Our featured broadband deal
Our pick of the week is NOW Broadband’s Super Fibre deal. At just £24 a month for superfast average speeds of 63Mbps, it’s very good value compared to other offers with similar speeds - even despite the additional £10 setup fee.
Not only does it have an impressive monthly price, but the short 12-month contract means this deal gives you a lot more flexibility than most offers, which usually come with 18 or 24-month terms. Shorter contracts often come with higher prices because they allow you to switch your package earlier, but this offer has stayed at a reasonably low monthly price.
Just keep in mind that like most other providers, NOW Broadband’s contract terms state that it may increase its monthly prices by a small percentage in April of each year. It hasn’t announced what its April 2024 price increase will be yet, though.
At 63Mbps, the average speed on offer from Super Fibre is certainly fast enough to handle most households’ internet habits. It should let two or three people stream TV, game or work from home at the same time with no issues. And since this deal is available to over 97% of the UK, it’s very likely you can get it at your home too.
NOW Broadband: Super Fibre
- Contract length
- 12 months
- Download limit
- Unlimited
- Upfront cost
- £10.00
- Average speed*
- 63Mb
- Per month
- £24.00
Compare broadband in three steps
- Enter your details
- Choose a personalised deal
- Complete your switch
You always have a 14-day ‘cooling off’ period, during which you can cancel your request to switch broadband provider – free of charge.
What to consider when comparing broadband deals
The best broadband deal for you isn't always the cheapest, the fastest or the one with the best extras. It's the deal that is best suited to you and your household.
By comparing different offers and brands, you can find one that matches your needs at a price you're happy with.
Here's what to think about when looking for your ideal broadband offer:
Are you out of contract?
If your contract has finished, it's likely you're paying a lot more each month than you need to. But this also means you can get a new deal right away, so it could be the perfect time to find a cheaper broadband plan.
What’s your budget?
Comparing a range of offers is the best way to find a broadband deal that matches your budget. Your current provider may offer you some good value plans to re-contract to, but if you want to find the best value for your money, you should browse elsewhere too.
Do you want a faster broadband speed?
Faster fibre broadband deals are becoming more available, sometimes for similar prices to what you might already be paying. So if you've been struggling with slow broadband speeds, it's worth seeing if faster deals are accessible in your area.
Do you watch pay TV?
If you're signed up for a pay TV service with Sky, BT or Virgin, it may work out cheaper to bundle your broadband service with them too. If you're paying separate providers, see how much your current total monthly cost is and compare it to the TV & broadband bundles on offer from those providers.
How important is customer service to you?
Some providers are thought to have better customer service than others. And some will offer more ways to strengthen your broadband connection, either with whole home guarantees or Wi-Fi boosters. Make sure you check what each provider offers outside of the speed and price.
Are you moving home?
If you're moving, make sure to search broadband deals with your new address to see if you can continue your current broadband plan. If your current service isn't available there and you need to sign up for a new deal, you may need to pay some early exit fees.
Broadband providers you can compare on Uswitch
With many broadband providers available across the UK, there are usually many options when searching for a new deal.
Uswitch hosts a range of brands that we trust to deliver a fantastic service for different needs. To find the right service for you and your household, you can compare offers from the UK's top broadband suppliers here.
![Virgin Media]()
Virgin Media
![BT]()
BT
![TalkTalk]()
TalkTalk
![Sky]()
Sky
![Plusnet]()
Plusnet
![Vodafone]()
Vodafone
![NOW Broadband]()
NOW Broadband
![Shell Energy Broadband]()
Shell Energy Broadband
![Onestream]()
Onestream
![Gigaclear]()
Gigaclear
![Hyperoptic]()
Hyperoptic
![Community Fibre]()
Community Fibre
Virgin Media
BT
TalkTalk
Sky
Plusnet
Vodafone
NOW Broadband
Shell Energy Broadband
Onestream
Gigaclear
Hyperoptic
Community Fibre
How to find the right provider
When you’re comparing providers, the most important thing to do is check how good they are at different parts of a broadband service. The right provider for you could be based on a number of things, including:
- Internet speed
- Value for money
- Reliability
- Customer service
- TV bundles
- Home equipment
The best way to choose a provider is to decide which of these things you want the most from your broadband, and compare deals from the ones that do them the best. If you’re not sure how to do that, our provider reviews and awards could help.
Uswitch telecoms awards
In our yearly telecoms awards, we crown different broadband providers for showing excellent service in a number of the above areas.
See which providers we awarded for customer service, value for money, reliability and more in the Uswitch 2023 Telecoms Awards.
What happens after I switch providers?
Switching providers is often a very simple process. Our study found that UK broadband customers are missing out on £1.85 billion in savings each year¹ because of misplaced concerns about switching.
But signing up to a better deal is almost always worth the process, when you consider the amount of money that could be saved.
Here's what happens when you switch:
- Once you've chosen a deal on Uswitch, you'll be sent to the provider's website to sign up.
