or city, there's a very, very good chance you'll be able to get it.

Check out deals on Virgin Media's 50Mb broadband package: 50Mb broadband

BT Infinity fibre broadband

The UK's oldest telecomms provider offers a fibre optic broadband service dubbed Infinity, with a host of fibre optic broadband deals coming under this banner.

Infinity packages feature maximum speeds of up to 76Mb. However, unlike Virgin Media's service, Infinity uses 'fibre to the cabinet' technology rather than 'fibre to the premises' technology. This means that BT Infinity customers' broadband speeds can still be affected by the distance from their nearest exchange to their home, albeit not by anything like as much as with copper phone lines.

As with Virgin Media, BT Infinity broadband can be combined in a broadband bundle with other services such as YouView on-demand TV and a home phone. In fact, BT Infinity is only available to people with a BT landline, so you're going to need to bundle with a home phone service if you're considering signing up for it.

Compare fibre optic broadband deals on the BT Infinity range**

TalkTalk, Eclipse & Plusnet fibre broadband

TalkTalk, EE and Plusnet all use BT's fibre to the cabinet technology to deliver maximum broadband speeds of up to 76Mb. All three stand out for generous usage limits and offer free routers and are available in large towns and cities where BT has upgraded its network.

Customers on standard ADSL broadband TalkTalk packages can upgrade to TalkTalk's fibre optic service by adding a TalkTalk Fibre Optic Boost to their package for an additional monthly fee.

Fibre optic broadband availability?

Cable broadband is available to millions of UK households mostly in towns and cities. If you are not sure whether you can access cable broadband at home, use our postcode checker to find out.

If you're not in a Virgin Media cable area, you may still be able to get a super-fast fibre connection with BT's Infinity broadband service or from the providers detailed above who use BT's network intrastructure.

Find out about Infinity and compare Infinity deals at our dedicated BT Infinity page

Fibre optic broadband is also known as:

• Fiber optic broadband
• Cable broadband

Compare all cable broadband packages here.