- Add your details, confirm the broadband deal you want and select any add-ons you'd like too.
- When you're signing up, your new provider will show you all the charges you'd be expected to pay during your contract.
- You can also choose the date you want to start your new connection.
- After the purchase is completed, you'll get a confirmation email from your provider and it will start the process to activate your connection on your chosen date.
- Depending on which provider you’re with, you might need to cancel your old contract yourself. Read our switching broadband guide to find out more.
Broadband provider reviews
To help you make a more confident decision for your next broadband deal, we have in-depth expert reviews of the biggest broadband providers in the UK. They look at all of the most important parts of a broadband service, and rate each provider on how well they perform at them.
We back our broadband reviews up with a 20,000-person customer survey, which asks them what they like the most (and least) about their provider. So you can easily find out which one is considered the best in a number of different categories, and choose the provider that’s right for you.
We have expert broadband reviews of popular providers like Virgin Media, Sky, BT, EE, Vodafone and more, so make sure to visit our reviews hub to see how they all compare.
Uswitch broadband provider reviews
Read our expert reviews of all of the UK's biggest broadband providers.
Read our broadband reviews
Our broadband expert says…
“Switching is one of the best ways to save money on your broadband. Most providers offer their deals at cheaper rates for new customers, and many will throw in high-value gift vouchers for signing up too.
“It also helps you make sure you’re always getting the service you need. If your internet keeps dropping out, you can look for providers who use a more reliable network. If you don’t watch as much TV as you used to, you could start comparing broadband-only deals from a wider range of providers.
“Searching elsewhere for a better deal can mean big savings in the short and long run, as well as improvements in speed and your online experience as a whole.”
Ernest Doku, Head of Commercial for Broadband and Mobiles
What is broadband?
Broadband is your way of accessing the internet while you’re at home.
Internet-carrying cables transmit broadband data from a provider’s exchange to your property. It connects to either a landline or fibre-optic socket in your house, which then plugs into your Wi-Fi router. From your router, the internet signal is then sent out wirelessly throughout the home, which your internet-enabled devices can connect to in order to access online services.
This technology is what allows you to stream TV, use social media, play video games, work from home, order items and so much more. But there’s still a range of ways broadband can get to your home, and depending on which types of broadband are available to you, your experience online could be quite different.
What are the types of broadband in my area?
There are different types of broadband available depending on where you live. Here are the most common ways you can get broadband in your area.
- Part-fibre (or fibre to the cabinet) broadband is available in 97% of the country. It offers superfast speeds between 30-70Mbps, and is the most used type of broadband in the UK.
- Full fibre (or fibre to the premises) plugs fibre cables directly into your property. This provides ultrafast speeds from 100Mbps all the way beyond 1Gbps (1000Mbps), and is currently available to around half of the UK.
- Virgin Media cable broadband is a separate fibre-optic network run by Virgin. It provides ultrafast speeds of up to 1Gbps to over half of UK homes, mainly in towns and cities.
- 4G/5G mobile internet is often used as a backup, but it can also be relied on for home broadband. It's a great option for homes that can't access fibre.
- Copper ADSL is the oldest and slowest type of broadband in the country. It offers 10Mbps average speeds to 99% of the UK through the Openreach copper phone lines.
- Satellite broadband is also an option for people in hard to reach areas. SpaceX's company Starlink allows rural homes to get online via a satellite dish.
What speed do I need?
Explore how a range of broadband speeds can support your needs
- 0-20 Mbps
- Smaller homes of 1-2 people
- Light browsing
- 21-35 Mbps
- Smaller homes of 1-2 people
- HD streaming
- 35-50 Mbps
- Larger homes of 2-3 people
- HD streaming
- 51-99 Mbps
- Larger homes of 3+ people
- High quality streaming and gaming
- 100+ Mbps
- Larger homes of 4+ people
- Multiple streamers and gamers
Find out your download and upload speeds in seconds with our Broadband Speed Test
What's the right speed for me?
You should consider two things when deciding the right internet speed for your home:
- How many devices connect to your Wi-Fi
- What things you use the internet for
If you're a family or you live with other people, it's likely a lot of devices will be using up your broadband speed at the same time. And if you often stream TV, play games or work from home, your household's broadband demand will increase.
The average UK broadband speed is about 69Mbps, according to Ofcom². This would be enough for three or four people to comfortably be online. But if several people in your home like to stream in 4K or regularly work from home, you may need a speed above 100Mbps.
Read our guide for more detail on what broadband speed you need.
What is my current broadband speed?
You can find your current internet speed by running a broadband speed test while you’re at home and connected to your Wi-Fi router.
Our Uswitch broadband speed test will tell you the download and upload speeds you have with your current package and compare it to the average broadband speed in your area. You can then use that result to search for broadband deals that match (or beat) your current speed.
Just be aware that internet speeds are always changing, and one test might not give a clear view of the speed you usually get. That's why providers advertise packages with average speeds, which they measure over a longer period of time.
Can't remember the speed you chose when you signed up? You can find out by checking your latest bill, signing into your online account or contacting your provider directly.
What's the fastest broadband available to me?
The fastest broadband deal in your area depends on what types of broadband are available at your home.
A growing number of areas have access to full fibre, or even Virgin Media's ultrafast network, which are the fastest types of broadband in the UK at the moment. But these connections aren't as widely available as slower types of broadband like part-fibre.
Use our broadband postcode checker to compare the range of broadband speeds available to your home.
What can affect broadband speed?
There are a number of things that can affect the broadband speed you get:
- Type of broadband
Different types of broadband offer different levels of speed and reliability. Fibre broadband is generally faster and more dependable than copper internet, but the most widely-available fibre connections still use copper to get to your home.
Virgin Media's network only partially relies on fibre-optic cables too, so it can also be prone to more outages than other high-speed types like full fibre. But full fibre doesn't rely on copper cabling at all, so its connection is stronger and more consistent than older connections.
If you use mobile broadband, mobile signal is less consistent than a fixed-line broadband cable, so your speed also could vary a lot more.
- How far you live from the broadband exchange or cabinet
If you have a part-fibre connection, your speed may be slower than the advertised average if your home is more than 1.5km from its nearest street cabinet. And if you're still on a fully copper connection, your speed may also be impacted if your home is more than four miles from your provider's nearest broadband exchange.
However, you won't be affected if you have full fibre broadband, because the slowdown only usually happens on connections that use copper cables.
- Where your Wi-Fi router is
If you've got slow internet, changing your home setup could help. You may just need to move your router to a better spot in your house or flat.
To get the best out of your router, make sure it's in a central, open part of your home and keep it away from any objects and devices that might block its signal.
Take a look at our guide for more help on how to improve a slow broadband speed.
- The time of day
The busier the internet is, the slower it tends to be.
When more people use their Wi-Fi during peak times (around 8pm to 10pm), the strain on the infrastructure gets higher. This can mean slower speeds for each household in your area.
This mainly affects copper broadband connections more than fibre, because fibre cables can handle much more data at any given time.
You won't always get the advertised speed every time you use the internet at home. The speed you see when browsing deals is an average reading that the provider has measured over a certain period of time.
In order to be advertised correctly, average speeds are measured during peak times and must be available to at least 50% of users in the area.
Which broadband package should I choose?
You can add TV, landline or mobile phone services to your broadband contract with certain providers, which might help keep your costs down. So if you use a landline or often watch pay TV, a bundle could be a good option.
Broadband only
Broadband only deals are a great option if you:
- Don't need a landline
- Only watch TV on streaming services like Netflix
- Want cheaper broadband deals
Broadband-only deals offer simple plans for those who just want to get online, while still offering ultrafast speeds if you're after a speedy connection.
Broadband and home phone
Broadband and home phone deals might suit if you:
- Regularly use your landline for calls
- Can only get broadband through your phone line
- Make a lot of abroad calls
Most broadband deals still need a landline to get internet to your property, so it's very common for these services to be offered together.
Broadband and TV
Broadband and TV bundles can help save money if you:
- Watch lots of pay-TV on channels like Sky Sports, BT Sport or Sky Atlantic
- Are paying different providers for your broadband and TV
- Want to pay for both services in one monthly bill
If you're a Sky, Virgin Media or BT user, a broadband and TV bundle can be a great way to access their premium services for a cheaper monthly fee.
Just bear in mind that they'll only be better value if you regularly use the TV package you choose.
Broadband, home phone, TV, mobile
These types of deals are rare, but they're great if you:
- Have the budget to pay for top-quality services
- Are loyal to a certain provider
- Want the best features from all your services
All-in broadband bundles can be very pricey, so they're not a good fit for people looking to keep costs down. But if you have a flexible budget and you're already using all of these services, you might find that the price is better than the total cost you're paying right now.
Virgin Media offers a Mega Volt bundle that merges these four services — see if it's right for your needs.
Check if you’re eligible for broadband social tariffs
If you receive Universal Credit or other financial support, you could save an average of £200 per year with a low-income social tariff, according to Ofcom³.
These are often the cheapest broadband deals you can get, but you have to qualify for them. So you'll need to be on one of the following support schemes in order to get the discounted service:
- Universal Credit
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Jobseeker's Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
See our guide on broadband social tariff deals to see if you're eligible for a cheaper broadband package.
Social tariffs for Universal Credit customers
Find out if you're eligible for a low-income broadband social tariff, and how much you could save per month.
Broadband social tariffs
How to switch broadband - a guide to changing your provider
Want to switch your broadband service? Here's how to do it all, from finding the speed you need to choosing the right provider for you.
Nick Baker, Content Editor - Telecoms
What our customers are saying
"Excellent, quick to give you great results. I save £45 per month on my broadband and getting £200 gift voucher. HIGHLY recommended."— RKRK, Uswitch customer